I like the BMW implementation - it only dips the passenger mirror, and it only does so when you have the mirror control switch set to the driver's side. It's handy in many cases when parking, but I can quickly enable and disable it. You can also change the dipped position as necessary and that will be remembered for the next use.
Was going to comment this. I wouldn’t be without my dipped mirrors now. It makes parking without risking a kerbed alloy a breeze, and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve needed to disable it. The way it’s implemented in this car seems a bit pointless though and it would definitely annoy me having to turn it off through a touch screen.
Have you tried adjusting them while they are tilted down? I.e Put it in reverse, they tilt, and then use the mirror control to bring it to where you want it, usually somewhere between "normal" and the very tilted down position yours were in. The last car I used which had this feature had memories for both normal and tilted positions and you could set whatever you preferred.
Exactly. It is very easy to criticise an aid if you don't use/adjust it properly. And since it is an aid, it should also be used as such, not as a reliance.
Just what I was going to say, my sisters golf has this and i found I couldn't reverse with them tilted as all I could see was the ground so I adjusted them to a middle position where I could see both the ground and behind whenever they tilted.
Exactly the same comment I was going to make is that the mirrors should be able to be adjusted independently and can be set lower for one side than the other for personal taste, my car has this feature and the dip position can be adjusted while dipped and is then stored. I personally set dipped to be only slightly lower than normal so I can still see the rear at the car in the top of the mirror and now have a better chance of judging where the kerbs or white lines are. I can also switch the dip on and off easily with the mirror selector switch without using any cumbesome fiddling with a setting screen and along with the 360 view and distance sensors reversing can be done safely.
Yes, if the amount of dip (or the dipped position) is adjustable, then this issue can go away (or be largely mitigated). What I end up doing whenever I rent cars in the US is to adjust the driver-side mirror a bit down when reversing - because it's just flat and doesn't show me enough of where I'm going when reversing. And yes, I'm one of those crazy people who always reverse into a parking space!
I've watched the video and I still have no idea what Ashley is talking about. The only dip mirror technique I know of is using the switch to move the mirror when driving at night to avoid being dazzled by people behind you. Is this what he is taking about?
I have had it on a few VWs and find it it really good for seeing alloys and kerb and ensuring they don't make a poorly judged interface! That said, it's passenger side only, can be programmed to whatever tilt angle works for the individual and can be cancelled simply by moving the mirror adjustment joystick from L to R. I don't see the logic of that Volvo dipping both mirrors, rather than just passenger side and wonder if it has an easier cancel function than needing to delve into the menus
You can set the position of the dip. So you could in theory make only the passenger side dip. There is no on the fly on/off switch like on VAG cars, You have to dig through the screen
@@body98755 That's definitely better than nothing though, like you say. The passenger side could be made to dip slightly (raise head to see the kerb) and the driver one left alone.
Great feature. Dips to the positions I’ve set when the mirror switch is set to either R or L and reverse is selected. Taking it out of reverse the mirrors adjust to the normal preset positions. And not positioning the mirror switch to R or L prevents the mirrors dipping in reverse when a normal view rearward is required.
I've been using the mirror dip function on my car for nearly 11 years now and absolutely love it. Makes parking so much easier and I miss it when I drive a car without it. I don't set it to dip to the point where I can not see a person walk behind me and I can still judge the direction of the car accurately. I'm able to reverse safely whilst being aware of what's around and approaching. I would argue that it makes cars safer as you are less likely to damage a tyre on the kerb and therefore less likely to have a potentially fatal tyre failure on a high speed road. Also, I've found teaching people how to use the mirrors to guide the car in between two lines in a car park much easier since I've had this feature and parallel parking is easier also for both me and my pupils. I understand they may not have this feature on their car, but it teaches them how to use the mirrors for accuracy more easily without having to be uncomfortable for long periods of time stretching their neck as they do it. Once learnt, same skills are used in their car but they have to stretch to see, which is why I don't like not having it as I don't like straining myself to try and see the kerb or white lines. I noticed you covered up the top third of the mirrors in the video?
Morning Richard. Personally, in my 25 years of being an Instructor I’ve never found a car that you need to dip the mirrors if they are set correctly. 👍
One of my bug-bears, Mate you just showed us all it's a simple click to turn it off no more bug-bears 6 mins 20 when it could have been 20 seconds ( if you don't like dipped side mirrors on your particular car, then just do this, one click )
@@ashley_neal I think the problem is that the car you have shown here implement it badly. In a Seat for example, it only tilt the passenger mirror, and you can chose how much it tilts it. But most importantly, it only tilts if the mirror control switch is on the passenger position. So basically my usage is: mirror dip off by default (to see what's behind as you say), but I activate it (rotate the mirror switch) if I park along a curb.
@@ashley_neal to be fair, the mirrors on my Leon are particularly small which makes it even more useful in that car. But I agree, if the mirrors are positioned well they're not essential but I still find it easier. In my MX5 I often lower the mirror manually when I get near the kerb to help.
I was taught to reverse by looking over my left shoulder (UK) so I do not rely on the mirrors for reversing and just glance occasionally to confirm proximity of near objects and I find the dipping of the nearside mirror useful (VW). I also open all the windows in unfamiliar or tricky positions to have the additional benefit of potentially hearing another vehicle, pedestrian or other mobile hazard and I have the car audio set to mute when reverse is engaged. The downside of this is that I am not great at reversing left hand drive vehicles or those without rear windows e.g. van.
Yep totally agree, my car has this and I’ve turned it off. Living in the city it important to park as close to the kerb a possible because the roads are narrow, and the dipping the mirrors helps this. *BUT* …. that is only required for the last few feet of getting into your space. The rest of the time it’s actually dangerous because you do not have a broader view of what’s going on behind you or what’s further back at a distance. [basically dipping the mirrors means you are looking at your rear wheels and the kerb and not much else]
I have had it on cars in the past and found them more useful for parallel parking (you can see the curb) than reversing like you were in the video. My current car has a rear camera which I think eliminates the need for the tilting mirror and eliminates more of the blind spots.
I only ever tilt the mirrors if 1) I need to get very close to a kerb whilst parking in a tight space where there is little view of the kerb some distance behind or 2) when reverse parking in a car park when it is impossible to see where the white lines if the mirrors are in a normal position. Very rarely need to do this and not comfortable doing it for the very reasons Ashley has given
Having first learnt to drive in California back in 1966, and having driven in the UK since 1974, I've never had an issue getting close to the kerb when reversing in - though I can see the point when parking near the end of allowable space with double-yellow lines starting.
