Car buying advise

[DawnM]

Pretty sure I know the answer, I am just a little dissapointed.

 

WAY too much detail in the first posting, so I will make this brief.

 

 

My cousin is selling her car.  It is a car I really like, however, when I met her today and test drove it, I didn't realize that it was a convertible and there is a HUGE blind spot where there is no window in the backseat passenger side.   

 

Not sure I can handle merging right very well by just relying on a tiny mirror in heavy traffic in the city.

 

Have you had this problem?  Do you think it is something you get used to, or is it a deal breaker?

Edited December 10, 2017 by DawnM

[kroe1]

You can buy the little cameras that signal when someone is in your blind spot. I think I paid about $200 when I had them installed on my RV.

[displace]

I don’t know about blind spot mirrors or cameras. I’m a short driver and most vehicles have blind spots for me. If I have a choice, I try to choose vehicles with less of them. I’m also getting safety features on my next vehicle to help mitigate my lack of height.

 

I think if a camera or something works, I’d consider it.

Edited December 10, 2017 by displace

[MEmama]

That would be a deal breaker for me.

 

Cameras and sensors are useful supplements, IMO, but they can't tell you how fast someone is coming up, whether a car looks like it's about to merge, etc. You need to be able to fully see the entire situation in order to anticipate.

[creekland]

A convertible alone would be a deal breaker for me.  I don't like them.  

 

Safety wise, the more things a vehicle has, the better (for me).  We drove cars for a long time without them (as did everyone else, of course), but once we got our latest vehicle (a 2014 ex company car) I've found I absolutely love things like our back up camera.  I won't ever get another car without one.  When middle son got his car this past summer we even had him get a higher end model new car in order to get the safety features (financing was better/cheaper for him to get a new car than a 2 year old one with the features).  I not only want the safety for myself, I want it for my guys too!  It's worth paying for IMO.  Any accident avoided beats an accident IRL.

 

On any car we buy I also check out the accident rating before seriously considering it.

[Pawz4me]

A little blind spot here or there doesn't bother me overly much. I'm old enough to remember when almost all cars had blind spots, and I learned to drive in those types of vehicles and got used to dealing with blind spots. But what you describe sounds like a huge (HUGE) blind spot!

 

But I'm with Creekland. The blind spot wouldn't really matter to me 'cause a convertible would automatically disqualify it from consideration. If you tried to give me a brand new luxury convertible I'd say no thanks. Or maybe I'd accept it and sell it immediately. No way would I drive one. I don't think they're safe at all, nor do I get the appeal of driving around exposed to the elements and debris.

[Lanny]

There are at least 2 issues here...  When I was much younger, I had a girlfriend who had a Convertible.  One night we were driving around and got lost  (North of Dallas) and were stopped by the police. Until that experience, I didn't know that police are trained to be alert/terrified, when they stop a Convertible.  There could be people hiding in the back that they don't see who could jump out of the car when they make a traffic stop.

 

Also, obviously, in a Roll Over accident, or a major accident, occupants of a Convertible will probably not fare well.

 

The Blind Spot bothered you when you test drove the car.  You described it as "huge" 

 

If you were driving an 18 wheeler, you would need to rely on the mirror on the right side of the tractor, to see the traffic, before you merge into the right lane (or the left lane).  However, those mirrors have blind spots. Especially the one on the Right side of the car. The mirror on the right side says the distance may not be accurate.

 

I would probably not go ahead with the purchase of that particular car.

Edited December 10, 2017 by Lanny

[PeterPan]

I'm absolute on blind spots and not being comfortable, so yes deal breaker. And, fwiw, I rented a Nissan something (sedan) a couple weeks ago and it had these lights on each side of the cabin that would light and a beep that would go off if someone was in your blind spot and you signaled. It sounds hokey, but I REALLY liked it. If I were buying a car right now, that would be on my really want list.

[Annie G]

I'm absolute on blind spots and not being comfortable, so yes deal breaker. And, fwiw, I rented a Nissan something (sedan) a couple weeks ago and it had these lights on each side of the cabin that would light and a beep that would go off if someone was in your blind spot and you signaled. It sounds hokey, but I REALLY liked it. If I were buying a car right now, that would be on my really want list.

 

Our newer Toyota has that feature and I am finding that I much prefer it to our other car when I am going to be driving in traffic or navigating a crowded parking lot.  I hate blind spots!

 

Dawn, unless you think driving home with the top down is going to relax you, I think passing on this car is your best bet. You don't need MORE stress added to your day. 

