I recently test drove the 2016 CX-5 and I love just about everything about it so far. I'm very close to pulling the trigger on the purchase of a Touring. However, I'm still slightly concerned about rear visibility issues and blindspots on the vehicle. Do any of you long-term owners still have rear visibility issues or concerns with the small rear window and rear pillar blindspots? Just wondering if its something that you quickly got used to? I'm coming from many long years of driving a Mazda Tribute and a Jeep Wrangler before that, and both of those have large rear windows that I can see everything perfectly in the rear view mirror and side mirrors. Even in my Tribute I usually remove the rear headrests or fold down the rear seat just to have a less obstructive rear view. Do you all do that on your CX-5 too? I understand that Blindspot Monitoring and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are both standard on the Touring. Should those two features negate my fears? I guess I'm sort of old school now and I'm hesitant to rely on tech rather than large clear windows. Thanks for any info or advice.
rear visibility and blindspots on the CX-5?
- Thread starter CaboWabo
- Start date
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- 23 CX-5 Premium
Rear visibility on most modern crossovers (including CX-5) is not their strong suit, but most folks learn to deal with it. Those who find it most objectionable usually wind up with a Subaru Forester. Blindspot monitoring really doesn't do much good in alleviating this. It's really intended to help with side-view mirror blindspots that all vehicles are subject to. The rear seat headrests on CX-5 and many other CUVs only exacerbate the problem. I took mine off the first week I had the car so that I was not looking at all that upholstery in my rear view mirror. I just recently invested $200 in a set of JDM rear seat headrests which are much lower than the US market ones. They also allow you to fold the rear seat down without having to remove them.
deepfriedsushi
Member
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- 95 Miata, 14 CX5 Touring FWD, 18 CX9 GT FWD
Agreed with Paris that most CUV's available now all have restrictive views out, besides the Forester. However, this is something that is easy to get acclimated to.
The back up camera does wonders in opening up your viewing area behind the car. The screen on the dash is nice and big to provide a good view of what's behind. I wouldn't be surprised if some people have gotten used to only using the rear view camera and the side mirrors to back up, as opposed to just the mirrors and actually looking out the back window.
I can't speak for the cross traffic detection, as I do not have it in my car, but the blind spot detection system out on the open road is a helpful technology. I wouldn't say it should be totally relied upon. I got used to having a small blind spot mirror on my driver side mirror to keep an eye on the blind spot and one more lane over. I find that the BSM is most helpful at night as a confirmation that no one is there when you're more unsure.
The back up camera does wonders in opening up your viewing area behind the car. The screen on the dash is nice and big to provide a good view of what's behind. I wouldn't be surprised if some people have gotten used to only using the rear view camera and the side mirrors to back up, as opposed to just the mirrors and actually looking out the back window.
I can't speak for the cross traffic detection, as I do not have it in my car, but the blind spot detection system out on the open road is a helpful technology. I wouldn't say it should be totally relied upon. I got used to having a small blind spot mirror on my driver side mirror to keep an eye on the blind spot and one more lane over. I find that the BSM is most helpful at night as a confirmation that no one is there when you're more unsure.
Right you are about not relying on the blind spot monitor. I was in three lane traffic the other day and there was a large vehicle in my blind spot but it was so far over to the left side of his lane that ihe wasn't picked up by my monitor.
I recently did this adjustment to my side mirrors and now feel much more confident driving and switching lanes on the highway.
http://lifehacker.com/a-simple-method-for-adjusting-a-vehicles-mirrors-to-fix-1669507486
http://lifehacker.com/a-simple-method-for-adjusting-a-vehicles-mirrors-to-fix-1669507486
I've been driving with my mirrors like this for almost 11 years now and I've yet to get into a car where there are any blind spots when adjusting the mirrors correctly. Having the mirrors to the point you can see the side of your car only serves to duplicate most of what you can already see in your rearview mirror.
My favorite saying I've heard relating to keeping the mirrors like this is "Don't worry if you can't see your doors in your mirror, they'll follow you wherever you go."
I tried using that mirror adjustment a few years ago, but I came to the conclusion that it's very dangerous to set your mirrors that way.
IMO This article here makes a very strong case against adjusting your mirrors far out:
http://www.driveandstayalive.com/ar...ng-myths-and-mistakes/setting-the-mirrors.htm
With your mirror adjusted so far out, you can't you safety change lanes in situations where there can be a large speed differential.
Example 1:
You're parallel parked on the side of a street. You need to get out of your car. There is a large car blocking your view out the back window and your side mirror is adjusted too far out so see down the side of your car into traffic. You don't see anything so you open your door and your door gets ripped off by a passing car.
Example 2:
You've just gotten onto the freeway, so you're in the right lane, stuck behind a slow moving truck at 45MPH. There is large truck closely behind you, blocking your view out the rear window. Traffic in the left lane is going 80MPH. In order to safety change lanes with such a large speed differential, you need to be able to see several hundred feet back into the left lane, but with your side mirror all you see is the guard rail next to your car. You can't look back far enough to see Joe Shmo speeding down the left lane at 80MPH in his semi, so you change lanes and your shiny CX-5 gets smashed by the semi.
Example 3 (CA only):
You're going 5MPH in traffic. There is a large SUV 5 feet behind your bumper. The lane next you you opens up, so you decide to go into that lane instead, but with your mirror adjusted out wide you can't check for lane-splitting motorcycles.
Furthermore, on my CX-5 the frame of the mirror on the passanger side sticks out so far that a large portion of the edge of the mirror gets blocked by the frame of the mirror anyway, so you get very little additional coverage by adjusting the passenger side mirror out.
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Bob-Loblaw
Member
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- 2016 CX-5 GT
Ha ha. I've used these religiously on all cars and they are great but I can't bring myself to put them this car for aesthetic purposes.
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Yeah, I see what did you mean...
I have BSM on my cx-5 car and sometimes the warning goes off when I changing lanes, but my mind doesn't register the warning ding and I change lanes only to realize there was a car there . It is my fault for not listening. I am trying to get used turning around to check more carefully. The BSM works fine and the fault is me. It is always driver error. I think it always is not a product of technology.
Yep, they are not semi or Formula 1 style but the SO loves her zoom zoom an she hates white knuckle driving without them.
I agree 100%. Tried the life hacker. Felt not safe in multi lane city traffic. Problem is I don't get a complete picture of my left side lane. This might work in a Forester but cx5s c pillar area is a huge blind spot due to headrests. So my side mirrors did tell me of blind spot but did not
1. Warn me of a fast vehicle catching up.
2. In a 3 lane road if I am on rightmost the mirror is not useful in differentiating between lane1 and lane2 cars. You need to know relative size of cars and models to judge if the car you see in your mirror is in lane 1 or 2.
I understand you eliminate blind spots but you don't see both mirrors at the same time. You see one at a time. All this method did was make me aware of horribad blind spot on my cx5.
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
2 cars ago I was in a 370z. The cx5 is like a glass bubble,lol
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123373
Since we never have rear passengers, I pulled the headrest from the back seat which has greatly improved rear visibility. This also helps not having to pull them so the seats are flat, folding them down while maintaining my regular driving position.
I mitigated the rear vision problem by replacing the OEM NA rear outboard head restraints with a pair ordered from a Mazda dealer in Australia. The outside NA OEM versions fit down over the seat back and need to be manually raised to be effective. The NA version sits atop the seat back and although never requiring adjustment for safety, are otherwise constantly in the way. I seldom carry rear seat passengers so the trade-off works for me.
Brian
Brian
(No idea if that's true).
