There's really no good spot for a rear wiper switch. On many cars they stick it on the front wiper stalk, which invariably means you have to dink around with the stalk for several minutes before figuring out which ring/button/switch on the stalk is for the rear wiper versus the front. Cadillac "fixed" this problem by putting the rear wiper switch in the most bizarre place I've ever seen -- the roof! Maybe this is to get back at all those Honda models from the 1990s that had their sunroof switch down on the left dash (often blocked by the steering wheel, so you really couldn't find it). Whatever the thinking, the switch is located right next to the rear climate control dial and near the sunshade and sunroof switches.
We've been bereft of rain for most of the winter here in the Los Angeles, but last Friday we got .5 of an inch in a few hours. It was enough to justify using the rear wiper, but it was also the first time I'd needed it in the SRX. Hopefully I won't need it again for awhile. At least in the Hondas you typically fumbled for the sunroof switch, used it, and were done for awhile. With the rain level constantly varying I was constantly trying to adjust the rear wiper's speed, and in this location that was a pain.
For what it's worth, I really like this vehicle otherwise. I'm left to nitpicking the brake/gas pedal mismatch and the rear wiper switch because this is fast becoming one of my favorite vehicles in the segment.
Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com @ 12,038 miles
7driver says:
10:17 AM, 04/23/07
I believe Honda still puts their sunroof switches on the lower left behind the steering wheel near the driver's outside knee. At least on the Honda Pilot it still is. It's particularly annoying since sunroof operation is something I normally relegate to my copilot and you can't do that here.
I suppose a roof mounted rear wiper switch is something the copilot could also handle, but too bad wiper operation isn't something you'd normally *want* your copilot to handle.
sandcountry says:
12:16 PM, 04/23/07
7Driver, I was going to say the same thing regarding the switch still being on the dash. However, I happen to like it being on the dash for several reasons:
1. Maybe I'm lazy, but I don't like having to hold my right arm up in the air for awhile. Granted, most cars now have a one-touch auto function, but it's still a reach.
2. I can really see this location being useful on something like a Honda or BMW, because you don't have to tie up your shift hand with the sunroof. Shift w/ right, sunroof w/ left, steer with your knee!
3. It's really fun to see the confused look on said co-pilots face when they can't figure out why in the world the sunroofs opening. Magic.
And Karl, I've never spent time in a Cadillac, but I think I would much prefer this location than the typical end-of-stalk arrangement. It frees things up in my opinion, and I guess the designers were thinking of putting all the things behind the driver and out of the line-of-sight (rear air, sunroof, rear window) in one convenient area. Oh, and you live in California and don't use the sunroof? Even in NC, about the only time mine isn't open is when it's raining.
kurtamaxxxguy says:
12:59 PM, 04/23/07
If Caddy already has the "vehicle rear " controls clustered in the roof switch pod, it makes sense to have the wiper controls there as well.
That way when a Driver thinks, "oh, I have to do something in the rear of the car" (heat it, cool it, wipe window, open rear sunroof (if one is there)), they will instinctively look / reach for the same location.
User Interface design is a real art, and difficult to do.
rsholland says:
02:09 PM, 04/23/07
I like the rear wiper switch on the end of the wiper stalk. Once you figure it out, it's a piece of cake to use. It's that way on our Subarus, and I find it to be very logical in use.
roar02ram says:
09:49 PM, 04/23/07
I LOVE the tradtional Honda spot for the sunroof controls! I was completely bummed at the roof location on our '06 Civic. The traditional spot was much more easily accessed, and the button was much larger & easier to use.
autoboy16 says:
09:06 PM, 04/24/07
What are the 2 switches to the right of the Rear AC knob?
BTW, i think VW has the best sunroof "knob" Just twist once and the roof does the rest! Honda's pilot and acura's TSX still have the sunroof button to the left of the driver. My 95accord has it there also but i wish it had tilt...
-Cj
jerrywimer says:
07:16 AM, 04/25/07
Those might be the sunroof controls, though the icon in the middle of them is different than the ones on my 07 Av. Otherwise the placement and arrows on them looks similar. If they are, one controls the normal opening and closing, while the other is for the tilt / vent control. Press partway (there are two detents on my Av) and hold until the window is open as far as you wish and release (or conversely, closed as far, if you were open). Or press past the first detent on eithe end of the rocker switch and it goes fully open / closed (works the same for both the normal open / close and vent modes).
I actually like this setup better than knobs or single rocker switch (typical for the pop-up slide back OVER the roof style).
editor_karl says:
01:21 PM, 04/25/07
Those buttons are for the sunshade and sunroof, but they work pretty much like jerry described. Push either past the detent and they open or close all the way. Otherwise push lightly until it's where you want. Remember, the SRX has a HUGE sunroof, so the one-touch is much appreciated.