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I find the M3’s rear visibility poor

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I find the view out the rear view mirror to be very limited vertically. I’m coming from a VW GTI, which had far better rear visibility. Before that it was a Honda Civic, which was also better than the M3 in this respect. I love much about my M3, but not the rear view mirror visibility. It seems like the top of the back seats and/or the ledge behind it is too high. (Feels very American!) In addition, the angle of the rear roof glass is taking some getting used to. In my GTI I could see the headlights of a car approx. one length behind me. In the M3 it feels like a car tailing me needs to be back like 25 feet in order for me to see the headlights. Obviously not something they can change. So I’m just disappointed and whining I guess.

In contrast, the low dash in front provides spectacular forward visibility.
 
I find the view out the rear view mirror to be very limited vertically. I’m coming from a VW GTI, which had far better rear visibility. Before that it was a Honda Civic, which was also better than the M3 in this respect. I love much about my M3, but not the rear view mirror visibility. It seems like the top of the back seats and/or the ledge behind it is too high. (Feels very American!) In addition, the angle of the rear roof glass is taking some getting used to. In my GTI I could see the headlights of a car approx. one length behind me. In the M3 it feels like a car tailing me needs to be back like 25 feet in order for me to see the headlights. Obviously not something they can change. So I’m just disappointed and whining I guess.

Interesting, i find it to be average in terms of visibility and MUCH improved compared to the Model S. I think its something you get used to.
 
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There’s always the rear camera you can put up on the screen. I’ll use it occasionally but don’t like keeping it on while others do. It’s the camera button in the car “screen” section and the icon is located at the bottom, very convenient and close to the driver so easy to tap on for quick access.
 
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I find the view out the rear view mirror to be very limited vertically. I’m coming from a VW GTI, which had far better rear visibility. Before that it was a Honda Civic, which was also better than the M3 in this respect. I love much about my M3, but not the rear view mirror visibility. It seems like the top of the back seats and/or the ledge behind it is too high. (Feels very American!) In addition, the angle of the rear roof glass is taking some getting used to. In my GTI I could see the headlights of a car approx. one length behind me. In the M3 it feels like a car tailing me needs to be back like 25 feet in order for me to see the headlights. Obviously not something they can change. So I’m just disappointed and whining I guess.

In contrast, the low dash in front provides spectacular forward visibility.
Turn your rear view camera on.
 
Yeah I’m aware of the quick access to rear view camera. But I don’t want that active all the time, and flipping it on right at the moment I’m trying to gauge cars behind me is not ideal. Would rather be able to just see out the window! I realize that is not going to happen.
 
I think It was a compromise to get the aerodynamics they wanted. There would have to be a kink in the profile from the rear glass to the trunk lid in order to get the bottom of the window lower and still have a trunk you could open. Personally I think the trade off is worth it.
Granted I’m pretty tall which makes the view out the back easier.
 
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I personally have no problem with the rear view mirror. Or the side mirrors. I can't imagine trying to drive with the back-up camera with its distorted image. Interesting that several of the above posters are comparing the M3 to a GTI. NO comparison. At all. But if having a huge back window to watch behind you is all important, go for it.

I keep watching out my front window. It's called "forward-looking".
 
I find the view out the rear view mirror to be very limited vertically. I’m coming from a VW GTI, which had far better rear visibility. Before that it was a Honda Civic, which was also better than the M3 in this respect. I love much about my M3, but not the rear view mirror visibility. It seems like the top of the back seats and/or the ledge behind it is too high. (Feels very American!) In addition, the angle of the rear roof glass is taking some getting used to. In my GTI I could see the headlights of a car approx. one length behind me. In the M3 it feels like a car tailing me needs to be back like 25 feet in order for me to see the headlights. Obviously not something they can change. So I’m just disappointed and whining I guess.

In contrast, the low dash in front provides spectacular forward visibility.

My last car was a MK7 GTI and while you’re right about not being able to see the headlights, where I live that’s actually a blessing in disguise as many trucks around where I live retrofitted HIDs. Reflective housing on these confederate flag flying diesel trucks just wasn’t designed for HID bulbs and the light can be blinding.

I’m also running a Broadway 270mm clip-on mirror, that may help with visibility.
 
