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Rear visibility crisis - READ ONLY

15 messages,  Last post on Jul 14, 2011 at 4:38 PM

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What is this discussion about? Car Comparisons, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 2

#6 of 15 Re: Rear visibility crisis [andys120] by gagrice

Jul 09, 2011 (8:11 am)

Replying to: andys120 (Jul 09, 2011 6:29 am)
I wonder if they would cover the blind spots along side. I never got used to the little round mirrors. Too distorted. I suppose if I had ever been a truck driver I would have learned to trust my mirrors. I don't like the ones on my Nissan Frontier. They show things closer than they are. So I have to turn and look to get distance when backing into a parking spot. I think we have gone several steps backward with our current crop of vehicles. At least from a visibility standpoint. And what is more important than seeing around your vehicle?
 
PS
I like the cameras for seeing directly behind the car. Too many kids run over in their own driveways.

#7 of 15 Re: Rear visibility crisis [benjaminh] by lemko

Jul 12, 2011 (6:46 am)

Replying to: benjaminh (Jun 27, 2011 11:24 am)
Funny they mentioned the Crown Vic having terrible rear visibility. I have a Mercury Grand Marquis and have no problem with rear visibility.

#8 of 15 Re: Rear visibility crisis [gagrice] by michaell

Jul 12, 2011 (8:08 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Jul 09, 2011 6:14 am)
My wife's Mazda CX-7 is very sporty looking, but at the expense of rear visibility. Fortunately, it does come with a rear view camera that is fantastic when reversing out of parking spaces.
 
My Saturn ION has fairly small C-pillars, so looking over my shoulder to change lanes isn't so bad.

#9 of 15 Re: Rear visibility crisis [lemko] by fintail

Jul 12, 2011 (10:33 am)

Replying to: lemko (Jul 12, 2011 6:46 am)
I often back up my modern car into parking spaces simply by looking in the mirrors. Should be a driving skill test when you get a license. The fintail has quite narrow C-pillars - insanely easy car to park.

#10 of 15 Re: Rear visibility crisis [lemko] by benjaminh

Jul 13, 2011 (8:16 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Jul 12, 2011 6:46 am)
Hi lemko: What year is your Crown Vic? I've actually always considered them to be good enough for rear visibility--until this year. Sit in a new 2010 or 2011 Crown Vic (last of the line!), and you'll notice that the rear head rests are almost twice the size of what they used to be on previous models stretching all the way back to 1979...

#11 of 15 Do I have the last car with good visibility? by ronsteve

Jul 14, 2011 (4:29 am)

That's one of the best things about my Volvo V70 wagon... rear visibility is pretty unobstructed, even more so when I leave the rear seatbacks folded down, which is more than half the time. Even if they're up, when nobody has sat back there for a while, the headrests are often dropped. With the squared corners and narrow pillars, I don't think I've ever backed anything into parking spaces so confidently, even though it has the turning radius of a 747.

#12 of 15 Re: Rear visibility crisis [benjaminh] by lemko

Jul 14, 2011 (6:34 am)

Replying to: benjaminh (Jul 13, 2011 8:16 pm)
Actually, it's a Grand Marquis which is pretty much a Crown Vic. It's a 2005 model.

#13 of 15 Re: Do I have the last car with good visibility? [ronsteve] by benjaminh

Jul 14, 2011 (12:34 pm)

Replying to: ronsteve (Jul 14, 2011 4:29 am)
Yeah, I always loved those Volvo wagons--and one the reasons was the great visibility.
 
I have what I feel like is a modern-day version of it--a Mazda5, which has good but not great visibility.

#14 of 15 Re: Rear visibility crisis [lemko] by benjaminh

Jul 14, 2011 (12:35 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Jul 14, 2011 6:34 am)
Sounds nice. Did you buy it new?

#15 of 15 Re: Rear visibility crisis by hoosiergrandad

Jul 14, 2011 (4:38 pm)

Replying to: benjaminh (Jun 27, 2011 11:24 am)
My family had a '65 Catalina hardtop with great rear visibility, but I wouldn't have wanted to be in it if it rolled over. Whiplash was pretty likely if you were rear-ended (no headrests).
 
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.

Messages Page 2 of 2

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