Blind Spots
 

I know there is already a topic on this issue but I was just wondering specifically if you have found the blind spots to be that much of an issue.

I am seriously considering the Z and this is one of my major concerns.

A lot of the magazine articles I have read cite this as an issue but I was hoping to get some of your opinions on this.

Thank you

Nope. Just make sure to use your mirrors plenty and properly, and you can see fine.

The side mirrors are huge. adjust them facing outward. Use them in conjunction with the rear view mirror and there are no blind spots.

You do get used to it. Is it optimal? No. There are several ways to get around it: 1) stick-on blind spot mirrors 2) adjusting the passenger's seat to where you can view through the rear side window, and 3) doing something along lines of LaneFX* or MultiVex.**

*LaneFX has answered none of my three inquires, and their website is s#!t.

**I contacted the owner of MultiVex and wanted them made for the 370Z. However, since they have not made any for our car he wanted $150 for their "new tooling." I said I would pass as they have them for the 350Z, and they are only $38 per side. Why should I pay for their business when they can write it off? Stupid.

I had this same problem in my MINI cabrio and the Multivex mirrors solved it completely. I was hoping the 350Z had the same mirrors as the 370Z but according to the above post this isn't the case.

On the drivers side you can see the world with your door mirror. It's huge and due to the shape of the car lets you see directly behind the car with it, actually much better than you can see backwards with the rearview. The passenger side is a PITA, not so much when you are driving but when you are trying to back out into the street for example. You just have to move your head around a lot. You get used to it quick.

I just lean forward, and I can see very far to the right of the car. It works fine.

^^^

I used to just lean forward but there's times when I would simultaneously hold the brake and try to lean forward and that obviously don't work too well. So I just stick on some blind spot mirrors and problem solved.

It's actually not that bad. If you're coming from 350Z than you'll be fine. The sideview mirrors are actually bigger than 350Z ones.

It was awful at first, but you do get used to it. Backing out of a parking spot in a crowded lot is the worst though.

I did find backing my Camaro up to be MUCH easier, but on the other hand, we have a GIGANTIC dome of a hatch on those, so....and the mirrors werent too bad, either.

I can see backing up will be a problem however the real problem im anticipating is merging.

How have you found merging into traffic?

Everyday I will have to merge into moving traffic so this is the reason for my concern.

Merging is perfectly fine.

Only time I had a problem merging was when I had 4 tires stuffed into my car (and I really do mean stuffed!) which blocked all of my rear and passenger side visibility.

I don't think merging is much of a problem once you learn the space your car occupies. Passenger side is hard to manage, but nothing I'd sweat about.

I have my side mirrors adjusted as far out as they will go, which gets rid of 90% of the blind spot problem for me. A motorcycle might be able to hide in my blind spot now, but that is it.

What size tires were they, mounted? Sounds like 10 lb in a 5 lb bag.

They were the stock tires off the sport rims. I put 2 in the passenger seat and 2 in the back and I just barely got the hatch closed. The 2 in the passenger seat fell on me a couple of times when making right turns so I'm glad they weren't mounted, LOL.

BTW mounting tires with stiff sidewalls on this rims is a total PITA. They designed the rims with an abrupt lip, it was really hard to get the bead to pass over it, especially on the front rims. It took lubricant and 100 pounds of pressure. I'm just glad I wasn't the one doing the work, took 2 hours!

In a 370 you'll surely be going faster than surrounding traffic so who cares so long as you can see what's ahead! :icon17:


Seriously though, I too found the blind spot on passenger side a bit freaky right at first but since I do a bit of track driving, I have my side mirrors set to the outside so that I don't really even have to turn my head at all. I don't find it to be a problem in the least.

(just don't let anyone borrow your car.. :p)

ive read through most of the posts in this thread. and seems like there are all mixed answers, which im not surprised. But my 1 curiosity is, how is backing out of a parking lot space? I'm not worred about the changing lang, i pay too much attention while passing everyone. But I work in a retail parking lot, and i have to back out a lot. so was curious as to everyone's opinion.

Before I owned this car, apparently I was never adjusting my mirrors properly because my other cars gave me such freedom to do it wrong and still mostly see everything. Now that I properly adjusted the mirrors on the Z, I can comfortably change lanes in traffic at any time without trying to look back over the shoulder.

You need to move them way to the outside, so that there isn't much overlap between the rear view and side view mirrors. With your head in its normal driving position, you shouldn't be able to see the edges of your car at all in the side view mirrors, by a comfortable margin. With this properly set up, there's never a time when a nearby car isn't either visible in the rear view, the side view, or obviously sitting right outside my side window. There's no "blind" spot for them to hide in: I can watch a car passing me move from rear view to side view to visible straight out the side window without ever disappearing.

My only remaining complaint in this regard is that the proper adjustment on the driver's side is pretty close to the max the adjuster allows.

Inches at a time. You backup up listening for a car horn, or the person you just ran over yelling "STOP" or waiting for the sensation of a nudge from the vehicle that just hit you. Backing out of a parking space has to be the worse; I would say synonymous to an extended panel van, but without the mirrors.

I use the mirrors...they seem to work just fine for me.

Take the time to back INTO the space to begin with. Then, when it's time to split.. no hassles!

I have to say, backing out of spaces with this car is hell. You have to really work your neck to see around other cars for traffic and take it real slow. If you're good at backing into spaces, do it, but that's a learning experience with this car too... lol

Its what Ive been doing for years now, with all my vehicles. This one is no different. Although I find Im quite far away from whatever Im backing into - not used to the car ending so close behind me I guess...