[DawnM]

Yeah, I am leaning towards deal breaker.  I am sad.  I don't know how I missed that it was a convertible last time I looked at it, other than the car is the same color as the top (black) so I just wasn't paying attention.  It checks all the rest of my boxes.

 

No accidents, babied, she bought it new, no issues, dealership for all oil changes, etc....

 

Darn.

[DawnM]

I don’t know about blind spot mirrors or cameras. I’m a short driver and most vehicles have blind spots for me. If I have a choice, I try to choose vehicles with less of them. I’m also getting safety features on my next vehicle to help mitigate my lack of height.

 

I think if a camera or something works, I’d consider it.

 

I am short too and when we test drove cars this last time that was a huge consideration.

 

What safety features are you getting????  What is on your list???

Edited December 10, 2017 by DawnM

[ThisIsTheDay]

I have a horrible blind spot in my car that prevents me from seeing clearly behind me on the right. It was the SINGLE reason that we considered when encouraging my new teen driver to use my husband's car, which is a much fancier car than mine. My kid's daily drive includes merging onto an interstate from the left, and I know how challenging it is to move over to the right lanes at that spot. So he drives the luxury car where he can see clearly.

[gardenmom5]

I would move on.

 

and dh had a convertible for 20 years.   I hated driving it - becasue I felt like a bug on the pavement and could be stomped on any second.  though it was fun on a nice day in the summer on curvy roads.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I'll be the sole person to say that if I liked the make & model, I would go for it. My favorite car was a VW convertible. I didn't notice any blindspots; perhaps they did not bother me or they didn't matter. I drove with the top down as long as it was above 50 degrees.  Okay, in reality, I drove it with the top down while it was snowing a couple of times. The seat heaters and the dash heaters were on and it was glorious and beautiful and peaceful and soothing. The sound of rain pattering off the vinyl roof was relaxing. I would drive in the rain just to listen to it.

 

I loved everything about that car.

 

Note: I sold it when DGD was born because there were issues with fitting in a car seat and other passengers. My goal is to get another VW convertible some day.

[Catwoman]

Dealbreaker.

 

If you're not crazy about the idea of a convertible, that's one strike against it. But the visibility issue will bother you every day you drive it, so that would be the dealbreaker for me.

 

I'm sorry, though, because it's hard to find a good used car that you know has been so well maintained. But the visibility thing is a safety issue and would make me nervous.

[DawnM]

Thanks guys.  I appreciate all the input.  

[DawnM]

This is not her car, but this gives you an idea of what I am talking about in terms of visibility:

 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mini_Cooper_Cabrio_(R57,_Facelift)_–_Heckansicht,_5._Juni_2011,_Wülfrath.jpg

 

And I am just under 5' tall.

[Liz CA]

1. Convertibles don't hold up in an accident. Unfortunately, we have first hand experience with this.

2. I do not like when I cannot see well. This would be a dealbreaker for me especially if you anticipate having to drive in heavy traffic versus a relaxing country road most of the time. This is among the things I check for when I look at a car: How well it is designed for the driver.

[DawnM]

1. Convertibles don't hold up in an accident. Unfortunately, we have first hand experience with this.

2. I do not like when I cannot see well. This would be a dealbreaker for me especially if you anticipate having to drive in heavy traffic versus a relaxing country road most of the time. This is among the things I check for when I look at a car: How well it is designed for the driver.

 

Yeah, if this were off the lot, I would pick exactly and move on, I was just so excited to find one I knew had been well taken care of used.  Dh doesn't like the idea of buying a used one of these, but the cost of new is not what we want to spend.

 

So I am willing to put up with some things that may not be my ideal for this (color is not 1st choice, no back up camera, that sort of thing.)  I have never considered a convertible before and really prefer a sunroof, but I was playing around with the thought a bit.

[Lanny]

If you need another car, I saw a TV commercial about 45 minutes ago, but I didn't write down the URL.  I think this is it. Possibly worth a few minutes of your time, to see if it is helpful to you or not.  https://www.carfax.com/

 

With a Convertible, another downside is the ease of the car being broken into. They are far less secure.

 

ETA:  I'd never heard of the above company until I watched that TV commercial about one hour ago. The below company, Edmunds, has been around for A LONG time.  I bought their new car and used car price books, years ago. 

 

https://www.edmunds.com/used-cars-for-sale/

Edited December 10, 2017 by Lanny