I and others here on Edmunds.com have complained too many times to count on the horrid outward rear visibility of the Toyota FJ Cruiser. It looks like Winding Road has also jumped on the bandwagon, and has added a couple of other Toyotas to the list. As WR noted, this is a styling trend that's leading to nowhere good.
Toyota is not the only carmaker that has been sucked in by this stupid styling movement of tiny and/or missing rear-quarter windows, all of which contribute to lousy rear visibility...
You can add the Subaru Tribeca, Nissan Murano, Honda Element, Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, VW Golf/Rabbit and several others too.
Full story here.
Full story here.
technetium99 says:
11:33 AM, 02/26/07
Those big empty stretchs of sheetmetal need either opera windows or landau bars on them. : )
ateixeira says:
11:34 AM, 02/26/07
It's a whole trend in the industry. Less glass makes people feel safer, as if they were in a cocoon.
The Scions are small enough that it shouldn't be a big deal. Some of those SUVs offer backup cams.
And that may be it - they want to sell backup cams and make a healthy profit from the NAV systems you have to get with those.
blueguydotcom says:
12:04 PM, 02/26/07
Uh, mirrors. Properly set up mirrors mean that the blind spot shouldn't even exist.
estreka says:
02:15 PM, 02/26/07
No mirror setup completely eliminates blind spots. Plus, it's always advantageous to physically see the vehicles coming up on your blind spots. I wish NHTSA included visibility in their star rating.
gmguy111 says:
06:11 PM, 02/26/07
I agree Esterka No mirror set up will truely eliminate blind spots they taught you that in drivers ed (hopefully). Back up cameras do help but two of the cars pictured do not offer back up cameras or other forms of covering your blindspots. Its a shame that in a quest for better roof rigidity many auto makers have determined that reducing the area of the rear windows is a apprpriate sacrifice for safety. My suggestion for people that have cars without back up cams built in is to go with an aftermarket camera the cheapest one i've seen goes for $75.00 and they are easy to install and many of them are wireless
210delray says:
08:33 PM, 02/26/07
I don't think this trend toward thicker roof pillars has anything to do with roof strength or side impact protection. It's all about style.
NHTSA made a feeble attempt about regulating visibility in the late 70s, but that was quashed once Reagan took office. The automakers said there was no evidence pointing to reduced visibility causing crashes.
This last isn't too surprising, because the whole police/traffic court/insurance system is (and always has been) centered on finding fault with the driver for causing a crash, as in "improper lane change." But intuitively, any good driver knows that having good outward visibility is a must for safe driving.
rsholland says:
08:49 PM, 02/26/07
I agree. This has nothing to do with roof strength; it about style, period.
Look at the Volvo XC90 (or any Volvo). This is a brand that made its reputation on safety, and they all have good rear visibility—and without huge "C/D" pillars.
Besides, why should we be forced to buy an expensive rear camera just to see out the back, when good sound design will work as well if not better?