I drive mostly rather old cars so I have never seen this function. At first it looks like a good idea but I understand the hidden risks you described. If I were to choose freely if and how I want my car to do this I would like this: - make it a choice to move or not move as you have shown in that car, different people will want or not want it - make it adjustable how far down it moves when enabled Personally I would then use it but I would set it so that it only tilts down so much that I can barely see the rear wheel at the very bottom edge of the mirror only when I move my body and head forward closer to the mirror. That way I can more easily do some careful maneuvering into extremely tight spaces better when needed but when sitting normally against the back of my seat I get almost normal mirror view.
In my personal opinion, a lot of the features (not all of them) in modern cars are just gimmicks to try and make them look more technologically advanced than they actually are. Such as touch screens, what problem do touch screens actually solve? They’re more likely to distract you flicking through menus to try and turn your air con off, or having to download the latest software update to be able to use your car. Touch screens are also cheaper to install than actual buttons, but car companies will label it as a more expensive and high quality feature.
Good point Ashers, and well made. My electric mirrors don't have this feature; you just point them where you want them. I only lower the kerbside mirror to park against the kerb, as I'm not the world's best at "not scraping the alloys".
My car doesn't have this but it is something I have wanted in a future car. You have mentioned some very good points and now I am not sure I even want it anymore. I feel this for this to be more functional and safer the driver need to be able to switch of and on by a button or switch. Least that way you can use it based on your needs.
I had this feature on a Alfa Spider courtesy car and it was great. It tilted far enough to see the curb, while still being able to see well behind. You couldn't see half a mile down the road, but you could see tens of metres, which is sufficient at those speeds. If checking for cars coming you still have central mirror and turning your head.
Thanks Ashley. It's certainly food for thought. I'm in two minds over this. I have found the kerbside mirror dipping useful to see where my rear wheel is. Although you could argue you should know the position of your nsr wheel as its going to be just behind the back seat. A non dipping mirror does give a better sense of movement but doesn't necessarily see lower obstacles such as a bollard or a corner of a wall. The other thing to take into account is the over reliance of using mirrors, sensors or reversing cameras when reversing. What I find is taking observations over the shoulder, checking other mirrors and looking through the rear windscreen helps to keep up your situational awareness. One of the problems I see now is modern cars having a letterbox for a rear windscreen, making it difficult to judge where the rear of the car is an assess what's going on behind. Any thoughts on this?
I drive a 2009 Lexus (so not a new car) and it allows me to set exactly where I want the dipped setting to be. And I can disable the feature with one touch of a button! It does it for both mirrors. I quite like it, my car has big mirrors anyway so I still get a decent view back, just also able to see the rear wheels.
On my 2020 S60, I can choose which ones go down in reverse. Driver's side stays up and passenger side goes down so I don't ding the wheels but I can still see behind from the other mirror. If you don't have this setting on in a Volvo, when you're in reverse, you can press the mirror buttons on the door to put the mirror down when you want. I use this if I'm parking up close to something on the driver's side, so I can do most of the manoeuvre with the mirror up, and then neaten everything up with the mirror down.
I can see that it is an issue with flat mirror glass that gives a narrow view but I like my dipping mirrors. A switch near the door handle allows me to quickly choose which mirror to dip to see the kerb and the mirror view is wide enough to still have some rear vision.
As someone who often parks on the end of a row of spaces, close to the kerb to be as far away as possible from the next space, I love this feature. Exactly how it works varies car to car and Volvo unfortunately don't do it very well. However, combined with reverse cameras / 360 cameras the problem you describe mostly goes away. In the UK (and maybe elsewhere), BMWs and VAG cars with this feature only dip the passenger side mirror. Once the mirror is in the dipped position, you can adjust it to set / store your dipped position, so if it's too low for you, it might just need adjusting. In BMWs and VAG cars with the feature, it also only happens if you have a specific mirror selected on the adjustment switch (on one it's passenger and on other it's driver, I don't remember which way round it it) - this makes it much easier to go back to the standard position than the Volvo you've shown where it's in the menu. It's a useful feature but unfortunately gives bad. / lazy drivers yet another thing to be lazy about and increase risk.
Re the neighbours (or neighbors for the US) thinking you're "mad". Likely even just for reversing into a driveway rather than nose in. As you and Liz observed / commented at a shopping mall parking lot, very few folks in North America reverse into spaces so as to come out head first. Having said that, I know of a few organisations over there where reverse in parking is mandatory policy in their company parking lots.
In England UK, our local recycling centre has a rule about which way round to park….. I ignore it. Reversing out the tiny spaces, with large vehicles either side is easier because I’ve got a backup camera with a very wide angel on it to see all the way up + down the route thru their facility. Driving out front ways is pulling out blind. Would like same on the front pls Mr Honda.
@davidrumming4734 Interesting. I wonder whether the recycling centre has that rule on the assumption that folks are going to be getting their rubbish from the back?
I have a set of stick on curved mirrors that attach to my ordinary mirrors. When I was learning to drive my instructor had some and I found them really useful for being able to have a little extra blind spot coverage and also more easily see lines in parking bays etc.
My Mazda has a mirror adjustment stick on the driver's door with buttons to select which mirror it controls. The car will automatically tip the mirror down if the button to adjust that mirror is active when reversing. So, most of the time, you don't have a mirror selected and they stay where they are when you reverse, but if you want to tip one down to get a better view of where the kerb or whatever is as you approach it, then you just press the button for that mirror and it'll tip, if you want to return to the normal view, press the button again to cancel it. Quick and easy.
absolutely agree with your point. I have a Volvo s80 from 2007, and it doesn't do this fortunately, but in reverse I can hold either of the mirror buttons in order to have it dip, which is really handy for getting close to kerbs but I can't imagine having both tilt down every time I reverse..
I have an even better one, it's an upper body that allows me to move my head in relation to the mirror so i can take a quick glance at where the kerb is before going to focusing on not splatting the neighbours' cat.
I have tilt on the nearside mirror only on my Audi and find it very useful, it’s not an extreme tilt as you program it to how far you want it to go. I’d say it’s about halfway. Also have a transporter with no tilt as it doesn’t need it and is easy to manoeuvre, also a Focus that doesn’t have it and I find that is the worst vehicle to have ever had to reverse as no points of the car are visible and positioning from a tilted mirror would help massively.
As a retired mechanic, I have driven many cars with this feature. On a customer's car, you don't interfere with their settings, but it is a right royal pain in the arse when the mirrors do that and stop you seeing straight back.
I use this feature but move my head up and down a lot and closer to the driver’s mirror to see more, there’s also a 360° camera, which will show if there’s anything behind, there’s also approach warnings if someone or a vehicle is approaching the rear quarters.
