Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Rear visibility crisis
I was in two rentals recently--a Chevy Malibu and a Ford Crown Vic. Both were terrible for rear visibility.
In part this was because of hu-normous head rests (new regs by the feds???), but also because of thick rear roof pillars. What the f... happened to functionality and safety? Esp. in the Malibu it was almost impossible to change lanes left on the fwy safely. It makes using your mirrors essential. But I like to use both mirrors and actually looking back for safety.
When I read car reviews here and in the mags repeatedly test drivers mention bad rear visibility with many new models, including the Sonata, Optima, Accent, etc., etc. Sometimes, as in the Sonata, there is a small rear window, but it's so small from the inside as to be almost totally useless.
Honda seems to still value good visibility, even if not as much as in the past.
But most other car companies have just thrown this essential design element out the window in search of trendy style and sales.
Will this horrible (imho) design trend of hideously thick rear pillars ever end? What's your guess?
What, right now, are the worst cars for rear visibility?
And, more importantly, which vehicles are the best?
I want to be able to advise my sister and my mom on this, since they will be buying cars in the next year.
In part this was because of hu-normous head rests (new regs by the feds???), but also because of thick rear roof pillars. What the f... happened to functionality and safety? Esp. in the Malibu it was almost impossible to change lanes left on the fwy safely. It makes using your mirrors essential. But I like to use both mirrors and actually looking back for safety.
When I read car reviews here and in the mags repeatedly test drivers mention bad rear visibility with many new models, including the Sonata, Optima, Accent, etc., etc. Sometimes, as in the Sonata, there is a small rear window, but it's so small from the inside as to be almost totally useless.
Honda seems to still value good visibility, even if not as much as in the past.
But most other car companies have just thrown this essential design element out the window in search of trendy style and sales.
Will this horrible (imho) design trend of hideously thick rear pillars ever end? What's your guess?
What, right now, are the worst cars for rear visibility?
And, more importantly, which vehicles are the best?
I want to be able to advise my sister and my mom on this, since they will be buying cars in the next year.
2018 Acura TLX 2.4 Tech 4WS (mine), 2018 Honda CR-V EX AWD (wife's)
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
My last rental, an Impala, had terrible rear visibility due to stupid tall fixed headrests and a roofline that doesn't work the best.
I can park my E55 in tight spots using just the mirrors, but it doesn't suffer from the high beltline seen on many newer cars due to "safety" (read: lazy sycophant designers). And my fintail is all glass, a breeze to park in any tight spot.
I suspect most crossover type things and many SUVs are just about impossible to see out of in tight situations due to thick pillars...and they seem to attract drivers who aren't the best in that driving to begin with.
Subaru realizes that their vehicles put the utility in sport utility vehicle and sport utility wagon. Unfortunately Honda and Toyota don't realize that in the CUV segment. Same with Audi, Infiniti, and Nissan. ;D Their cars might look sleek and stylish but it's obvious that comes at a steep price, pun intended. I'm glad too. People who pay for a car like that just for the looks and find out their blind spots could swallow a semi pay the consequences of their actions in blood. Unfortunately it's not just their blood though on the roads.
Three words: Wide Angle Lens.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
PS
I like the cameras for seeing directly behind the car. Too many kids run over in their own driveways.
My Saturn ION has fairly small C-pillars, so looking over my shoulder to change lanes isn't so bad.
I have what I feel like is a modern-day version of it--a Mazda5, which has good but not great visibility.
I currently own a Crosstour, which has caught some Flak because the roof supports "only" 2.8 times the car's 4000+ pounds of weight.
Look for Federally mandated rear visibility standards down the road, even though previously mandated standards are no small part of the problem. Same could be said for safety (weight) vs. gas mileage requirements.
All of this can probably be accomplished......at some price.