It is almost impossible to see through the rear window of the 2006 Prius. Especially since they stuck the winsdshield wiper right in the center of the rear window, I finally had to remove head rests in back seats to see at all. Terrible design.
Squishing all the way down to the level where my eyes barely see forward over the dashboard, I can simulate the situation you describe. Removing the back headrests would indeed clear the view... but only for the bottom section, which was never intended for anything beyond close-up viewing for parking. All normal driving is conducted through the upper section, which is not obstructed even that low down. If you are so short that the bottom section is the only thing you can see out of, sorry. Prius is midsize, not for everyone. The really tall people don't fit well either. Someday a greater variety of vehicles with HSD will be available. Until then, you have to make do. I suggest a cushion to raise your position in the seat. And don't ever rely exclusively on the rear-view mirror for seeing backward. Not using the side mirrors is an accident waiting to happen. As for the wiper in the center, what are you talking about? It's way over on the driver's side.
Windshield wiper in the center of the window? :huh: It's off to the left side, unless you're using a different model than the rest of us... I have no visibility problems at all with my Prius (which, incidentally, has the same back end as yours). It may be different than other vehicles you've driven and you may have to get used to it, but the design isn't poor in my opinion, and the visibility isn't reduced as a result of it.
Also, when the headrests are now, they're not in the way. Removing them clears.. what, 3/4 of an inch? or however thick they are. I suggest using a cushion on the seat to raise your driving position. In that case, I don't think you can see forward either.
If you adapt yourself a little, you can look at the 2 windows as if they are 1, just devided by a spoiler. If you look through it that way, instead of mentally deviding it in 2 seperate windows, you'll have a rear window which has about the viewing size of a regular rear window.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sho-Bud @ Jun 5 2006, 03:02 PM) [snapback]266255[/snapback]</div> This was the one concern I had when I first test drove the Prius a few months ago. I test drove it again with the idea that the spoiler was just "in the middle" and learned to live with it. Now that I have my own Prius and I've driven with it for a while, the spoiler doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I like how it tends to block the headlights of the jerk who's tailgating me at night.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(john1701a @ Jun 4 2006, 12:47 AM) [snapback]265473[/snapback]</div> Speaking as a guy who has been disabled for 11 years with four cervical fusion surgeries on my neck because of two very special car wrecks, please take my advice and PLEASE don't remove those back-seat headrests. When you get rear-ended someday, your back-seat passengers will be very, very glad that you have Toyota headrests installed.
That seems to be something that almost everyone finds a bit different about driving the Prius. I know I did when I first test-drove it. But trust me, you'll get used to it and it's really not that bad. In my case I just had to get used to that horizontal partition you see when you look through the rearvew mirror. The wiper itself doesn't block too much of my view. Maybe it is height specific, but I had my rear seats down (was moving into the new house and was hauling a lot of stuff in the Prius) and the seats themselves did not affect my view out the rear. Of course having them down did allow me to see more of the trunk, but the view through the glass in the rear was the same. Maybe I just sit higher?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(James F. Chumbley @ Jun 6 2006, 04:34 AM) [snapback]266561[/snapback]</div> Thank you for the warning...and thank you for sharing your story with us.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Manksgloob @ Jun 5 2006, 06:22 PM) [snapback]266274[/snapback]</div> I have thought the exact same thing more than once.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(James F. Chumbley @ Jun 6 2006, 02:34 AM) [snapback]266561[/snapback]</div> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Greenfoot @ Jun 6 2006, 06:02 AM) [snapback]266577[/snapback]</div> Put the headrest for each side seat in the pocket on the back of the front seat. Put the headrest for the center seat in the center with the posts back under the fold-down arm. I defy anyone to sit in the back seat in any position without having to move the headrest from its storage position. Put it back in, AND RAISE IT TO THE PROPER HEIGHT, before carrying passengers in the rear seat.
I am 5 feet nuthin', and I admit, I do have some slight visibility issues w/ the Prius. The rear view is not the best I have seen, but the thing that I didn't notice until after I had had the car for a few days (because the situation didn't arise), was one thing relating to one of the very few things I actually still remember from my high school driver's ed class (which was way more years ago than I am currently willing to admit, based on the ages of lots of my fellow posters!). I was told then, when passing on a highway, to not pull in front of the vehicle you are passing until you can see both its headlights in your rearview mirror. For some reason, I have trouble seeing those rearwards headlights when they really should be appearing--THIS is when I really think about the mod to allow the rearview camera to kick on in drive! So, ok, I have to move my head more to make this move--oh well. Yes, I DO have a cushion on my seat (an orthopedic gel cushion, as I broke my tailbone among other things about 8 years ago--plus, the vertically challenged issue I also face!), but I really don't understand the issue with the headrests in the way--that isn't at all an issue for me. (Recently, I was driving a rental LeSabre in Boston and I felt like one of the oldies you see in Florida (or don't see) who all you see is the top of a head through the steering wheel and two hands white knuckling on the wheel. ) YES, I did think VERY carefully about the visibility issues before I bought the car. NO, if I had had so much trouble with the rear view I would NOT have bought it. Maybe. OTOH, I was SO excited about all the gadgets, I mighta bought it anyway, and just put a phone book under my seat cushion! Gee, that was all very grammatical, wasn't it? And, since I know y'all really want to know this--the OTHER thing I remember from driver's ed is, if someone is tailgating you, SLOW DOWN--do NOT speed up--slowing will piss them off and probably make 'em pass you or whatever--also, the merest flash of a brakelight tends to get some kinda message through!