Ive always placed one hand behind the passenger seat and looked out the rear screen - with regular glances in the undipped mirrors and windscreen to the front. That way I can see any approaching pedestrians and also get a better idea of the positioning of my car with regards to obstacles.
The problem with my car is the view through the actual rear window is very restricted. I find the reversing camera far more useful, coupled with looking over my shoulder on the driver's window side and quick glances in the passenger mirror.
On my 2019 XC40 you can choose from following options for mirror tilt when reverse gear is selected: Driver, Passenger or Both. I have it switched off as only want the mirror to tilt down if reversing near a kerb. You can do this in many Volvo's manually by shifting into reverse gear and then pressing either the L or the R button twice on the drivers door card where the mirror adjustment is located. This will then tilt the selected mirror down so you can better see the kerbside.
Hi Ashley, just a few observations on your latest video. I’ve just been out and double checked the mirror settings on my 2020 Volvo V60 CC, and certainly on mine, only the near side mirror dips down (set for driving on the correct side of the road 😂). Plus, when setting the memory for seats, mirrors etc, the mirrors can be adjusted to get a compromise between seeing the curb edge and having a reasonable rear view on that side. Add to that, the cross traffic alert will/should pick up anyone or anything coming close to that side. I’m not sure why your particular Volvo dips both mirrors simultaneously - maybe an American thing. Admittedly, if the mirrors are set to dip down all the way, you will lose much of the rear view(s). Have a great time in the U.S.
Agree Ashley, it was the first thing I turned off on my Volvo. It even has the option to split the drivers mirror separately from passenger, but I still don’t use it.
I have this on my car but it only dips the nearside mirror, i can turn it off using the switch below the mirror adjustment controls. I dont use it myself but have found it useful when stationary just to check where the line of a parking bay is.
Same for my car. I do use it often when moving very slowly within a parking bay or against a curb to check the line/proximity to edge of the road. Quite useful when you can switch its position easily I think. Not so when you need to use the settings in a menu I imagine.
Absolutely right Ashley. I believe it is possible to override dipping mirrors on Volvo XC60. Reversing a large SUV requires extra care due to restricted views. I never rush it! I have the dipping mirrors switched off on my Volvo XC60 and only use them by exception, for parallel parking to avoid kerbing the alloys
I had this on my Ford Mondeo, but it was not via a screen menu. It was a button on the drivers door with the other mirror adjustment buttons. This made it easier to switch on, only when wishing to creep closer to the kerb. The model I had was also fitted with front and rear sensors, making it safer when using the mirror tilted.
You likely have a toggle switch for adjusting the left or right mirror. On my car, if the toggle switch is in the center position, the door mirrors stay up when reverse is selected. If the toggle switch is moved to the left or right mirror adjustment position, it allows both mirrors to dip when reverse is selected. The switch can be altered whilst reversing to select normal or dipped position. Its a great feature. I set them to stay up notmally and just toggle the switch if I want them to dip.
I totally agree. I disabled this straight away in our Tesla for exactly the reasons you have said. I can see how it is useful for looking at the kerb but it tilts far too low in my view and prevents you from seeing where you are actually going. Tesla have since brought out a software update that allows you to adjust how much it tilts but I haven’t tried that yet. This video has reminded me to do that. Thank you.
Works brilliantly in my Tesla but I have adjusted the tilted position so I still have a good balanced view. Btw adjusting the tilted position has always been possible by using the normal position adjustment while in reverse.
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3:42 This is quite a substantial dip! In VW group cars, before you use mirror dip, you have to "teach" the car the exact position you want, and switch to your offside mirror to activate the mirror dip feature. I can imagine the car you have also has a way to teach it how much dipping you actually need. Also, I understand that the picture of the mirrors as shown by cameras is not representative of driver's view, *but if it is*, your mirrors are already too low. The horizon should split the picture 60-40 and side view should barely involve door handle, so that the near side of each mirror is parallel to the car and the picture gives 3-5 degree angle view to the sides.
The VW Golf I learnt in had this, you had to have the little mirror adjuster toggled to the left or right in order for the mirror to dip. I found it quite useful. My current car, a Suzuki Swift Sport does not have this facility, and as I've learnt all the reference points I need to, I've not felt a need to manually tilt a mirror. And as you say, it does mean I can see other things on the road aside from the curb.
I got my licence at 8am one morning. At 9am the boss handed me the keys to a Toyota HiAce and sent me off on my own for the day. I learned VERY quickly how to use mirrors. 40ish years on my rule is still: music off, driver's window open so I'm more aware of what is going on. Now, it also means I'm not looking through tinting when relying on the mirror. I can thread a van down any narrow laneway because of that first day's real world driving lesson. My personal cars have all had cameras but I do not really look at them or rely on them. Use your head, your eyes, your ears and your instinct. Never hit anything yet. Oh, I've driven a HiAce almost every day since getting my licence too.
As the only driver of my car I have this option disabled but in the 2nd driver memory i have stored a slightly angled down position which i only use if needed. The main benefit of tilting the mirrors down is pretty much so in car parks it is helpful to get the car into the space centrally and leave equal space either side.
Loved this feature on my 2001 BMW 330CI. The tilted posititon is/was adjustable and only activates when your mirror adjustment switch was set to the kerb side so it was great for getting as close as possible to the kerb without scratching the wheels, or a white line in a tight car park.
Most VAG cars do it if you leave the mirror adjust switch set to the left mirror. It used to be useful for parallel parking before car design evolved so you can hardly see anything out the back window
In the S60 you can disable auto dip, and double press the mirror selector when in reverse. It will dip the mirror you double pressed. It's actually great when you want to avoid curb.
My Volvo has 360 cameras. When I am parking against a kerb I sometimes dip the mirror on the kerb side (double-click the mirror selector on the door) but the rest of the time I keep them normal. That said, the cross-traffic system would warn you if a child went across the back of the car. I learned reversing by parking trucks in a car storage yard: reversing a 36ft rigid body down between a row of brand new unregistered Jags on one side and brand new unregistered Porsches on the other, you very soon learn to value clean well-positioned mirrors.
I've turned my near side mirror on my BMW off so it doesn't move when I reverse. I agree Ashley, it restricts my view and doesn't help when reversing. After 56 years driving I know how to reverse and how to stay comfortably the correct side of central white lines without the distraction of a vibrating steering wheel, just more gimmicks I don't need and turn off.
I use mine daily, usually for tight parallel parks with high kerbs. But it’s adjustable and easily overridden, which I have many times when I need the full view. I can see it being a problem if you just check your mirrors rather than check your surroundings.
