How Do You Guys Set Your Mirrors ?

"P5guy now GTIguy" (p5guy)
05/13/2016 at 11:30 • Filed to: Mirrors, Car and Driver, Oppopinions

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Ever since I read this back when it was published in a 2010 issue, I have always set my mirrors this way. I showed my parents and they do it this way as well. I can’t think of any other way to set them and I try to tell everyone about this method. I catch cars in the blindspots way before the BSM catches them.

So who else does this? Or if you don’t, what works better for you?

DISCUSSION (49)

crowmolly > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:33

I set them that way too. Works great.

scoob > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:34

Everybody should do this. My parents used to set them slightly inwards facing, so you’d see the body of the car. I showed them this outwards facing position and they haven’t looked back (huehuehue) since.

Berang > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:36

The side mirrors on the saab are so tiny that this is the only real way to make them usable. A car will appear in the side mirror just as it disappears from the rear view mirror.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:37

I swear by this and had them set this way on my old 2002 Subie Impreza wagon and my current 2009 Accent hatch - been trying to convince my mother and brother to do it, but they would both rather see the side of their car taking up the mirror space rather than the inevitable thing which is about to hit them at some point... :(

Jcarr > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:37

Yep, I do it this way. It takes some getting used to at first as you’re used to being able to see behind you with the wing mirrors, but this way is so much better for blindspot monitoring.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:39

This is undoubtedly correct for avoiding blind spots, however I really prefer having a point of reference. Makes driving in traffic easier when you can see your rear corner. Not to mention parking next to a curb.

Shoulder checks and just a bit of my vehicle in the mirrors is the way for me. That said, I happen to drive something with minimal blind spots when I consider the shoulder check.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:39

How I’ve always set it. No blind spots :)

BigBlock440 > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:40

I set them so I can see the car, then lean forward a bit to check the blindspot. I don’t like setting them to where I can’t see my car, because I like having a frame of reference.

spanfucker retire bitch > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:41

Just like in that C&D article. I read it about 3 years ago and have been setting my mirrors like that ever since. The only cars I’ve noticed it doesn’t catch in my Mazda3, are really short cars like Fiat 500s, SMARTs and MINIs. There’s a very brief moment when they pass me, that their car moves from my rear-view to side-view in which their car appears in neither.

Have had exactly 0 success convincing any of my friends or family of its benefits though.

Flavien Vidal > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:41

Not really sure how you CAN’T set your mirrors correctly... really. I haven’t read the article, let’s see if I’m an idiot:

Most important thing for me is to barely see my car in the side mirror. If I can see just a little bit of the cr, it’s set up properly to me. Center mirror has to allow me to see both C pillars. If I don’t have C pillars, the car following me has to be perfectly centered..

Badly set up mirror are my pet peeve. I don’t understand how people can’t set them properly for optimal rear/side viewing...

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
05/13/2016 at 11:42

Shoulder checks. Actually, you should do them anyway, but that’s besides the point. Though in fairness, my truck is easy to shoulder check in and get a very good picture of what’s going on, whereas other vehicles I’ve driven feel so constricted that you really need the mirrors set out to be safe.

Stapleface > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:44

I've been doing it this way for a little over a year now. That being said, I still look over my shoulder, and feel as though everyone should. I just don't think I'll ever fully trust a mirror. Especially with how people will change multiple lanes at once.

MUSASHI66 > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:44

I buy the little round mirrors for my blind spot 2 minutes after I drive out of the dealership. I swear by those. I see everything on the side, never have to look over my shoulder. I hate driving cars without those.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:46

I already know what the side of my f%$#ing car looks like. So yes, push the side view mirrors out a bit. (Sorry, I’m angry about something else this morning.)

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:48

I’ve seen this method, and tried it out. But it’s not for me. I just enjoy looking at my vehicles too much not to point the mirrors at them.

I also avoid driving into the city as much as possible. So it’s not a huge deal. Anyone out here who ends up in my blindspots I’ve had a bead on since they were a mile away. There are advantages to living in the middle of nowhere.

