SIDE MIRROWS - HARD TO SEE - blind spot

[E90alex]

Adjusted properly I don’t find any issues. Visibility all around is much better than the Tesla I came from. I also did get the European mirror for the drivers side to have a wider angle view.

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[ReverendPete]

I spent the first year of ownership hating the mirrors, and replaced them with the (non-tinted) Suma mirrors. I like them MUCH better, and I don't have much to complain about, other than the fact that replacing the mirrors was a chore!

The mirrors have little tabs with one way notches on them, so you need to use a tool (like a long spike that has a 90 bend close to the end) to try to gently pry up each of the tabs on the original mirrors, one by one, while pulling on the mirror glass, so that they don't re-latch. You have to manually move the mirror all the way one direction and unlatch a couple, and then move the mirror all the way the other direction, while still pulling on the glass to get at the tabs on the other side. And still, you don't have much room to work in. It's really hard not to break the tabs on the original mirror, and it helps if you have some light that you can position and aim in behind the mirror to see the tabs. Once you get the original mirrors off, the new mirrors just need to be plugged in (for the blind spot warning lights) and snapped into place.

I wouldn't go back to the OEM mirrors if you paid me! (OK, I have a price, but it would be a lot of money ).

 

[RickMachE]

We have two sons, long moved away and on their own. When they started to drive, it would have been over my dead body that they drove a vehicle like the Mach-E....

Oldest drove my aging Ford Explorer. Gave it to him at some point. He pulled into the tiny, sloped garage of a girlfriend and stopped about 2 inches after the garage roof hit the front fender...

Youngest drove his grandfather's Crown Vic. Came home one day with the wrench light on. Code was over-revving. He admitted spinning tires in the parking lot at work...

Member here let his daughter drive, on her permit. She accelerated and drove off the road into a tree as I recall...

No way in hell a new driver should drive a Mach-E, IMO. Way too much power. I wish you well.

 

[rreddy3]

We have two sons, long moved away and on their own. When they started to drive, it would have been over my dead body that they drove a vehicle like the Mach-E....

Oldest drove my aging Ford Explorer. Gave it to him at some point. He pulled into the tiny, sloped garage of a girlfriend and stopped about 2 inches after the garage roof hit the front fender...

Youngest drove his grandfather's Crown Vic. Came home one day with the wrench light on. Code was over-revving. He admitted spinning tires in the parking lot at work...

Member here let his daughter drive, on her permit. She accelerated and drove off the road into a tree as I recall...

No way in hell a new driver should drive a Mach-E, IMO. Way too much power. I wish you well.

I think you’re right about the MME and new teen drivers. No offense intended to OP’s kids.

I’ve often thought the ideal new teen driver car is a Crown Vic wrapped in bubble wrap with whatever were the latest safety features available for a Vic, and with speed governor limited to, let’s arbitrarily say, 25 mph.

On the issue of blind spots, you’ve literally seen nothing unless you drove a 50’s era English car with “wing” mounted 3” diameter mirrors.

To the pilots on here, that’s the land version of flying blind, at least when it comes to seeing if someone is “on your six”. You can hardly see the mirror, let alone what it’s reflecting. Actual pilots may have more harrowing stories of flying blind, on the ground, air doesn’t count since we don’t have flying cars. Except for aliens in earth’s airspace.

 

[markboris]

Just commenting, I have the Suma clear mirrors on the Mach-E and their blue tinted mirrors on the GT500 and really like them. No blind spots at all.

 

[smoke20]

In addition to considering different or helper mirrors, I'd also recommend making sure they are actually adjusted properly. For example, you generally shouldn't be able to see a car directly behind you in the SIDE mirror. This is how a lot of people are used to using them, but the best case is to adjust them wider.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15131074/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots/

Bingo. I remember this article.

 

[B25Nut]

This is available at O'Reily Auto. I rarely have to turn my head to know my surroundings. A glance will do. Freeway on-ramps are where it is most useful.

 

[Sikkun]

I can’t offer any unsolicited advice on how your kid should or shouldn’t be able to drive the Mach E. But I also like getting my post count up by replying off topic.

 

[JustBob]

Just go faster than everyone else and you won't need mirrors.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Start by showing him the advantages of properly adjusted side mirrors that eliminate the blind spot. That way, he won't be like all of us old people trying to relearn not seeing the side of our car in the side view mirrors. Beyond that, an Amazon search for "convex mirror car" yields a ton of results. A trip to the auto parts stores or even Lowe's with the car might yield a bit narrower and better result

Exactly, I see way too many people that have their side mirrors adjusted wrong (too far in). If I'm driving behind you, you shouldn't see me in your side mirrors at all. Only if I'm next to you. Likewise, you shouldn't see the body of your car in your side mirror. If you do, you have huge blind spots.

Between the BLIS light and properly adjusted mirrors for minimal blind zones, I don't have any issues seeing cars next to me with the factory mirrors. I drive in freeway traffic and have to change lanes every day. The mirrors are "car size," but I don't find them excessively small or limiting.

OP, I would advocate that you teach him how to drive using the bog stock mirrors without any aftermarket aids. If he drives somebody else's car or a rental, it's not going to have special convex mirrors or add-ons, so he might make a mistake if he's used to those. Same thing if he spends time in a driver's ED car. You want him to learn to drive on standard equipment. He should also learn on an ICE vehicle since those are still most common (or at least learn how to drive both ICE and EV). And purists will say he should learn stick shift too, but that's another story.

 

[AliRafiee]

A lot of people don’t set their mirrors up correctly. Once set correctly, there is no blind spot.
If a car is coming from behind, you should see it in at least one mirror at all times til the front of the car is in view from the car’s side window. This is the shortest video I could find on how to do that. Tip 1: you don’t need to see your own car in your side view mirrors. Your relationship to your car doesn’t change.

 

[AliRafiee]

This one is much better.

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15131074/how-to-adjust-your-mirrors-to-avoid-blind-spots/

 

[ChrisO]

I wonder about these convex mirrors, I used to have a Maza Tribute and the passenger side mirror was very "wide angle". You know that one's "Cars may appear closer than they are"... But in this case, it was a really wide angle.

Hated it, yes, I could see the car but actually judge where it was as far as "can I change lanes" was really hard to judge because it distorted the "distances". I much rather have a properly adjusted regular mirror that if they are in that mirror then you know you don't want to change lanes.

 

[AliRafiee]

I wonder about these convex mirrors, I used to have a Maza Tribute and the passenger side mirror was very "wide angle". You know that one's "Cars may appear closer than they are"... But in this case, it was a really wide angle.

Hate it, yes, I could see the car but actually judge where it was as far as "can I change lanes" was really hard to judge because it distorted the "distances". I much rather have a properly adjusted regular mirror that if they are in that mirror then you know you don't want to change lanes.

I setup my mirrors like the videos. When I can see both headlights in my side mirror they are still far enough away to change lanes.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I wonder about these convex mirrors, I used to have a Maza Tribute and the passenger side mirror was very "wide angle". You know that one's "Cars may appear closer than they are"... But in this case, it was a really wide angle.

Hate it, yes, I could see the car but actually judge where it was as far as "can I change lanes" was really hard to judge because it distorted the "distances". I much rather have a properly adjusted regular mirror that if they are in that mirror then you know you don't want to change lanes.

I have the Suma clear mirror on my Mach E and like them a lot, but I know exactly what you mean about judging the distance to the car behind, oops next! to you. It can be disconcerting. I’m extra careful now, and I agree with Lee - he needs to learn to drive with normal mirrors on an ICE vehicle. (And while I fully support him learning to drive stick, I’d rather he lessen to tell time on an analog clock)

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