I love the dipping mirror on my RS3. It's only the passenger side, and only if the dial is turned to the top left. It also only dips as far as I set it to. I have mine only dip a little but it helps me to not reverse over the edge of the lawn. Because of the angle I need to approach it's been fantastic. Options are good, and what works for one person doesn't work for everyone else. You've got an impossible mission trying to convince me that they're bad
I see your point. Some cars I find that reverse parking into a space behind me I can’t see the curb, so I tilt the near side mirror down so I can see the rear wheel as it approaches the curb. I believe some manufacturers on their top spec models have the near side mirror tilt automatically when you select reverse gear. I know the top spec Minis do this.
I’ve seen some cars do this and never really thought about it much, since I’ve never driven one that does it. From this demonstration it does feel more trouble than they’re worth. My current car has a curbside camera instead, which I think might be a more useful compromise.
By the looks of things, most neighbours will think he's mad for reversing into the drive. None of the cars I spotted in drives across the road were reversed in.
@@hadorstapa I think it should be mandatory to reverse in. Reversing out is more dangerous, as walls, hedges and parked vehicles make it harder to see other moving vehicles and pedestrians.
My UK BMW has this feature on passenger side mirror (driver side mirror doesn’t tilt) and I find it quite useful when reversing into tight parking spaces to see the lines or when parallel parking to see the kerb. However, there’s a button that you can flick any time and it will move the mirror back into its normal position when reversing longer distances or need to see behind you. I find this very useful
I was taught to reverse on mirrors alone before I passed my test (probably because my instructor usually taught people to drive fire engines!). Nowadays I don't have mirrors that automatically dip on reverse and would not want it much for you reasons you say BUT, I do use the remote control to point them down if I am reversing into a confined space (such as into the garage) because it gives me better visibility relating to where my car is and, because the space is confined, I can be confident that what is directly behind me is not going to change whilst I am reversing.
I have this feature on the passenger side mirror but it is available at the flick of a physical switch next to the mirror adjustment controls (BMW). I find the dipped position very useful when parallel parking to position the rear wheel near the kerb. However, I never use the feature when reversing in situations, such as onto a driveway/parking space, as depicted in this video.
I've driven quite a few cars with this feature, I think Mercedes did the first, sometime in the eighties. Most cars I've experienced tilted the mirrors a little, making it easier to follow kerbs, but still leaving some other view. I have found one, a Korean car, that tilted it so much it was almost looking below the rear door. With cars getting bigger, with fatter rear ends, looking back out the window shows little of value, tilting mirrors can be useful, if the tilt is right, for you. I see another commenter that says some are adjustable, which is a good way to go. I will have to experiment next time I drive one with this feature. Might have to read a handbook!
I think the ones on my car are great. You can adjust mine independently or turn the function off. I only use the dipping when reversing into my garage (I know it’s a shock that someone actually uses a garage for the purpose it was meant) When general reversing I keep looking around and use the reversing camera.
I don't have that on mine. I understand that it's there to help reversing to save time altering the mirrors all the time, but I completley understand what you're saying. A big risk, not seeing small kids or even animals. What I do have on my car is some small circular blind spot mirrors attached to mine to help me see the ground when reversing into parking bays so I don't have to change my car mirrors so I can see.
I have those little blind spot mirrors, they're very useful. I also have orange lights that flash in the mirrors if anyone is approaching on that side. Very useful when deciding when to pull out to overtake, you sometimes miss people in the blind spots.
Never knew this was a thing. The only time I find it useful to lower a mirror when reversing is in an empty car park to sure I’m going nicely between the lines.
I'm in the UK so never used tilted mirrors, didn't even think that was a thing... but I wouldn't use them anyway because I've had the practice of parking without them so i can position myself easily anyway. It's always preferable to be safe than perfect, especially when you're always allowed to reposition if not happy.
I remember over 20 years ago, my driving instructor would set the mirrors at a slightly lower angle on the test for the reversing manoeuvres like parking or reversing round the bend, but they also said you should never drive like that normally once youve passed.
You can flick the switch so that the mirror doesn't tilt when not needed. When needed I tilt it to an angle where I can see both the back and the ground - I just need to adjust/raise my head depending on where I want to look.
Thank you for the upload Brother! I have this setting on my BMW used just on the left mirror however: it is not as adverse as your cars dip setting I can see the parking space line & the space behind the car too probably as the mirrors curvature is greater. This is helpful it very tight confined spaces when you cannot reverse an ideal distance from the start of the parking space lines! As an advanced driver I recognise the problem if you only used the mirrors: however; I was taught NOT to rely just on the mirrors but to also look out the back window when you are driving a vehicle with one & I use the maera along with the mirrors when I am using the lorry! Peace & Love!
I do use my dropped reverse mirror, but only the passenger side drops, but I have it lifted enough to see behind the vehicle also. So while I can see the curb/line of where I'm parking, I can still see clearly anything moving around the vehicle.
I have this function on just the passenger side external mirror. (BMW) Generally I have the dipped mirror function turned off, for the exact reason Ashely is highlighting. However, i do use it (with the flick of a switch) at times when I want to just nudge the car in towards the kerb really close, and I'm only travelling slowly, and moving a few feet, as clearly that's what the dipped mirror function is there to facilitate.
My current car does not have dipping mirrors but I have had them on other cars and I thought they were great and I found it easier to park, good for seeing the curb. Given a choice I would have them every time! Depends how you set them and if you can switch dipping off I don’t see a problem.
My 20 odd year old transit tipper has controllable electric mirrors. Very handy when delivering and reversing down people's drives when clearances are often down to an inch. Needing to avoid steps, path edges and parked cars, stacks of bricks and building materials etc. I often set them to down position. Would be good to have both automatically dip at the press of a button but not every time I reverse!
I like the way it's implemented on my Kia EV6. They dip down by default when the mirror adjustment switch is not left in the neutral position, but they remember how they are adjusted while in reverse. You can move them to face anywhere, and they'll go to that remembered position. When driving, I have then adjusted to SAE guidelines to extend the view of my rear view mirror and eliminate blindspots, and when I go into reverse, I have them configured to close in so that I can just barely see the edge of my car.
I was a bit confused when I saw the title and most of the video, but I actually agree, at least with this car. BMWs have this feature as well and they don't tilt down anywhere near as much as that, they do it just a little bit so you can still see behind you, but also see a bit more of the ground as well to make parallel parking a little easier.
