finially looked at a Z today!
 

I will try and keep this short as possible. Went to look at a Z today, moment I saw it I loved it. beautiful interior, better interior than anything I have driven or been in (touring model). Sat down inside, rear visibility was pretty bad but I assumed that going in so not too surprised. Front/side visibility kind of undecided at the moment, I'll have to see when I go back to drive it and adjust the seat better. At the moment I wish it was more view friendly since I have dreamed of this car for years lol...

Question: This will be a DD, do you guys who DD find an uncertainty of your surroundings in everyday situations? ie tight parking lots, changing lanes, merging on to highways etc?

Edit: One car I looked at last year was the camarro, it was actually much worse view all around, I eliminated it before driving it.

It's my DD and maintains its status as such all while retaining sporty capabilities.

Like any car, it's something you'll get used to. No complaints here!

You will need to get use to it but for real buy some blind spot mirrors. It was scary at first for me since I had a Maxima and it was easy to see all around. Sometimes a triple check before I make a move. I have one blind spot mirror on the passenger side mirror, and the other one on the left corner of the rearview mirror, so i can see over my left shoulder.

Will you be doing mostly highway or city driving?

Worst part is backing out of a parking spot while turning. I always check to see what's behind me; Once when I backed out, a car pulled in and my rear bumper got scratched up. Luckily, the driver said "don't worry about my car, you're the one w/ the Z". I thanked him and left.

Just make sure to look left and right at all times.

The blind spots are insane if your not careful...other than that you will be fine. If you add coilovers, that is a whole nother playing field in my opinion, I guess depending on how low you go.

Visibility isn't bad with mirror adjustment. But you must be very deliberate in all your driving actions the first couple months behind the wheel of the Z in order overcome the blind spots. Over time they become unnoticeable as the mirrors be one more fluid in DD driving. I drive my Z as well as my altima that has excellent visibility.

i use small convex mirrors. would love to have it with a backup camera. never any issues while using the mirrors and merging.

Mirrors all the way out makes backing up the only problem. And the backup cam fixes that..

Thanks for all the quick replies guys, some good info for me to think about, especially suggesting the blind spot mirrors.



My driving will consist roughly of 20% country roads (live on the edge of the country), 50% city, 30% highway.

blindspots when turning left and the streets are not 100% perpendicular, you can't see any cars or anything lol, but you get use to it pretty quick

i dont dd my Z, but definitely practice your parking before scraping a parking structure pillar or something. :D

having a rear view camera is great.

GL with your purchase.

Driving my Z home was one of the most paranoid drives I've ever had. The visibility issues take getting used to. Especially at night, in the rain, with tinted windows.

I DD mine in Connecticut, snow and all... the blind spots are just a minor issue if you love the car get it!:)

I had to make adjustments to my lane-changing habits because of the blind spots. 1) Changed how I set my mirrors. 2) Changed the directions I look. Got used to it in less than a week. When I'm too lazy to lean my head forward, I just downshift. Wheee~

Just drive faster than everyone else and you don't have to worry about blind spots.

I drive a roadster and the rear visibility is even worse than the coupe. It's especially bad backing out of the driveway and turning to the left. Since mine's a base I put an aftermarket Nav system with rearview camera. That made a HUGE difference backing out. If you want great visibility buy a 1996 Jeep Cherokee. I don't think those have any blind spots at all. Seriously, though, yeah it's not a practical car in any way. It's a sports car. I'll leave it at that.

Nope. No uncertainty. If I'm really blind, I'll wind down my windows and listen for cars coming close. That is, if I wasn't able to back into a spot for some reason. But I back in like 99% of the time anyway.

On the highway, just be careful. Look twice. And if you make a habit to drive faster than everyone else then it doesn't really mater, does it? ;)

Just saw DR's comment. So there's two votes for driving faster than everyone else.

once you get used to it it's like second nature. i dd and have no problems. just check blind spots before you change lanes and dont just rely on mirrors, even if they cover your blind spot, I just check moreso for peace of mind. Also backup camera imo is a must. I don't know what I would do without it when I back up.

watch out for blindspots, not very economical, can be uncomfortable depending how well the streets are built but i still DD with a smile every single day !!!

so i had a camaro and now i have a z. coming form the camaro visibility is no problem in the z. the camaro is competing for worst blind spots with the fj cruiser. It's kind of bad in the z but you can work around it. It took me a while to get the right seat adjustment to be comfortable. They were both my daily driving cars and the camaro is just a much more bulky, clunky, american car. it has a lot more bells and whistles for the price though. the z, in my opinion, is more of a drivers car. it'll handle like a ferrari compared to the camaro and be a bit more zippy. go with the heart though! you're gonna be driving it every day make sure u love it

Seems to me this comment needs to be restated with emphasis.

