Want to buy but had some visibility issues.

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Houston810

New member
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
4
Location
Indianapolis
I test drove a leaf today and it handled well and I liked almost everything about it. The only problems I had were that I'm 6'2 and it was a little tight. And then also, and this was the biggest problem for me, is that I felt like I couldn't see very much going on around me outside the car. I've driven a ford150 for the last 10years so I can normally see EVERYTHING.

So my question is, are there any easy body modification that can be done to increase visibility and space? My biggest issue was the back window was very small.

Thanks in advance.
 
Houston810 said:
I test drove a leaf today and it handled well and I liked almost everything about it. The only problems I had were that I'm 6'2 and it was a little tight. And then also, and this was the biggest problem for me, is that I felt like I couldn't see very much going on around me outside the car. I've driven a ford150 for the last 10years so I can normally see EVERYTHING.

So my question is, are there any easy body modification that can be done to increase visibility and space? My biggest issue was the back window was very small.

Thanks in advance.

You're not going to get battering ram of death visibility out of a Leaf or Prius or any car. You might just have to learn how to drive monitoring mirrors and such as you are supposed to so that you know what is going on all around you without needing to see 100% of everything 100% of the time since you can extrapolate which is how you are supposed to drive anyways.
 
Houston810 said:
I test drove a leaf today and it handled well and I liked almost everything about it. The only problems I had were that I'm 6'2 and it was a little tight. And then also, and this was the biggest problem for me, is that I felt like I couldn't see very much going on around me outside the car. I've driven a ford150 for the last 10years so I can normally see EVERYTHING.

So my question is, are there any easy body modification that can be done to increase visibility and space? My biggest issue was the back window was very small.

Thanks in advance.

Fold down the rear seats when not in use, so that the rear headrests don't block your view. Or some people remove them if they know they're not driving rear passengers.

I also attached some convex mirrors to the side-views, mostly so I can better judge my position in a parking space.

Other than that, the body geometry is what it is. My only real visibility complaint is the amount of forward view blocked by the thick roof pillars but that is typical in cars nowadays to meet rollover requirements and room for airbags.
 
Second the headrest removal. Taking off just the driver's side headrest will make what seemed like a small rear window *much* larger. You can leave the other one up for the occasional backseat passenger, or remove them both.

Get the "Premium Package." It includes a nice enough stereo, and a *fantastic* four camera parking system that is amazingly good. Plus it can apparently be hacked to provide street-level views around the car on the highway...
 
LeftieBiker said:
Second the headrest removal. Taking off just the driver's side headrest will make what seemed like a small rear window *much* larger. You can leave the other one up for the occasional backseat passenger, or remove them both.

Get the "Premium Package." It includes a nice enough stereo, and a *fantastic* four camera parking system that is amazingly good.
Agree w/removing the headrests to improve rear visibility or having them turned to the side, if you don't want them floating around in the car.

Yes, like the premium package. I LOVE the Around View Monitor system and even though I'm no fan of Bose, I'm enjoying the stereo. The premium package was worth it, IMHO. The QC + LED package? Unsure about the LED headlight part, but the QC port is looking like a waste of money again...

OP, can you update your location info via User Control Panel (near top) > Profile (left side)? That way, we don't need to ask in future posts/threads or do sleuthing to deduce it. By your username, I'm assuming you live in/near Houston...

What are your daily driving needs in terms of miles? How much city vs. highway? Will you have the ability to charge at your work/destinations? This is CRUCIAL. The Leaf may not work out for your situation at all.

You also said you wanted to buy. Are you sure? Many folks here lease, for various reasons.
 
I drive between 40-60 miles a day. I don't know if there is a charge station at my college but there is one at the mall which is a half way point for me.
 
Houston810 said:
I drive between 40-60 miles a day. I don't know if there is a charge station at my college but there is one at the mall which is a half way point for me.

