ADUK Archive

Important, or one just learns to cope?
Question arises because I recently went to view a new car I'm interested in, Golf R and found I had to raise the driver's seat very high to be able to have any view, although not ideal, of the bonnet. I'm 5 ft 9 ins tall.
I appreciate that this probably is related to pedestrian safety but I'd have thought it would be best for drivers to easily be able to see the extreme points to enable accurate positioning.

I'm 5ft 8ins and I can't see the bonnet on my Fiesta, even with the seat raised as high as it will go, but I don't find it a problem in the least.

As Nigel says, I'm 6 foot 1 and even face on the windscreen I can't see much if any of my bonnet, but I still know where it is.

Dom

It's been a long tme since I drove a car where I could see the bonnet. As mentioned the sloping bonnets of todays cars, to reduce injury to pedestrians I understand, makes this the case. I had a demanding time driving a Porsche 911 on one occasion. It had been used on the race circuit in Germany the weekend before (complete with roll cage in place) and the normal seats were replaced with alli. ones and flat cushions. Unfortunately for me this suited the taller driver it was meant for but for me the top of the dash was at eye level. Far from not seing the bonnet I could only see the road quite some distance ahead. That and it being left hand drive added to it being an interesting drive and clutch operation presented an extra challenge. Certainly focussed the mind. Pleanty of power so frequent overtaking requiring early long term planning. Great fun to feel realy streatched though (excuse the pun)

as others, long time since I saw the bonnet of the car I was driving, and I'm 6'...

Probably explains why sensors front and rear are becoming part of the standard car spec. Have to say that I have them on the rear of the car and they are a must.

I think the TR was the last car I drove where the end of the bonnet and all 4 corners were easily in view... I don't find not being able to bothers me - although my Prius does have a reversing camera which, seeing as it's there, I have become used to but I didn't (regularly ) reverse into things pre-camera...

For what percentage of a drive do you need to see the end of the bonnet or where the corners are? - I wouldn't be adjusting my driving position for such a small fraction... Observation, spatial awareness and good judgement - that's all you need. Happy manoeuvring...

Am only 5'6 and even without the chair raised up, I can easily see the corners of the bonnet from the passenger seat in our Yeti.

In fact, it was only after we test drove the Yeti that we realised we couldn't see the corners of the bonnet on our Clio, but it never bothered my parents.

Having said that, manoeuvring in the Clio was often a tad risky in tight spots, as we couldn't see all 4 corners of the car at all from the driver seat, and there were no parking sensors at all.

They've never scraped the bumpers though.

Herewith my excuse / reason for issues with reverse parallel parking!! That and a stiff neck.

WhoseGeneration wrote:Important, or one just learns to cope?
Question arises because I recently went to view a new car I'm interested in, Golf R and found I had to raise the driver's seat very high to be able to have any view, although not ideal, of the bonnet. I'm 5 ft 9 ins tall.
I appreciate that this probably is related to pedestrian safety but I'd have thought it would be best for drivers to easily be able to see the extreme points to enable accurate positioning.

I suppose we have to learn to cope as best we can, but I have considerable difficulty placing the car accurately in confined spaces. It does bother me, and I wish I could overcome it.

Maybe I should try to find an old Mark 2 Ford Zephyr or Zodiac: Ford advertising at the time (1950s) claimed that all four corners of the car could be seen from the driver's seat. I think they could, too.

I knew an elderly gent some twenty odd years ago who had an MG Magnet. He had two antenea like stalks with small balls on the end fitted to the front wings to aid his judgement of the position of the front end.

My Fiesta came with rear parking sensors which are usefull, but I've never had a problem parking in other cars without them.

The Saab 95 estate barge has acres of bonnet out there ....

jcochrane wrote:Probably explains why sensors front and rear are becoming part of the standard car spec. Have to say that I have them on the rear of the car and they are a must.

Let alone all round cameras, as on some models but, to have to view a screen rather than look outside?
Of course it might just be part of the move towards driverless cars.

WhoseGeneration wrote:

jcochrane wrote:Probably explains why sensors front and rear are becoming part of the standard car spec. Have to say that I have them on the rear of the car and they are a must.

Let alone all round cameras, as on some models but, to have to view a screen rather than look outside?
Of course it might just be part of the move towards driverless cars.

The only time I'd happily use a reversing camera is when I've managed to get 90% of the car into the space, and those bloody bollards have disappeared from the view out of the rear window, then the camera would be a handy assist in getting as close as I can to the bollard.