Urambo Tauro > MUSASHI66
05/13/2016 at 11:51

I used to put those on the outer edge of the side mirrors, but I think that having them on the inner edge is better.

The small size and wide-angle distortion is more appropriate for keeping the body of my own car in the mirror’s periphery. This also allows the full-size mirror to swing outward a touch more for a better view of my surroundings.

Bourbon&JellyBeans > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:51

I set my mirrors so that I cannot see the sides of my car, but only by a little bit. That way, if I shift my head to either side, I can then see directly behind me as well. Plus Ford puts spotter mirrors on all their cars, so I’ve truly never had an issue with blindspots.

Bad Idea Hat > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:52

Holy crap, I didn’t even know this was a standard. Somehow I’ve been mostly following it though. I think my side mirrors are a bit more inward than shown, but it shows my blind spots.

My only problem is that my rearview mirror in both cars have a gap, where I can either adjust up and lose someone tailgating me, or adjust down and lose cars over about 10 car lengths back. Middle is not the best bet, because it doesn’t seem to help much in either direction.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Flavien Vidal
05/13/2016 at 11:53

According to the article, you’re an idiot. According to me, you aren’t. Really it depends what you drive. Are the mirrors tiny, is the car huge/tiny, are the blind spots hard to shoulder check, is it hard to judge exactly where the rear corners of the car are?

For me, the mirrors are big, the vehicle isn’t huge but it’s not exactly a midget, the driving position is well judged to the vehicle size meaning it’s easy to shoulder check and I have a hard time with the rear corners unless I have a visual on them. For me, I go so I just see the sides.

In something like a Smart, though... It’s tiny, the mirrors are reasonable but not magnificent, can’t remember on the driving position, but most smaller cars that I’ve been in tend to make you feel a bit more cocooned and that tends to make them harder to shoulder check, and the rear corners are so close to you that it would be relatively easy to judge. I think I’d set them according to the article.

Shankems > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:53

I do this! In addition, if I am directly behind a car and can see the driver in their side mirror, I am always more cautious around them.

MPA > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 11:55

My FiST has those little blind spot mirrors, so I set the mirrors so I can see a little bit of my car. I’m not gunna change lanes without looking though.

fourvalleys > Flavien Vidal
05/13/2016 at 11:57

Funny enough, that’s actually what it’s advising against. It says you shouldn’t be able to see any part of your car in the side mirrors.

I set mine so when I lean my head just a bit I can JUST start to see the car. Otherwise I just have a good view of my blind spot. Of course, the Fiesta has blind spot mirrors (<3) so that helps too.

Flavien Vidal > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
05/13/2016 at 11:58

Yeah my mirors are noraml to big at best and I have litteraly no blind spot thanks to 80's cockpit visibility... What I can’t see in my side mirrors I can still see in center miror, so TECHINCALLY, I have no blind spot that way. It’s a SA22C Rx7...

Still though all the cars I drive have a center mirror wide enough so that I never really get a blind spot at all... When I can’t see something on my side mirrors I can see it in the center mirror and vice versa.... Last time I had a blind spot I was driving a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan

MUSASHI66 > Urambo Tauro
05/13/2016 at 11:58

I keep mine on the lower inside corner. Then, I position them to see a part of my car and that covers the whole blind spot. The side view mirror covers whatever the blind spot doesn’t, with a small overlap. I see everything I need to see that way.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Flavien Vidal
05/13/2016 at 12:01

I’m driving a pickup, so even though the rear view mirror isn’t seriously wide, I can see my over the edges of the bed. The sides just get to the edge of that. So I’m actually almost (sort of) following the article, in that I have a tiny overlap between rear view and side view.

Urambo Tauro > MUSASHI66
05/13/2016 at 12:04

My mirror is parallelogram-shaped, with the upper inside corner closest to the vehicle, so I placed my fisheyes there. I think I like it that way (in the upper-inner corner), because it allows the bottom edge of the full-size mirror to see more of the road surface. It helps for road markings, parking spots, and curbs.

