Why no rear window wiper?

I've never had a serious need for a rear window wiper, except maybe a couple of times when I shouldn't have been on the road at all.

And that is over 60 years of driving and probably a couple of million miles.

Maybe they finally figured that out.

 

My bet is it saves on costs and a little bit on efficiency. Neither the Gen4 L Eco or the Prius Prime had rear wipers ostensibly for efficiency reasons (well the Prime also has the goofy back window that looks like butt cheeks so that would have been an interesting wiper lol)

 

The cynic in me says they deleted the rear wiper for the same reason they deleted the spare tire.

Still, I'm with Sam: I rarely if ever use the rear wiper (on my 2010). I might be more inclined to use it if it swept more than a paper towel's worth of area...

 

I know I'd miss the wiper on my Rav4. And they seem to be more popular than some folks here realize... was absent on previous Ioniq5s- thought i read they were planning to put them on going forward, but haven't confirmed it.


Review: Hyundai Ioniq5 offers technology way above its price, but misses one crucial feature for Canadian driving - The Globe and Mail
"
Hyundai Ioniq5 offers technology way above its price, but misses one crucial feature for Canadian driving"

The lashing rain, however, had me reaching for the switch to turn on the rear wiper for the large rear glass, only to find there is no rear wiper. Hyundai Canada’s Director for Product and Corporate Strategy, who was shivering at the lunch stop in Julian, Calif., 4,000 feet up in the mountains, said that Canadian cars do get the rear wiper, and was then surprised when he checked to find it was recently cancelled. It would have been to save weight, not cost, he guessed.
For the rest of the afternoon, even with the rear defogger on, the rear glass was obscured by rain and dirt with no way to clear it while driving. I can safely assume that Hyundai will see the error of its decision and install a wiper on the 2023 models because it’s very much needed.

 

Sedans with rear windows of nearly the same size and slope never had a wiper. Hatchbacks got one because it could get dirtier, but if the airflow over the roof and rear is better, that should be less of a concern.

 

"if" being the operative word.

I can agree with your comment about sedans not needing a wiper. The issue becomes less clear (get it?!) when you're dealing with a hatchback that's trying to look like a sedan.

 

How many owners of the L Eco, and even the L, found the lack of wiper to be a serious issue?

 

Personally, one of my turn-offs with the L Eco when shopping for a Prius last year was lack of rear wiper. It’s handy in the snow. That said, I’ve got on just fine without one, too, so it’s not a deal-breaking feature.

 

I admit they are handy in the snow. Times I wished the Taurus, Sable, and Camry had one. Those were rare. Using the wiper to clean rear window was a more regular affair in the HHR, Sonic, and Outback. I used it on the 2005 Prius, but the need for it was closer to the sedans than the others. A wiper on the rear split would have seen more use.

 

Aside from the obvious cost savings from a production standpoint (fewer parts, electronics, and less design work), I think it has to do with aerodynamics and the slope of the rear window.

With an object like a window wiper, there is some wind resistance that can create drag when air travels over the roof to the deck lid which reduces fuel efficiency. I can't speak to what extent, but it definitely would improve aerodynamics to not have a rear wiper.

Continuing on with the aerodynamics, with the steep flatter angle of the rear window that aligns with angle of the roofline, the wind should be able to push any water and debris off the window as the car moves forward, similar to a sedan's rear window. This is different from a more vertical rear window like on a crossover or minivan. This shape creates a wind "vacuum" that pushes the dirt kicked up from the tires onto the rear window.

 

Cost-cutting probably. I've heard or Porsche owners deleting theirs to improve aerodynamics...but I don't know how much of an effect a wiper arm has on the overall drag coefficient.

I've owned loads of hatchbacks and wagons over the years and almost never used the rear wiper.

If you want to see what's behind you, use your door mirrors

 

It was raining last night when I drive mine home - didn't really miss the rear wiper from the C. Might miss it if we get really sticky snow though.

I did notice the front wiper has some weird articulating design. Not sure if that's common now or not. Hopefully it doesn't lead to more failures, I've had a wiper die on me in the rain before and it sucked.

 

Rear wiper delete in the gen4;
L Eco was for improve aero and weight reduction.
L was for cost cutting.


The gen5 could be for either or all those reasons.

 

I see it as a welcoming change, there isn't any rear window visibility necessity after 2019 when reverse camera is federally mandated, box trucks never have any rear windows and they are doing fine

 

what so I can get blinded by the lifted brodozer tailgating me with his aftermarket xenon headlights?

 

Sometimes, but I can get by with just side rear view mirrors, to see what's behind me by slightly changing the viewing angle

 

Better yet, digital rear view mirror, I have had them on Venza and despite the camera located inside and outside glass covered in gunk, image quality is surprisingly good enough.