I find the view out the rear view mirror to be very limited vertically. I’m coming from a VW GTI, which had far better rear visibility. Before that it was a Honda Civic, which was also better than the M3 in this respect. I love much about my M3, but not the rear view mirror visibility. It seems like the top of the back seats and/or the ledge behind it is too high. (Feels very American!) In addition, the angle of the rear roof glass is taking some getting used to. In my GTI I could see the headlights of a car approx. one length behind me. In the M3 it feels like a car tailing me needs to be back like 25 feet in order for me to see the headlights. Obviously not something they can change. So I’m just disappointed and whining I guess.

In contrast, the low dash in front provides spectacular forward visibility.

I had the same issue for a while but I figured out a reasonable compromise for myself, YMMV.

In previous cars, I would "center" the rear-view mirror around the rear window and it would provide a good view of the street.

With the Model 3, there is no "top" to the window so I initially lined up the bottom of the view with the top of the seats. The problem was the view was angled too high and I had no context of the road. All I saw was the roofs of the the cars behind me.

I ended up adjusting the mirror so that the top of the view lines up with the beginning of the tint, which is equivalent to the top of the window all other cars. This does mean that a large portion of the bottom of the view is the top of the rear seats, but at least I can see the road and all the cars behind me at a normal angle.

And believe me, with guilt-free EV acceleration, 99.9% of cars on the road are either behind me or in the process of being passed.
 
I think It was a compromise to get the aerodynamics they wanted. There would have to be a kink in the profile from the rear glass to the trunk lid in order to get the bottom of the window lower and still have a trunk you could open. Personally I think the trade off is worth it.
Granted I’m pretty tall which makes the view out the back easier.

I think the compromised rear visibility is due to them making the trunk opening larger to accommodate bicycles. The rear window on the prototype came down lower.



I specifically remember Elon acknowledging a twitter user’s request that the Model 3 allow for bikes to be put in the trunk and when the 3 was unveiled and I saw the back, that was my first assumption as to why it changed.
 
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I think the compromised rear visibility is due to them making the trunk opening larger to accommodate bicycles. The rear window on the prototype came down lower.



I specifically remember Elon acknowledging a twitter user’s request that the Model 3 allow for bikes to be put in the trunk and when the 3 was unveiled and I saw the back, that was my first assumption as to why it changed.

Yeah, that was my thought too. So many people wanted a large trunk opening, and I remember Elon saying they would make it bigger.
 
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Coming from a VW-CC, Model 3 is great visibility ;)

However, I wish it would do better with "Rear Cross Path" detection like most other cars have over $25K these days.

My Jeep "sees" with Radar 180 degrees. That is, it looks in both directions when backing up, like 100 ft in each direction and will warn if something potentially "will" cross my path. It saved a bicyclist from getting mangled once. Jeep rear visibly is fairly poor but the rear cross path really makes up for it.
 
Ha, I sold my Mk7 Golf R when we got our 3.

I actually thought the Golf had pretty poor rear visibility, until I got the 3, which is terrible. Of course, my other cars were a Miata and a Z3 M Coupe, neither of which has any visibility issues whatsoever. On the Golf I pulled the massive rear headrests which meant you could actually see out the rear 3/4, and euro side mirrors filled in any gaps. Can't pull the headrests on the 3 (or at least it doesn't look like it), but I don't think it would help much because the rear deck is more of the issue.

The 3's sweeping rear deck means you won't see anything when you shoulder check your rear 3/4. After 6k miles I haven't quite gotten used to 100% trusting the passenger side mirror for distance when I'm used to at least being able to verify with a shoulder check, and the driver's side mirror doesn't have convex glass and doesn't adjust far enough out to see the blind spot, from where I sit. When euro cars start shipping the first thing I'll do is order a euro driver's side mirror.

I think the rear deck on the S is not QUITE as high; rear 3/4 is still not great but I think it's better. Plus the side mirrors are larger and you can actually get the driver's side mirror adjusted out far enough.

I'm not a sedan person anyway, but most have better visibility. Unfortunately due to crash standards, new-car visibility is getting worse and worse every year.
 
One thing that I did to improve rear visibility was to raise the seat. With the amount of headroom in this car, I could do this even though I'm 6 feet tall and typically have my seat at the lowest position. Still not as good as my previous car, a Ford Focus.

Keith
 
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