P5guy now GTIguy > MUSASHI66
05/13/2016 at 12:06

Ive driven cars with those and I want stand them the convex mirror distorts the reflection too much for my taste.

DynamicWeight > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 12:09

I completely agree with this article. I can’t seem to convince anyone else in the world though. To them, if their car isn’t in the mirror, it’s goddam anarchy and they have no idea where anything is.

P5guy now GTIguy > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
05/13/2016 at 12:09

A lot of people really like seeing their car in the mirror for parking but if you lean towards the mirror you wanna use you can see your car. Especially since most mirrors dont even go out as far as the article recommends they should.

MUSASHI66 > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 12:10

Well, who cars about the distortion? All I care is this - if I see something in it, that means I have something in my blind spot.

P5guy now GTIguy > Bourbon&JellyBeans
05/13/2016 at 12:11

I tried using the spotter mirrors on my girlfriend’s Focus and the really pissed off Audi I accidentally cut off made sure I ignore them from now on. Maybe I’m using them wrong though.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 12:11

P5guy now GTIguy > Stapleface
05/13/2016 at 12:12

I find that he best place to try the adjustment is in a parking lot when all the spots near you are taken that way you can fine tune the mirrors in a safe environment.

P5guy now GTIguy > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
05/13/2016 at 12:13

Exactly! I don’t see the need to see the side of your car constantly unless you’re parallel parking.

P5guy now GTIguy > DynamicWeight
05/13/2016 at 12:14

People usually don’t know the size of their car so I see why they set the mirrors super inward.

Honeybunchesofgoats > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 12:14

I back up until I feel a bump and then adjust my mirrors until I can see my victim clearly.

P5guy now GTIguy > Shankems
05/13/2016 at 12:16

I do this too because that’s an indicator that they can’t see me without a shoulder check. I do like cars with the BSM light on the mirror though because at least then I know I’m a bit safer around someone with poorly adjusted mirrors.

P5guy now GTIguy > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
05/13/2016 at 12:18

I dislike shoulder checks because its eyes off the road for longer than a mirror check.

P5guy now GTIguy > Honeybunchesofgoats
05/13/2016 at 12:20

Do you drive a Mustang ?

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 12:27

Depends what you’re driving. In my truck visibility is pretty good, so you only need a very fast check. Once I know that there’s nobody beside me I can keep track of new arrivals from the mirror. On other vehicles where you have to stretch to get a good view I’d probably just set the mirrors wider.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 12:27

I used to drive a delivery truck part time and the other driver used to keep pulling in the mirrors. So I made a mark with a Sharpie to know where to put it and I adjusted it before I got into the truck.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 12:28

Regardless, I prefer to look over my shoulder, when possible. But nowadays, visibility is poor in new cars because there’s no glass.

CaptDale - is secretly British > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 12:52

I guess the non “traditional” manner

Honeybunchesofgoats > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 12:55

It drives me .

(But actually, no)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
05/13/2016 at 17:12

I do shoulder checks as well, but I have a large B-pillar and small drivers side rear window, so my shoulder checks can’t see through the metal...the mirror can!

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
05/13/2016 at 18:43

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/according-to-t…

Nimbus The Legend - Riding on air like a cloud > P5guy now GTIguy
05/13/2016 at 19:22

This was the first thing i did when i got a car...

I literally parked on a narrow one way suburban street and adjusted my mirrors to show the blind spots.

Its allowed me time to be swift and decisive with my driving.

Nimbus The Legend - Riding on air like a cloud > Urambo Tauro
05/13/2016 at 19:23

i do the same thing along with what the article shows for blindspot setup

sometimes i wonder if i even really need those little things, but having them makes me feel just that 1% safer so...

P5guy now GTIguy > Nimbus The Legend - Riding on air like a cloud
05/13/2016 at 20:53

Exactly. If you need to do a sudden lane change and you have to shoulder check you’ll miss the opportunity.