New cars - smaller rear windows?

General Discussion
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1

I’m coming off of six years of driving a 98 Ford Escort. I test drove a Hyundai Accent today. The only think I didn’t like about the driving experience was the read window/rear view mirror. The bottom third of the mirror was taken up by the back seats, and the top third was taken up by the roof. I felt like I was looking though a mail slot. In my Ford, the whole mirror is filled with the view of the road behind me. Is this common these days?

2

Unfortunately yes.

3

It’s more commone with some cars than others. My '11 Cruze if fine.

4

The best way to increase rear vision is to remove the rear seat headrests, unless you are constantly carrying rear seat passengers.

There are a lot of rear vision cameras on the market now. They provide ongoing vision and identify blind spots as well. A good system will cost you $500 + installed.

This hump is the price we pay for maximizing fuel economy. Note that nearly all cars now look that way.

5

I looked at the Honda Fit, which is only available as a hatchback, and voila! A great rear view!

6

I think hatchbacks have better rear windows. The sedan/coupes would need a smaller window to accommodate the high trunk line, where the hatchback doesn’t have that limitation

7

Well, I bought a hatchback. I never would have considered one, but Honda only offers that small car size in hatchback. So, I fell in love with the rear view and bought one.

8

While not my thing, I’ve heard the Fit is a pretty good car. Hopefully it’ll last you as long as the Escort did

9

I think it’s the Upright seating and increased headroom in smaller cars that are the culprit. When you move all the passengers into a more upright seating position in small cars, you raise the belt line with more comfortable seating and room and decrease visibility. It’s a sacrifice you make in smaller cars along with increasing trunk storage. It’s like driving a Van. There are ways around it but at the sacrifice of aerodynamics and fuel economy. When gas prices get to $4.00 a gallon and our butts get enlarged, rearward visibility takes a hit, which is a good thing for those looking at us from behind. Besides, it’s harder to see drivers texting too.