Yeah, I've got it but nearside mirror only. It can be turned on and off from a real slide switch by the mirror controls in the door. I have it turned off for most of the time, but I do turn it on for the final "tidy up" manoeuvre when I'm adjusting my position relative to the kerb during a parallel park. It's really good for that, pretty terrible if used during any other reversing manoeuvre.
Never had on any car of mine. Vans and LGVs have separate mirrors for down and behind. When supervising my daughter learning, I was the reversing tilt mirror - for her to see the drop kerb for our gateway she'd ask me to wiggle the lever to lower the angle.
something to like about older late 90s and early 2000s jags, tilting back once on the mirror control cause the passenger mirror to dip but it only happens on command,on the passenger side. great to protect your rims when reverse parking against a kerb, and safe because the mirror spends most of its time up.
A valid point and demonstration but reverse cameras and dipping mirrors are a useful aid to us senior citizens especially those of us that can't twist their bod y and neck like they once could. Don't forget also modern cars mine included have reverse traffic sensors and pedestrian proximity sensors as an added safegaurd.
I have mine set up, but unless I choose a side from the mirror functions knob on the drivers door they stay at regular driving. Only time I enable them is when I've noticed a sizable pothole in front of a driveway/parking bay I want to avoid when reversing into and only for the short time until the rear wheel passes and I twist it back to regular view. It's only one side at a time on my car.
So far, I have not come across this feature in any cars that I have used in the USA, nor would I wish to. It seems yet another dangerous feature that car designers think that we desire. I agree with you completely, Ashley.
Mainly agree with you. Tilting makes reversing harder in 99% of cases. However it is sometimes useful to have a quick look down at how close you are to the kerb. I flick the mirror button, and it moves to the set position; take a look and then flick it straight back up. All car manufacturers should make it an easy physical button like BMW and VAG rather than faffing on the screen.
When I first found this feature on my Freelander I thought "brilliant!" mainly when lining up with a kerb or parking space lines, but what I did find annoying, if I had to make a correction (reverse/forward/reverse) the mirror took 6-7 seconds going down/up/down as I changed gear. I mainly solved this by setting up an alternative 'second driver memory' with the lower mirror position (making sure, after making this mistake, the seat wasn't pushing me against the steering wheel!!) so the mirror didn't move while correcting.
My car has, I think, the best of both worlds. Only the passenger mirror dips when I select reverse, but if I slide the mirror adjustment thing to the passenger side, it cancels/prevents the dip. So if I'm parallel parking, I will slide it to the drivers side to get it to point down so I can check my tyre position relative to the curb, the rest of the time I leave it locked so it doesn't dip.
I had this feature on my old car but it was easy to enable or disable it with a single control, not buried in a menu setting. So I could pick and choose for each manoeuvrer (or even partial) whether I want it dipped or not. The feature is missing from my newer car and I do miss it sometimes as it was useful when parallel parking to check the distance to the curb.
I had a Kia eNiro (old shape). It dipped the mirrors if the mirror adjust rocker switch was in the L or R position. If the rocker was in the centre position it didn't dip them. This was awesome because you could easily swap being the two.
My 2009 Volvo doesn't do this automatically, but you can hit the L/R buttons to dip down either side manually. They stay down until you put on the handbrake or go over a few km/h. It's really the best of both worlds, if I'm reversing normally they don't hamper my visibility towards the back but if I'm up against anything that's raised I can dip down just that mirror to see where my tires are
I have manual toggle electric dipping mirrors, but usually only use them when reverse parking to nearside or offside kerb, I also use reversing camera and interior mirror along with checks over the shoulders when going backwards..
I like dipping the mirrors for parallel parking. I don't dip them as much as your hire car does, though. I set it about halfway between normal driving and where the Volvo puts it. It allows me to see the kerb closer to the car, while having a view of people on the pavement. Of course, I look around while I park, but the mirrors are useful.
Dipping mirrors are only dangerous if the driver isn't paying attention. don't just rely on mirrors when reversing, don't rely on sensors when reversing, don't rely on cameras when reversing, they are there to aid not replace physical looking.
It actually states on most vehicles when using parking aids make sure surroundings are clear.and in instructions it states don't rely on aids . Tilt mirrors are solely for making sure you don't hit or mount curbs . I think some men manufacturers use to make the tilt function only work on N/S mirrors ( uk)
There's two philosophies here: 1. Look through the rear window when reversing. Only use the mirrors to watch where your rear wheels are. 2. Reverse using mirrors. It's a good idea to learn the second. Not all cars will have a useable rear window. But when you're using the first method (which I learned in the Netherlands from my driving instructor, ages ago), the tilting mirrors are a nice feature.
I do find that the rear visibility out of my BMW touring (Estate) is not good and I do tend to rely on the rear camera when reversing as it superimposes where the tyres will go on the view. Great for seeing if you're reversing towards a kerb. The car does have a switch on the door handle for tilting the mirror when reversing but this only affects the nearside mirror.
I Learned how to safely reverse everything from a motorcycle to a tank transporter by using appropriate methods. Driver aids are just that, an aid, not a necessity. I switch the majority of driver aids off, because if I where to NEED them then I'm not the one doing the driving. Yes, I have a reversing camera, very often it's got water on the lens that distorts the image. It's of no use nor ornament then.
Mixed here, in my vehicle dropping the mirrors shows the rear wheel enabling me to tuck the bigger car tight to the curb, there are specific situations I use this, along with the rear parking sensors. I do tend to rely on the rear parking sensors if using the mirrors in this way. I would also add that the dipped mirror controls in my older vehicle are a mechanical switch and I can dip them without having to stop and mess around with the infuriating touch screen.
I don't have it, however I've always struggled to back into spaces in a straight line. I used to quickly manually set my mirrors down before parking but for the last few years I've had a set of those convex blind spot mirrors stuck in the lower outside corners facing down. That way I can see both my full mirrors AND the ground as I back up. Sorted the issue for me. 100% can see how this can be an issue. Massive cars are way more popular in the US so I can imagine this being a massive issue.
when I heard of this feature in this video I thought to myself "what's so bad about it? looking at the floor a little bit near your rear wheel will be fine" and then I noticed the amount they tilted. the angle they tilt at makes reversing even harder
I use it, it’s helpful so I can see where I am relative to the line in a parking space, so I can see that I am straight. It helps I have a reverse camera as well but I always look over my shoulder anyway. On my Astra that did not have this feature, I had to manually tilt the mirror, every time I reversed into a parking space. So I’m glad my last two cars had it as a feature as standard.