I dd a Roadster. I have my mirrors adjusted almost all the way out on both sides. They are set with just a little bit of overlap between the edges of the rearview mirror and the insides of each side mirror. This way, when a vehicle is going out of view (moving forward relative) in either side mirror it is coming into view in my peripheral vision. I can no longer see the sides of the car, but then I know what they look like and where they are. I want to see the folks around me.

This adjustment method creates a panorama, pretty much all the way around the vehicle. There really is no blind spot. When a vehicle is only half in the edge of the rearview the other half is in the side mirror. Pretty much the same thing happens when they are moving alongside.

I have the Nav with backup camera for backing up.

I hope I've explained this well enough for it to be understandable, because I have really come to love this adjustment method.

What snow tires are you running?

Try contintental DWS tires if comfort becomes an issue over time.. :tiphat:

Crank the side mirrors out until you have to move your head to the left or right to see the side of the car. That helps with blind spots.

I have the backup camera. I barely even use it anymore... You eventually get used to watching your p's and q's well enough not to need the aid if you're naturally a cautious person.

:tup::iagree: 100%

GOOD LUCK OP!!! Keep us posted... ;)

It would be easy to overstate the blind spot issues IF you don't have properly adjusted side mirrors as some have pointed out. Most people don't properly adjust side mirrors and I speak from personal experience (I was one of those people for a number of years). Even if you think you might be doing it correctly, it might be worth reviewing the proper method to be sure.

After adjustment, there are no real blind spots, but care must be taken nonetheless. I have a backup camera that I can run anytime (170° view) that I thought I'd use regularly for driving and it turns out to be needed only for backing up. Even then, if you actually turn your head around when you back up, you'll be fine.

Like someone else stated, I was freaked out on my drive home from the dealership, but now it is a great DD. So glad I didn't get anything else. For me, it is a fantastic car all around. It doesn't hurt the ego that people seem to think it is much more exotic than it really is. I have never driven a car that has generated so many compliments and so much curiosity.

If you adjust your mirrors correctly, driving, passing, changing lanes are not a problem.

or here is a video on adjusting your mirrors
AutoFocus - How to adjust your car's mirrors - YouTube

no blind spots if mirrors are adjusted correctly? maybe if you are 5' and sit all the way up front. lol

get a roadster. there will be no any kind of spot when you put the top down.

Tilt my head when changing lanes and no issue.

I don't have any blind spot issues and I'm not 5' tall. The mirrors work well. The backup cam is a requirement, though.

:iagree:
I am in the camp that thinks blind sports are from not setting the mirrors correctly. I'm a fraction shy of 6'. Seat adjustment has a lot to do with good vis as well. I sit slightly reclined to even the plane of the rear mirror & rear window. This helps a lot for vis. Picture this angle / trying to see out of this --- angle, It does not work very well. You want to level the 2 planes as much as possible. Left turns through intersections, I need to sit up to see over the mirror. Adjust your mirrors as pictured i& you will have proper coverage. You will still need to move your head from time to time though ;)

YMMV

You live near the 'burgh?

What dealer you going to?

If you get the Z. Make sure to get the rear view camera.

Maintain you situational awareness at all times in a 360 degree radius. The car has blind spots and the roads and parking lots are populated by retards who are paying more attention to their phones or unnecessary electronic distractions in their cars than the road.

Greensburg PA here. You? Had to leave town to get a good deal on my Z (suburban DC)

Cost of Aftermarket Backup Camera
 

What does a decent back up camera cost for a base 370 Z? How much ripping up and re-wiring is involved? I hate to see my car be torn apart. Sometimes, it's never the same afterward, with squeaks and rattles, etc.

My Z is my DD. You will get used to the the blind spots, especially backing up. Just change your exhaust and do baby rev's as you back up so other would know, or get a backup camera. I have no problem seeing the front of the hood when I'm driving (I'm 5'11), but my gf claims she has a hard time seeing anything in front. It really depends on how tall you are.

Brownsville. Got my Nismo at John Sisson's in Washington. Last time over that way. They had a '13 black Nismo sitting out in front. :yum: