Please help my wife -- with driving . . . help !!

Get a new wife. :lol:

Ok, that's a bad suggestion, but maybe the only one that will fix this situation. My wife doesn't appreciate the rear view camera when backing up. I think these things make sense in some brains and others don't adapt over to the new look very well or very fast.

The rear window was small for me for about 2 weeks. Since then, I don't find it to be a problem.

 

I don't like the view through the rear window either..but it is not enough to make me get rid of the car. After time, careful checking with mirrors, through the window and with the back up camera and she will get used to it.

 

It is just new!!! BUT, if someone has their mind made up they do not want something.....they will find any excuse.

 

You may suggest to her that Toyota put it there in order to block the headlights of the car behind you.
Or you may take out to lunch her best friend (not her buddy, the other one she is jealous off) and persuade her to buy a Prius.
Or you may be strong, buy the Prius and on your way home pass by IKEA and order two beds.

P.S. Wives are known to be a necessary impediment.

 

<_< Many people are reluctant to change - it might invade their 'comfort zone.' The view to the rear is different but I don't consider it all that bad. The lower glass gives a better view of the car just behind you, as in a traffic stop or parked, and the 'bar' shades headlights of traffic behind you at night - some perceieve this as a plus.

The rear view camera is useful in a general sense, but the 'fisheye' lens distorts the view somewhat. You can be aware of obstacles behind you but judging distance is questionable. I usually glance at the rear view display but as in the past, I always 'rubber neck' looking in all directions when backing.

One thing I found helpful is adjusting the exterior rearview mirrors so that they afford a 'panoramic' view to the rear combined with the interior mirror [taught at Defensive Driving courses]. The left exterior mirror: Lean your head just touching the driver's side window and adjust the mirror so you can just barely see the left rear corner of the car. The right exterior mirror: Lean your head over the center console and adjust the right mirror so you can barely see the right rear corner of the car. This provides a slight overlap with the inside mirror, and excellent views of the lanes to your right and left... Works for me!

Perhaps you could find a rental Prius and drive it for a week. A 'demo drive' with a salesperson doesn't give a very thorough experience to make a decision.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Roger Dodger 1 @ Feb 27 2007, 07:54 AM) [snapback]397147[/snapback]</div>

Tell her to think about the back window as a "bi-focal" view.

The lower section is mostly below seat-height anyway, so that's something you wouldn't normally even be able to see. But in Prius, you do. It actually provides a taller view than normal as a result... great for parking, but pretty much useless for viewing anything beyond a car-length or two.

The upper section provides the view for everything else. But if you are the type of person that never use the side-mirrors, you won't like it regardless. In other words, it is more an issue of the difference between a hatchback and sedan than the split window.

 

Many have removed the center headrest in the back seat to improve the view. Sometimes the retractable cover for the cargo area is out of position and flipped up blocking more of the view. As others have said, one gets used to the view restrictions.

 

The rear view was the only initial feature that I didn't like about the car (well, you can add the lack of a coin bin to that statement). It took me about an entire week to get used to. Now it's second nature to me and it doesn't impede my operation of this car in the slightest. I actually don't even notice it anymore.

 

If it helps, I found that when I rotated my rear view mirror so it is upside down it gives a straight shot sight out of the top rear window and it is much easier to see with it.

Is this just a symptom of an overall dislike of the car or just an offhand comment? What you need to do depends on the answer.

In any case, it doesn't hurt to listen to what she has to say (still working at it after 52 married years).

 

To add to what allannde pointed out -- as has been mentioned by
other posters in the past and which works quite well for me --
flip the mirror upside down in its balljoint and then push it as high
toward the ceiling as you can. Fix the side mirrors to be correctly
"out" so you can't actually see your own car without craning, and
you've got a pretty thorough view to the rear and sides.
.
_H*

 

Take her back for another test drive, only this time ask the saleman if you can use masking tape and
a paper floor mat from the shop and block off the lower half.

If she can't see out of it, it will train her only to look out of the upper window.

I think this is an adjustment most Pirus drivers do in the thier mind without thinking about it.

 

The rear window has a split view?

 

B) While I was aware of the dividing 'bar' in the backward view at first... it soon became a 'non-issue.' I would compare it to looking out a window in my house with the horizontal frame across the middle... it is just not an issue - I just sort of 'tune it out.' As I mentioned in a previous post in this thread, I do have a better view of a car close behind me through the lower window. As for the backseat headrests and spoiler, they do not interfere with my view for either section of the hatch windows.

One Prius PLUS is the interior rearview mirror mount... the arm has a ball joint at the windshield so [as mentioned in a previous post] you can swing it up or down [or even right or left] to your preference to improve the rear view.

 

Tell her you love her such that you cannot put into words, that she is the center of your life and that, if she feels it is not the right car, then you feel the two of you should sit down one evening (without the T.V. on) and "talk about it."

My point is: listen to her. No car is worth stress in a marriage.

The window takes some getting used to..but it is not a problem for me.

 

I have never really considered the rear window to be much of an issue. I don't think that the Prius has any more limited view out of the rear than any other car, and I would suggest that the smaller, lower window offers a view not afforded in many other cars.
I realize that not everyone pulls or has pulled a trailer with any reglarity; but if you have, you soon adjust to driving out of the side mirrors as there is no view out of the rear. I am not suggesting that we all abandon the inside rearview altogether. It has just been my experience that the Prius, even with its blindspots, offers a view not enjoyed in most cars.

 

It took me awhile to get comfortable with the rear view. I'll be honest - I don't like having the window (which is rather small anyways) split with a non-trivial width bar like that. Which is why I rented a Prius after the initial test drive. As others pointed out you do adjust to the views and learn to make use of all the mirrors and get a feel for the Prius' blind spots.

I'd highly recommend renting a Prius for a week (or even a few days) if you can. Check around at the dealerships. It'll probably cost you more than a regular car rental but it's money well spent. Your wife may become much more comfortable with the visibility if she has the chance to really put the car through its paces.

 

Many cars have visibility issues that some find "quirly" at the start. It probably impacts sales of some models for the very reason it may be affecting your wife. People test drive a car once, which may not be enough time to get used to a different picture.

As someone that has spent a lot of time at the wheel of large trucks and SUVs, I am side mirror guy most of the time, so I was not worried about seeing out the back window. But it does take getting used to. You can see everything you need to see, you just eventually "filter out" the bar going through the middle of the picture. Kinda like ignoring the windshield wipers swinging in front of you when it rains.

I though the visibility in our Chrysler was quirky when we bought it. I still think it could have been designed for a better view, but I got used to the view in short order.

I like the back up camera. This is the first car I've had with one. For most of what I want to see, I use my mirrors and turm my head, but the camera gives you a great view of the bumper area when you have to back in tight quarters. This will be a feature I will look for in my future cars.