My Volvo V70 has this feature. I have it switched off, as it doesn't move the mirror to a position where I can see my back wheel anyway, well, not without leaning across the cabin. What it does have is electric memory seats with three presets, which also remembers the mirror positions. I have preset 1 set for my driving position, preset 2 set for my partner's driving position and preset 3 is the same as preset 1, except the kerbside mirror is set to show the back wheel. When I want to check my distance from the kerb, I just push button 3 and that one mirror dips.
My BMW X5 has a dipping mirror on the passenger side which is quite handy if your parallel parking near a curb but you still got the driver side mirror to see what's behind you. And if you don't like them you can always turn them off
some cars do this really well with a dipped setting set by the driver. when we had our S60 it was the first thing that was switched off. i find these volvos massively overdo it, which is surprising from a brand who is very well known for safety.
It's a feature on my Volvo but you have to press the corresponding mirror button twice to tilt it. It is only useful once you've nearly finished parking to "shuffle" nearer the kerb.
On the subject of mirrors, there are a few driving "authorities" that are of the opinion that for forwards driving, you should adjust your mirrors outwards to cover your blind spots. As opposed to the more popular way of having your mirrors just about cover the side of your car. I've always subscribed to the latter method as the side of my car is a very useful reference point. I can't imagine adjusting to the "blind spot coverage" method. Instead I prefer to perform an over the shoulder check...er, sorry Ash, I meant leaning forward in my seat of course.
Nope you need a small amount of the body in the mirror as a reference point I have mine set so I can just see where my door handles are. Never have an issues.
The dipping mirrors are more designed for parallel parking against the curb. Very handy feature in that case. As someone else above mentioned how BMW does it is great and no faffing through menus. If I’m parallel parking in that manner I flick the mirror switch and it helps me judge how close to the gutter I am. It even helps when the car is in auto park mode just to be sure. If however I were doing the kind of reverse you were doing in the video of course it’s better to not dip and it’s pointless as you are interested in what’s far rather than what’s close. So horses for courses rather than a blanket they are dangerous or useless.
I loved this function when I had my C5 a decade ago, I found it simple to set up at an angle where I could see the back wheel position but retain some view further back by ducking down a little. How it is set up here to be looks immediately dangerous though, practical but not safe.
The reversinI mirror tilt seems very extreme on that Volvo, so I get your point entirely. That said my Enyaq only tilts the mirror if set to L or R, and only that mirror not both. Also it's not as extreme as your demonstration. I love the option because of the fact my drive has rock edging that I cannot see when reversing (it also slopes to higher stepped garden) when mirrors are set to normal.
I have a 73 plate CRV. The mirror dip is controlled by a switch that selects which wing mirror is adjusted by the controls. If the switch is set to the left mirror when I put the car in reverse, the left mirror dips. If the switch is set to the centre, the mirror doesn't dip. I toggle between the 2 setting depending on what I'm doing (the switch is in the door arm rest)
I like the BMW implementation - it only dips the passenger mirror, and it only does so when you have the mirror control switch set to the driver's side. It's handy in many cases when parking, but I can quickly enable and disable it. You can also change the dipped position as necessary and that will be remembered for the next use.
Was going to comment this. I wouldn’t be without my dipped mirrors now. It makes parking without risking a kerbed alloy a breeze, and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve needed to disable it. The way it’s implemented in this car seems a bit pointless though and it would definitely annoy me having to turn it off through a touch screen.
Apparently Honda do this too.
@@allen_key They do (CR-V). It's a great option if i'm honest. Like all driving it allows me to adapt to the situation.
I was going to say the same thing, my VW Golf has the same feature. If you dont want it to dip, you can just adjust the mirror control.
Yeah, same for Merc (I did have to "dip" it myself first to activate this).
Have you tried adjusting them while they are tilted down? I.e Put it in reverse, they tilt, and then use the mirror control to bring it to where you want it, usually somewhere between "normal" and the very tilted down position yours were in. The last car I used which had this feature had memories for both normal and tilted positions and you could set whatever you preferred.
Exactly. It is very easy to criticise an aid if you don't use/adjust it properly. And since it is an aid, it should also be used as such, not as a reliance.
Just what I was going to say, my sisters golf has this and i found I couldn't reverse with them tilted as all I could see was the ground so I adjusted them to a middle position where I could see both the ground and behind whenever they tilted.
Exactly the same comment I was going to make is that the mirrors should be able to be adjusted independently and can be set lower for one side than the other for personal taste, my car has this feature and the dip position can be adjusted while dipped and is then stored. I personally set dipped to be only slightly lower than normal so I can still see the rear at the car in the top of the mirror and now have a better chance of judging where the kerbs or white lines are. I can also switch the dip on and off easily with the mirror selector switch without using any cumbesome fiddling with a setting screen and along with the 360 view and distance sensors reversing can be done safely.
Yes, if the amount of dip (or the dipped position) is adjustable, then this issue can go away (or be largely mitigated).
What I end up doing whenever I rent cars in the US is to adjust the driver-side mirror a bit down when reversing - because it's just flat and doesn't show me enough of where I'm going when reversing.
And yes, I'm one of those crazy people who always reverse into a parking space!
That is about the only thing that would make this feature make sense.
Never knew this was a "feature" that existed. But my car is 30 years old now so I am a bit out of touch with modern tech.
Same but my car is about 20 years old with the most modern feature being a CD player.
My 20 year old BMW has it, I bet jap cars had it decades before that. I like it, you don't have to guess how close you are to curbs.
It's been around for about 20 years, very common in german cars.
@@gravemind6536 My UK Merc is under five years old and doesn't have it, despite all the other bells and whistles.
I've watched the video and I still have no idea what Ashley is talking about. The only dip mirror technique I know of is using the switch to move the mirror when driving at night to avoid being dazzled by people behind you. Is this what he is taking about?
I have had it on a few VWs and find it it really good for seeing alloys and kerb and ensuring they don't make a poorly judged interface! That said, it's passenger side only, can be programmed to whatever tilt angle works for the individual and can be cancelled simply by moving the mirror adjustment joystick from L to R. I don't see the logic of that Volvo dipping both mirrors, rather than just passenger side and wonder if it has an easier cancel function than needing to delve into the menus
Yep VW got it right. So simple and intuitive. Tesla is the same as this Volvo, and it´s awful in use.
@@body98755 Is there no setting procedure for the dip, like in VW cars? That dip like at 3:42 makes no sense for parking whatsoever...
You can set the position of the dip. So you could in theory make only the passenger side dip. There is no on the fly on/off switch like on VAG cars, You have to dig through the screen
@@body98755 That's definitely better than nothing though, like you say. The passenger side could be made to dip slightly (raise head to see the kerb) and the driver one left alone.
