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Some cars have the driver-side mirror positioned too high.
Combined with the large airbag-stuffed A-pillar, it blocks much of my view when making a left turn.
I like when the side mirrors are lower. Otherwise, I feel like a hobbit trying to drive a big boy car.
How is the view from your driver seat?
Click through to see the dramatic sky I saw on my way home on Friday...
...plenty of visibility out the front window.
Ooh, pretty.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
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wobbly_ears says:
02:54 PM, 09/14/09
I think we all need to get used to thick A pillars & adjust our driving skills accordingly. Unless someone invents some kind of see-through pillar or some kind of blind-spot camera system becomes affordable, the pillars can get only thicker in the future.
subaru123 says:
03:17 PM, 09/14/09
AHH my Tribeca. Double the A-Pillars of the Genesis and more than double the height of the Genesis' side mirrors. MY 08-09 have Ford Excursion like truck mirrors.
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/tribeca/tribeca08sidemirrorb.JPG
BTW get the korean genesis badges for your car. My dealer put them on all of the cars in their lot and changed out half of the grilles to all chrome.
adavis2493 says:
03:33 PM, 09/14/09
In the A5, the A-Pillar never really obstructs my vision.
The car I can the biggest problem with was the Envoy. But, after a while, you learn to live with it and just forget about it.
Kind of like how the backspace on my Computer doesn't work, yet I've learned to live with it.
cx7lover says:
03:57 PM, 09/14/09
I'm used to thick A-Pillars and I agree to work around them.. they're thick for a reason.
mercedesfan says:
04:09 PM, 09/14/09
My car has thick A-pillara too, but I have honestly never once noticed it. It is positioned such that it never really obstructs my view. The mirrors certainly don't either, but I would prefer if they did. At list if they were large enough to get in the way they might be large enough to be useful.
actualsize says:
04:18 PM, 09/14/09
My wife has exactly the same complaint. She won't drive the car when I bring it home.
brn says:
08:23 PM, 09/14/09
Higher beltlines and thicker A-pillers are a continuing problem with newer cars. Probably my biggest issue with them. I can see very well out of all my current vehicles. Not so much for the (newer) ones on the market today.
dg0472 says:
08:46 PM, 09/14/09
With new IIHS tests requiring roof-strength tests for a Top Pick desigination, I'd say we're going to continue to see thicked pillars short-term. Sigh. But it's for a good cause. Lower beltlines and mirrors on slightly longer mounts would help, though.
hybris says:
09:37 PM, 09/14/09
I have say going from my truck to almost any other car I find myself missing my big mirrors.
Personally if MPG's weren't so important we could go back to using heavier grade steel and thus wouldn't need redwood thick A pillars. IMHO
mercedesfan says:
11:37 PM, 09/14/09
@hybris-
Actually, the added weight from higher-grade steel hurts more than gas mileage. It increases emissions by taxing the engine more and significantly harms cornering performance by concentrating more weight high in the chassis. Secondly, higher-grade steels are brittler than the alloys used today, meaning they are only adequate in rollovers and plain poor in side impacts. The alloys used today are actually much stronger and more versatile than the steels of the past with less weight penalty. (Sorry, my background is in material science and I couldn't resist commenting).
crowb says:
07:10 AM, 09/15/09
@ Mercedesfan - That's good info. Its nice when comments actually add something to the discussion and share information. Good stuff.
1487 says:
07:26 AM, 09/15/09
This is a growing trend and it's not a good one. The pillars on my car are HUGE and pose a definite obstruction when making turns. You get used to it somewhat but you never forget about the issue. The Lacrosse is like this as well based on my short drive last week.