Last Friday, Erin wrote about the NSX and how she mistook an E60 5 Series for an X3 because you sit so low in the NSX. It's pretty much the same with with our Miata. There's definitely that feeling of not wanting to get hit for fear of injury.
Not helping matters is that it's often hard to have a sightline of traffic ahead when you're so low. You typically can't see through the back window of the car in front of you because everything is either crossover SUV or new-style, high beltline sedan these days. Now you'll have to react solely to the brake lights of the car in front of you because you can't see anything else.
The worst part is that it's not the Miata's or NSX's fault that they're short. Everything else is just too tall.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor
jasond52 says:
05:54 PM, 01/13/12
True. In my Miata I've learned to slide to the left to peer around the car in front of me.
zoomzoomzoom04 says:
04:32 AM, 01/14/12
Barndoors...up!
wheelmccoy says:
05:58 AM, 01/14/12
Thanks to the popularity of SUVs and CUVs and mini-vans, the view's been that way for several years, even in a not-so-low-slung cars.
When I drove the 1997 Odyssey, smaller cars would zip around me (understandable) or not let me merge (aggravating) because they don't want to be caught behind a larger vehicle. In a small car, I am the same way, although I do let larger vehicles merge.
Hills and bends give me an opportunity to scan ahead, but for the most part, I rely on the brake lights of the car in front of me. I often leave a large-ish gap, but sometimes, that just invites another car to jump in.
DLu says:
09:38 AM, 01/14/12
When I lived in the Midwest, I simply left plenty room between myself and the car in front of me if I can't see over/beyond the large car in front of me. I mean, all passenger vehicles are tiny compared to an 18-wheeler anyway.
Then I moved to Boston. If you leave more than a 1/2 car length between you and the car in front, somebody will cut in. I changed my driving habits so that I don't stay behind the same car for too long at any time.
mbm112 says:
08:54 PM, 01/14/12
As much as I love driving cars, this is the reason why I will continue to prefer SUVs as daily drivers. It's pretty stressful driving in heavy traffic and not being able to see anything.
stovt001 says:
09:04 AM, 01/16/12
Sometimes just relying on the brake lights of the car in front of you doesn't cut it. More than once, I was following a car heading towards an intersection at the speed limit. Then without touching the brakes, the car in front of me will swing over into another lane and directly on the spot where he/she moved is a line of stopped cars. I left enough of a following distance to stop, but it is still quite a moment. Just resigning myself to driving an SUV isn't the solution though. I will not drive something worse just because someone else has an insecurity and needs to compensate.
addicted2sp33d says:
09:41 AM, 01/16/12
@stovt001:
I've almost experienced 2 rear-end accidents like that... I'm the guy who moves out of a lane if there are stopped-cars in front, but free space (or moving cars) in an adjacent lane - one of the benefits/side-effects of "head-on-a-swivel" mentality from riding motorcycles and looking REALLY far ahead.
I can remember twice where the car behind me was following me too closely, and when I changed lanes they nearly rear-ended the stopped-car in the lane I just-vacated.
Nothing like screetching tires to get everyone's attention.