Great feature. Dips to the positions I’ve set when the mirror switch is set to either R or L and reverse is selected. Taking it out of reverse the mirrors adjust to the normal preset positions. And not positioning the mirror switch to R or L prevents the mirrors dipping in reverse when a normal view rearward is required.
I've been using the mirror dip function on my car for nearly 11 years now and absolutely love it. Makes parking so much easier and I miss it when I drive a car without it. I don't set it to dip to the point where I can not see a person walk behind me and I can still judge the direction of the car accurately. I'm able to reverse safely whilst being aware of what's around and approaching. I would argue that it makes cars safer as you are less likely to damage a tyre on the kerb and therefore less likely to have a potentially fatal tyre failure on a high speed road. Also, I've found teaching people how to use the mirrors to guide the car in between two lines in a car park much easier since I've had this feature and parallel parking is easier also for both me and my pupils. I understand they may not have this feature on their car, but it teaches them how to use the mirrors for accuracy more easily without having to be uncomfortable for long periods of time stretching their neck as they do it. Once learnt, same skills are used in their car but they have to stretch to see, which is why I don't like not having it as I don't like straining myself to try and see the kerb or white lines. I noticed you covered up the top third of the mirrors in the video?
Morning Richard. Personally, in my 25 years of being an Instructor I’ve never found a car that you need to dip the mirrors if they are set correctly. 👍
One of my bug-bears,
Mate you just showed us all it's a simple click to turn it off no more bug-bears 6 mins 20 when it could have been 20 seconds ( if you don't like dipped side mirrors on your particular car, then just do this, one click )
@@ashley_neal I think the problem is that the car you have shown here implement it badly. In a Seat for example, it only tilt the passenger mirror, and you can chose how much it tilts it. But most importantly, it only tilts if the mirror control switch is on the passenger position.
So basically my usage is: mirror dip off by default (to see what's behind as you say), but I activate it (rotate the mirror switch) if I park along a curb.
The point of the video is to show they are no actual use if you position your mirrors correctly. Most don't do this, it's that simple 👍
@@ashley_neal to be fair, the mirrors on my Leon are particularly small which makes it even more useful in that car. But I agree, if the mirrors are positioned well they're not essential but I still find it easier. In my MX5 I often lower the mirror manually when I get near the kerb to help.
I was taught to reverse by looking over my left shoulder (UK) so I do not rely on the mirrors for reversing and just glance occasionally to confirm proximity of near objects and I find the dipping of the nearside mirror useful (VW). I also open all the windows in unfamiliar or tricky positions to have the additional benefit of potentially hearing another vehicle, pedestrian or other mobile hazard and I have the car audio set to mute when reverse is engaged. The downside of this is that I am not great at reversing left hand drive vehicles or those without rear windows e.g. van.
Yep totally agree, my car has this and I’ve turned it off.
Living in the city it important to park as close to the kerb a possible because the roads are narrow, and the dipping the mirrors helps this.
*BUT* …. that is only required for the last few feet of getting into your space.
The rest of the time it’s actually dangerous because you do not have a broader view of what’s going on behind you or what’s further back at a distance.
[basically dipping the mirrors means you are looking at your rear wheels and the kerb and not much else]
I have had it on cars in the past and found them more useful for parallel parking (you can see the curb) than reversing like you were in the video. My current car has a rear camera which I think eliminates the need for the tilting mirror and eliminates more of the blind spots.
I only ever tilt the mirrors if 1) I need to get very close to a kerb whilst parking in a tight space where there is little view of the kerb some distance behind or 2) when reverse parking in a car park when it is impossible to see where the white lines if the mirrors are in a normal position. Very rarely need to do this and not comfortable doing it for the very reasons Ashley has given
Yeah this feature is only any good for parallel parking... Otherwise it's useless
Having first learnt to drive in California back in 1966, and having driven in the UK since 1974, I've never had an issue getting close to the kerb when reversing in - though I can see the point when parking near the end of allowable space with double-yellow lines starting.
I drive mostly rather old cars so I have never seen this function. At first it looks like a good idea but I understand the hidden risks you described.
If I were to choose freely if and how I want my car to do this I would like this:
- make it a choice to move or not move as you have shown in that car, different people will want or not want it
- make it adjustable how far down it moves when enabled
Personally I would then use it but I would set it so that it only tilts down so much that I can barely see the rear wheel at the very bottom edge of the mirror only when I move my body and head forward closer to the mirror. That way I can more easily do some careful maneuvering into extremely tight spaces better when needed but when sitting normally against the back of my seat I get almost normal mirror view.
In my personal opinion, a lot of the features (not all of them) in modern cars are just gimmicks to try and make them look more technologically advanced than they actually are. Such as touch screens, what problem do touch screens actually solve? They’re more likely to distract you flicking through menus to try and turn your air con off, or having to download the latest software update to be able to use your car.
Touch screens are also cheaper to install than actual buttons, but car companies will label it as a more expensive and high quality feature.
Good point Ashers, and well made. My electric mirrors don't have this feature; you just point them where you want them. I only lower the kerbside mirror to park against the kerb, as I'm not the world's best at "not scraping the alloys".
My car doesn't have this but it is something I have wanted in a future car.
You have mentioned some very good points and now I am not sure I even want it anymore.
I feel this for this to be more functional and safer the driver need to be able to switch of and on by a button or switch.
Least that way you can use it based on your needs.
I had this feature on a Alfa Spider courtesy car and it was great. It tilted far enough to see the curb, while still being able to see well behind. You couldn't see half a mile down the road, but you could see tens of metres, which is sufficient at those speeds. If checking for cars coming you still have central mirror and turning your head.
Thanks Ashley. It's certainly food for thought. I'm in two minds over this. I have found the kerbside mirror dipping useful to see where my rear wheel is. Although you could argue you should know the position of your nsr wheel as its going to be just behind the back seat.
A non dipping mirror does give a better sense of movement but doesn't necessarily see lower obstacles such as a bollard or a corner of a wall. The other thing to take into account is the over reliance of using mirrors, sensors or reversing cameras when reversing. What I find is taking observations over the shoulder, checking other mirrors and looking through the rear windscreen helps to keep up your situational awareness.
One of the problems I see now is modern cars having a letterbox for a rear windscreen, making it difficult to judge where the rear of the car is an assess what's going on behind. Any thoughts on this?
I drive a 2009 Lexus (so not a new car) and it allows me to set exactly where I want the dipped setting to be. And I can disable the feature with one touch of a button! It does it for both mirrors. I quite like it, my car has big mirrors anyway so I still get a decent view back, just also able to see the rear wheels.
