GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I've just been reading more about the 2nd gen Vibe prior to possibly buying one (I'm looking at buying a 1st gen if I don't get a 2nd gen), and I'm starting to worry more about the 2nd gen's various blind spots, particularly the one caused by the A-pillar and side mirrors. When I test drove the 2009, I remember vaguely thinking the front visibility wasn't that great, but I wasn't really paying attention to that aspect of it. Now that I'm reading more about it, I'm realizing that hey, maybe this was even worse than I thought. Has anyone had any close calls (or worse) because of that?

It's not too bad. Frontal vision is fine. Rear vision is good (especially compared to a lot of smaller cars) but there is somewhat of a problem when changing lanes in high traffic. Since the rear glass is further back than a sedan, it limits rear visibility. And when you turn your head to check your blind spot the pillar does get in the way. I find myself using the side mirrors a lot. Some convex blind spot mirrors would certainly help.

All vehicles have blind spots, some worse than others, but we quickly learn to work around them. I consider my 2009 (and previous 2003) to be in the middle of the pack. My friend's 2010 Camaro is horrible.

The pillars do make the side mirrors a necessity for lane changes and reversing, but with properly adjusted mirrors there really aren't any car-sized blind spots. I can see a car coming up behind and passing on either side of the vehicle via the rear-view and side mirrors without losing sight of it completely at any point.

That said if you live with someone who insists on using the side mirrors like additional rear-views (like my wife), you'll be forever adjusting them back and forth...

Thanks everybody. I'm not too worried about the rear blind spots...I'm more worried about my front diagonal vision being obstructed by the A-pillar and side mirror together, such as if I had to see a pedestrian stepping out from a crosswalk.

I was going to say, I've had cars hidden in the front pillar before when I had the 10 GT. So I got in the habit of looking right, left, right again, and left again before pulling out, just to make sure there was no car right in that blind spot the second I looked. All of the modern cars have much thicker A pillars due to the federal regs. I didn't have any issues with the rear, but I got the stick on mirrors also just to give me an extra measure of protection.

Houston wrote:All vehicles have blind spots, some worse than others, but we quickly learn to work around them. I consider my 2009 (and previous 2003) to be in the middle of the pack. My friend's 2010 Camaro is horrible.

Camaros are the worst, holy crap. I have driven one around for my job and I felt like I was inside a tank or something, with little slits as windows.

I had one close call in my Vibe years ago. I was in the left lane of a 4 lane highway (2 lanes on each side). I went to get over into the right lane and there was a car coming up next to me on the right that I didn't see. Fortunately, they had room to get over so I didn't hit them. I was horrified because I had never had that happen before, not to mention it scared the $hit out of me! It was right than and there I decided we needed little blind spot mirrors to prevent this from ever happening again. Haven't had any issues since. Those little blind spot mirrors help tremenduously.

I always double-check my mirrors and look over my shoulder before reversing or changing lanes. Fortunately, the mirrors are excellent. I've owned my Vibe for a year now and have gotten used to its dimensions, but it took a little getting used to.

Try driving a cube van for a few years. This thing is like driving a fishbowl compared to that.

I've had close calls in my 1st gen from the A-pillars, also

I see all these posts about drivers having difficulty because of this or that pillar or this and that other thing. Have drivers become so numbed by modern society that they can't simply move their heads a few inches and see everything? I don't mean to seem harsh, but it seems to me that today's automated society has resulted in far too many people not being careful enough to take care of themselves. Vehicles were designed to get us from one place to another, people! I began driving trucks, bulldozers. tractors and cars on our farm when I was eleven years old and seen more changes than most of you can even think about. We had none of the safety features deemed necessary in today's world. We didn't need them, because we had the common sense to watch out. Driving was great then and is now. But my gosh, folks, how about moving your heads a few inches and looking around? Do the auto manufactures have to babysit you, too?

I'm going to presume this last post was meant in jest...? It reads like a joke, anyway.

I dunno, the 1985 Tercel has waaaay better visibility than the Vibe does. The reason, of course, is safety regulations increasing the height of the walls and thickness of the pillars so that a rollover doesn't have to be a game-over. In the Tercel, I don't have to crane my head around a crapload just to make sure there's not a semi/trailer behind the A-pillar, and I don't have to get blindspot mirrors so that I can see convertibles and sports cars behind it. Hell, the 90's and 80's trucks I have driven have better visibility than the Vibe, and they're TRUCKS. However, if one of those cars rolled over, I would not be confident in my survival without a rollcage.

The truth is, over time visibility in cars is getting worse and sometimes no amount of moving your head can bring your surroundings in to view. Especially in the camaro, what horrible visibility. That's why manufacturers are adding sensors and cameras, in fact I think the latter has been decided as a mandatory piece of safety equipment by the gov't. Because now you have much smaller windows, much larger cars, and much thicker waistlines and pillars.

Houston wrote:I see all these posts about drivers having difficulty because of this or that pillar or this and that other thing. Have drivers become so numbed by modern society that they can't simply move their heads a few inches and see everything? I don't mean to seem harsh, but it seems to me that today's automated society has resulted in far too many people not being careful enough to take care of themselves. Vehicles were designed to get us from one place to another, people! I began driving trucks, bulldozers. tractors and cars on our farm when I was eleven years old and seen more changes than most of you can even think about. We had none of the safety features deemed necessary in today's world. We didn't need them, because we had the common sense to watch out. Driving was great then and is now. But my gosh, folks, how about moving your heads a few inches and looking around? Do the auto manufactures have to babysit you, too?

In my case, I had moved my head to look over my shoulder before switching lanes. Unfortunately, it was a small car (an Aveo or something similar) and it was easily missed. This was also during the first year of my owning the Vibe after having driven a Pontiac Sunbird and two Pontiac Sunfires for years before-hand. Not making excuses, just stating some additional information to my previous post. I have not had anymore close calls since. I have no problems seeing all around me in the Vibe when I'm driving, neither do either one of my parents.