At my university we had a lot of parking lots but at least 1 parking garage. There are 2 there now. In the garage there were outlets all over the place and the security people used them to plug in their little golf carts. I know now people use them to charge PiP's/Leaf's/Volt's. So you might have a similar situation. Even though it is a slooooooooooooooow charge, it is often enough. I charge only on L1 which is a standard household outlet. It is like running a hairdryer as long as it's plugged in. Since I am at work for 8+ hours that is a pretty good amount of range. Same at school if you are there for a few hours it may not be much, but it is a good supplement. Also when it is plugged in, I use that to preheat the inside of the cabin in the winter and precool in the summer. On L1 that basically means it stops charging to make the car warm/cold but then that is less battery required to do the same once you are on the road.

As to your half-way point charging, is it a L3? Do you want to hang out at the mall for an hour to get 20 or so miles of range if it is an L2? Only the high power L3 stations can do 80% in 30 or less minutes. So you would only be there for a few minutes to get home. It is a good backup plan, and good to be thinking ahead like that.

Good luck with the Leaf!
 
Houston810 said:
I test drove a leaf today and it handled well and I liked almost everything about it. The only problems I had were that I'm 6'2 and it was a little tight. And then also, and this was the biggest problem for me, is that I felt like I couldn't see very much going on around me outside the car. I've driven a ford150 for the last 10years so I can normally see EVERYTHING.

So my question is, are there any easy body modification that can be done to increase visibility and space? My biggest issue was the back window was very small.

Thanks in advance.

I too have an F-150. It is my workhorse for wood hauling etc... but the 12mpg that I get on a downhill with a tailwind makes the Leaf practically free to drive in comparison :)

You just aren't going to get the same visibility in a small car - face it, if nothing else you are sitting too low. So, unless you are going to jack it up (Monster Leaf anyone?) it is going to be much more limited than what you are used to. Some of the suggestions given can perhaps help a bit, but in comparison to a full size truck sitting on top of the world, I doubt that you are going to make that much difference.
 
Compare the Leaf to other modern small cars and you'll have similar visibility problems. To make modern cars pass crash tests, they reduced the size of the rear window and increased the size of the roof support "pillars".

Bob
 
Houston810 said:
I drive between 40-60 miles a day. I don't know if there is a charge station at my college but there is one at the mall which is a half way point for me.
How much city vs. highway? At what speeds?

Can you point us to the station at the mall on http://www.plugshare.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;? You can also use it to try to see if there are any at your college.

Besides what 2k1 brought up, how will you charge at home? Will it at be at 120 volts or will it be via a L2 EVSE (charging station/dock) or http://evseupgrade.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; plugged into a suitable 208/240 volt outlet? Charging at 120 volts is very slow.

If you don't understand what I'm referring to, see http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=14728&p=332668#p332668" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=262630#p262630" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
 
It is like 90% highway

1235 N Emerson Ave Greenwood IN 46143 looks like the most efficient way to get a free charge

Indiana has a 1,650 credit for buying L2s
 
Houston810 said:
It is like 90% highway

1235 N Emerson Ave Greenwood IN 46143 looks like the most efficient way to get a free charge

Indiana has a 1,650 credit for buying L2s
Ok. Have you noticed the reports of the above (http://api.plugshare.com/view/location/14158" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) being broken for months? Click Show Comments.

What speeds are we talking about? Have you looked at the range chart at http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=101293" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

If you do 60 miles in one day don't charge at destination(s)/on the way and run your battery to almost empty when you reach home, if you L1 charge overnight, you will not be at 100% in the morning. L1 is too slow.

In the winter and as the battery degrades, it's going to get dicier (if you can't charge at your destination(s)/on the way) due to reduced battery capacity in winter, gradual battery degradation and the heater consuming power.

You sure you want to buy? Battery degradation and evolutionary improvements in EVs in terms of range and cost are part of the reason some folks lease instead of buy...
 
Well, about 50-years ago when I first started driving, my Dad told me how to properly adjust the rear and side-view mirrors to eliminate blind spots. I've never had a vehicle with blind spots using this system...including the Leaf. Yes, you need to check the mirrors instead of looking around, but you have a 180º rear/side view from the driver's window to the passenger's window. I'm convinced that 90% of the drivers in the US have their mirrors adjusted incorrectly!

Try it to see if it works for you: Proper Mirror Adjustment
 
I'm 6'3" and have no visibility issues or trouble fitting into my Leafs. The seat can be raised and lowered, so make sure it's lowered. It's a pretty comfy car.
 
Compared to my 2002 Tundra the visibility is worse for sure, hard to make up for sitting a good ~18" higher on the road. Compared to my wife's 2004 Ford Focus it is pretty much the same. Hard to have great visibility while sitting low down.

Specifically on the Leaf I don't like the positioning and girth of the columns by the sides of the windshield, it creates a big blind spot on the curves of the roads in my neighborhood, so I end up bobbing my head back and forth to make sure some dumb kid doesn't try to run into my silent path. I also have a harder time parking the Leaf between the lines in empty parking lots than our other 2 cars due to how tall the doors are. I may get more used to the car over time, I hope.
 
Moof said:
Compared to my 2002 Tundra the visibility is worse for sure, hard to make up for sitting a good ~18" higher on the road. Compared to my wife's 2004 Ford Focus it is pretty much the same. Hard to have great visibility while sitting low down.

Specifically on the Leaf I don't like the positioning and girth of the columns by the sides of the windshield, it creates a big blind spot on the curves of the roads in my neighborhood, so I end up bobbing my head back and forth to make sure some dumb kid doesn't try to run into my silent path. I also have a harder time parking the Leaf between the lines in empty parking lots than our other 2 cars due to how tall the doors are. I may get more used to the car over time, I hope.

The pillar size is required for safety standards. And any vehicle is different. Rent a few cars you have never driven before, and generally you have similar issues of judging the size of the vehicle. You know roughly how big it is, long and wide, but not something that you get with just living with it.

I found the 360d cameras very useful the first couple weeks so I could see how wide it was in the spaces.
 
I had a similar concern as OP with the rearward visibility of the LEAF. Looking at the rear glass, a huge portion of it is black. However, after driving it for a while, it hasn't been a problem even once. I guess it's something you have to get used to.
 
2k1Toaster said:
The pillar size is required for safety standards. And any vehicle is different. Rent a few cars you have never driven before, and generally you have similar issues of judging the size of the vehicle. You know roughly how big it is, long and wide, but not something that you get with just living with it.

Compared to our Focus the windshield is farther away from the driver, so the columns come into the field of view a little more, which is a little obnoxious. I will say that the worst visibility I ever had was in a rented Dodge Caliber, it was next to impossible to get a decent view over your right shoulder when checking for traffic for a lane change.
 
As others have said it's not just a leaf thing....

Since you're coming from an f150 that you say you have driven 10 years it's at least a 2004. In the last little while pretty much all cars, not just small cars as someone else has said, have had to pass tougher safety tests.

The A, B and C pillars have all gotten thicker to pass roll over tests. Some new cars will actually put a small window in the bottom of the A pillar that helps. Most if not all cars now will come with 3 head rests on the rear seats that block the rear visibility regardless of the size of the rear window and most sedans have a higher trunk line to be more aerodynamic. Side impact tests have caused the doors to be taller and the windows smaller. The volt actually added the black trim at the bottom of the window to make the proportion of the car more normal and make the doors look lower than they actually were.

Don't write off the leaf because of those issues, since you can get the around view monitor it offers a lot more visibility in parking lots than almost any car.

I'm 6'4 and everytime I get in after my wife has had it for a few days (she gets it on my days off) I always try to move the seat back since driving her gas guzzling prius has a lot more leg room. After 1 drive I don't even notice it. I did find that I had to use a little round mirror stick on for the side mirrors and had one person on my tail so close at night that I didn't even know they were there till they moved to pass. However the same could be said about any car if the other car is small enough and drives in the wrong spot. The only 2 cars I've ever driven with no blind spots were my 93 miata (top down only) and my 78 mini. Both cars are notorious for flexing, the pillars on the mini were so thin that hard cornering could cause the rear side window latch to open up and pop out.
 
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