We've already written about the sub par rear visibility in our 2009 Infiniti FX50, and that's no surprise: Any vehicle that has an interesting and/or unorthodox shape and still meets U.S. crash standards seems destined to have poor visibility.
But you know what? I never worry about backing into or over things when I drive our FX50. And that is because it has the best camera system I've ever used. Note the white corner markers that delineate my parallel parking space in both the rearward and the "overhead" image in the photo above.
Those lines were actually on the pavement, and the cameras are sophisticated enough to pick them up -- notice how they're much brighter and clearer than the Nissan 300ZX also in the image. So in addition to the sensors and the camera image and the green-yellow-red hash marks, I can use those nifty white lines to position the car.
Easiest parallel parking job ever.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor
mayoarceo says:
11:17 PM, 04/22/09
Nice! love that feature, I wish that came standard on all the new Infinitis.
johnnyr3 says:
02:38 AM, 04/23/09
Maybe I need coffee, but that Z looks like its saying, "Please don't hit me..."
adantium says:
05:09 AM, 04/23/09
I have aroundview on my Infiniti EX35 and its indispensible. Keeps those nasty curbs away from marking up my rims. I've had the car over a year and not a single scratch or scrape anywhere. My one only complaint is the front camera was smashed by a rock thrown by a truck. Cost almost $1000 to replace that. Insurance paid but I had to cover the deductible. Ouch.
brn says:
06:25 AM, 04/23/09
I can see out of my cars and its indispensable. Keeps those nasty curbs away from marking up my rims. I've had the cars about ten years and not a single scratch or scrape anywhere.
:)
carguy622 says:
06:27 AM, 04/23/09
The cameras seem nifty and useful, but do they feed in "real time" or is there a slight lag that causes disorientation when you look from the screen to outside of the vehicle? I can't imagine you rely on the cameras completely.
jaeger1 says:
07:10 AM, 04/23/09
$1k for ONE camera???? Yikes!
Very cool feature, though. I now find the backup camera on my Altima to be an indispensable parking aid. The full 360 turns a good thing into a great thing. So long as you don't break it.
carlisimo says:
10:39 AM, 04/23/09
brn, cars from 10 years ago usually had better visibility! And most people never hit anything without backup cameras, but that's no consolation to people whose cars (or children) do get hit. The Miata forums I hang out in are full of "I got backed into by an SUV at a red light / in a parking lot!" stories.
Two things happened in the last 10 years. The pick-up and SUV explosion led to a new interest in side-impact safety, which raised door sills significantly, and the Audi TT ushered in a new era of small windows. Designers have always liked tiny windows in their concept sketches because they look faster or whatever, but the safety issue gave them an excuse to carry it through to production, and consumers decided they liked it. It's going to be a fact of life for a while.