2008 BMW 135i: Crouching Tiger Hidden Motorcycle

Blind spots are not a problem if your mirrors are properly adjusted.

I despise the huge rear headrests that have become the norm in today's cars.

Pop quiz, which is more important: being able to see out the back window, or protecting a rarely present rear passenger from the off chance of a neck injury from a rear end collision?

I removed the rear headrests from my car and store them in the trunk until they are needed.

Yes, you need instruction on how to properly set your mirrors.

Ok, here are the instructions.

1/For the right side mirror, while seated in the driver's seat adjust it so that leaning over to the right you can just see the side of your vehicle reflected in the left edge of the mirror.

2/ For the left side mirror, while seated in the driver's seat adjust the mirror so that leaning over to the left (so your head is almost touching the window) you can just see the side of your vehicle reflected in the right inside edge of the mirror.

It's amazing how many people don't use their mirrors properly/at all. I know people that literally don't use their mirrors. They just look behind them real quick to check for cars. Talk about dangerous.

I am tempted to think it isn't Seth's fault completely here. The 1 and 3-Series both suffer from a rather unfortunate design flaw: small side mirrors. Large pillars and small mirrors make it nearly impossible to eliminate all blind spots in these cars, thus it requires that you be just that little bit more attentive when driving. And quite frankly, you should be anyway.

My S550 also has side mirrors that are way too small for the size of the car, but thankfully the rear headrests power fold-flat to eliminate some of the blind spot.

Set up your mirrors correctly. There are no blind spots with mirrors set up right.

"Set up your mirrors correctly. There are no blind spots with mirrors set up right. "

Wrong.

Mirrors will minimize blind spots but they won't eliminate them.

Change lanes without shoulder checking in a drivers test and you'll fail.

There's a reason.

I definitely have a blindspot when the top is up on my S2000. There is no way of shifting lanes without turning and looking. Anyone who doesn;t do this is lazy anyways...

You should always look to your blind spot before a turn. I can't believe any other method is suitable. Mirrors alone don't cut it.

This is a huge problem in just about every new car these days, not just in the 135i. I guess lots of glass isn't cool anymore

desmolicious, I've always been taught, and believe, that you shouldn't be able to see the side of your car in the mirror. Other than having an unnecessary frame of reference, seeing your own car doesn't serve a purpose.

Anyway, without bubble mirrors, all cars have a blind spot. Learn to check it before changing lanes.

I don't have blind spots. My mirrors cover two lanes to the left and one to the right. My left mirror is set to cover what I can't see in my rear-view mirror and my right mirror is set with just a smidgen of my car. No real need to turn my head, but force of habit is hard to break.

Poor visibility is a very unfortunate side effect of today's "stylish" cars rising belt lines and shrinking greenhouses. Also bankerdanny makes an excellent point about rear headrests. Even when there are people back there, it's often kids who can't benefit from the headrests anyway.

Reading the owner's manual before being allowed to drive a car should be a mandatory requirement for everyone on the Edmund's staff.

Read the manual and you'll find that the rear head restraints fold down!

This car is so chock-full of thoughtful and useful features it is amazing.

I appreciate Mr. Compton writing something about this car, but I'm not sure that it is useful to try to create a complaint, just so he isn't contributing to the litany of accolades this car receives.

People talking about adjusting the mirrors are right. I read a column on this very site dealing with that subject, and I have used the suggested setting presented there since. It goes like this:

Set your side mirrors to take where you interior rear view ends. This is best done when parked, as you can pick up points of reference more easily. This will drastically reduce if not eliminate your blind spots; cars to the immediate sides will be visible in those mirrors right up until you can see them out of the corner of your eye.

With this, however, I still give a look over the shoulder, since experience has shown me the above mirror setting is not foolproof.

One last note: seeing any part of your car in your side mirror is asinine. You will be looking at the same stuff your interior mirror shows.

"desmolicious, I've always been taught, and believe, that you shouldn't be able to see the side of your car in the mirror. Other than having an unnecessary frame of reference, seeing your own car doesn't serve a purpose."

Desmo is right, and you didn't interpret his comment correctly. Professional driving instructors teach you to set your mirrors to see a sliver of the side of the vehicle when leaning like he described. When you're sitting upright normally in the seat you won't see the vehicle side anymore.

I just returned from a car control clinic and the instructors spent considerable time showing how to properly adjust your mirrors, seat, and steering wheel. The process for the mirrors was exactly what desmo explained.

Bimmerjay and Eljefe have described this correctly. When your mirrors are right, just as a car leaves your side mirror's view it should be in your peripheral vision (it's passing you) or your rear view mirror (you're opening a gap). A lean of the head and an ever so slight glance in the lane change's direction (not this craning the head 180 degrees junk taught in driver's ed and by clueless parents) will tell you everything about what's in your intended lane.