On my 2020 S60, I can choose which ones go down in reverse. Driver's side stays up and passenger side goes down so I don't ding the wheels but I can still see behind from the other mirror. If you don't have this setting on in a Volvo, when you're in reverse, you can press the mirror buttons on the door to put the mirror down when you want. I use this if I'm parking up close to something on the driver's side, so I can do most of the manoeuvre with the mirror up, and then neaten everything up with the mirror down.
On my 3 series, I have a simple button on the door, so if I need them to tilt they will. Very useful.
I can see that it is an issue with flat mirror glass that gives a narrow view but I like my dipping mirrors. A switch near the door handle allows me to quickly choose which mirror to dip to see the kerb and the mirror view is wide enough to still have some rear vision.
On a tangent, I am amazed how many people don't know how to set up their door mirrors correctly.
As someone who often parks on the end of a row of spaces, close to the kerb to be as far away as possible from the next space, I love this feature.
Exactly how it works varies car to car and Volvo unfortunately don't do it very well. However, combined with reverse cameras / 360 cameras the problem you describe mostly goes away.
In the UK (and maybe elsewhere), BMWs and VAG cars with this feature only dip the passenger side mirror.
Once the mirror is in the dipped position, you can adjust it to set / store your dipped position, so if it's too low for you, it might just need adjusting.
In BMWs and VAG cars with the feature, it also only happens if you have a specific mirror selected on the adjustment switch (on one it's passenger and on other it's driver, I don't remember which way round it it) - this makes it much easier to go back to the standard position than the Volvo you've shown where it's in the menu.
It's a useful feature but unfortunately gives bad. / lazy drivers yet another thing to be lazy about and increase risk.
Re the neighbours (or neighbors for the US) thinking you're "mad". Likely even just for reversing into a driveway rather than nose in. As you and Liz observed / commented at a shopping mall parking lot, very few folks in North America reverse into spaces so as to come out head first. Having said that, I know of a few organisations over there where reverse in parking is mandatory policy in their company parking lots.
You missed straight as well, although I don’t think wonky parking is restricted to North America 😁
@@smilerbob Ah yes. Particularly memorable is the wonky reversing in many of CM's videos at Gandalf Corner.
In England UK, our local recycling centre has a rule about which way round to park…..
I ignore it.
Reversing out the tiny spaces, with large vehicles either side is easier because I’ve got a backup camera with a very wide angel on it to see all the way up + down the route thru their facility. Driving out front ways is pulling out blind.
Would like same on the front pls Mr Honda.
@davidrumming4734 Interesting. I wonder whether the recycling centre has that rule on the assumption that folks are going to be getting their rubbish from the back?
@@ibs5080 proberly to keep people away from the traffic flow
I have a set of stick on curved mirrors that attach to my ordinary mirrors. When I was learning to drive my instructor had some and I found them really useful for being able to have a little extra blind spot coverage and also more easily see lines in parking bays etc.
You can adjust the mirror up a bit when in reverse, and it stores the position for reverse only
My Mazda has a mirror adjustment stick on the driver's door with buttons to select which mirror it controls. The car will automatically tip the mirror down if the button to adjust that mirror is active when reversing. So, most of the time, you don't have a mirror selected and they stay where they are when you reverse, but if you want to tip one down to get a better view of where the kerb or whatever is as you approach it, then you just press the button for that mirror and it'll tip, if you want to return to the normal view, press the button again to cancel it. Quick and easy.
absolutely agree with your point. I have a Volvo s80 from 2007, and it doesn't do this fortunately, but in reverse I can hold either of the mirror buttons in order to have it dip, which is really handy for getting close to kerbs but I can't imagine having both tilt down every time I reverse..
I've got a great device on my car. It's a lever which allows me to adjust the mirrors manually should I need to do so 😮
I have an even better one, it's an upper body that allows me to move my head in relation to the mirror so i can take a quick glance at where the kerb is before going to focusing on not splatting the neighbours' cat.
I have an even better thing. They're called eyes and I use them whin I reverse haha
Top marks if you use them when going forward as well.
@@Landrassa1 Very important that, you can't go around splatting cats, they don't like it at all..! Nor do I, catses are wonderful 😻😻
I love the tilting mirrors on my car, great for when you need to get close to the curb. You can flick a switch on the door so they dont tilt.
I've always managed just fine without tilting mirrors.
Is it a BMW?
@@gravemind6536 Just wait till you try them, you won't go back 🤣
@@allen_keyWouldn't have/drive a BMW if it was given to me. Nope its a Honda!
Nice, have only seen that setup on a BMW.
I have tilt on the nearside mirror only on my Audi and find it very useful, it’s not an extreme tilt as you program it to how far you want it to go. I’d say it’s about halfway. Also have a transporter with no tilt as it doesn’t need it and is easy to manoeuvre, also a Focus that doesn’t have it and I find that is the worst vehicle to have ever had to reverse as no points of the car are visible and positioning from a tilted mirror would help massively.
As a retired mechanic, I have driven many cars with this feature. On a customer's car, you don't interfere with their settings, but it is a right royal pain in the arse when the mirrors do that and stop you seeing straight back.
I use this feature but move my head up and down a lot and closer to the driver’s mirror to see more, there’s also a 360° camera, which will show if there’s anything behind, there’s also approach warnings if someone or a vehicle is approaching the rear quarters.
Ive always placed one hand behind the passenger seat and looked out the rear screen - with regular glances in the undipped mirrors and windscreen to the front. That way I can see any approaching pedestrians and also get a better idea of the positioning of my car with regards to obstacles.
The problem with my car is the view through the actual rear window is very restricted. I find the reversing camera far more useful, coupled with looking over my shoulder on the driver's window side and quick glances in the passenger mirror.
On my 2019 XC40 you can choose from following options for mirror tilt when reverse gear is selected: Driver, Passenger or Both.
I have it switched off as only want the mirror to tilt down if reversing near a kerb.
You can do this in many Volvo's manually by shifting into reverse gear and then pressing either the L or the R button twice on the drivers door card where the mirror adjustment is located.
This will then tilt the selected mirror down so you can better see the kerbside.
Hi Ashley, just a few observations on your latest video. I’ve just been out and double checked the mirror settings on my 2020 Volvo V60 CC, and certainly on mine, only the near side mirror dips down (set for driving on the correct side of the road 😂). Plus, when setting the memory for seats, mirrors etc, the mirrors can be adjusted to get a compromise between seeing the curb edge and having a reasonable rear view on that side. Add to that, the cross traffic alert will/should pick up anyone or anything coming close to that side. I’m not sure why your particular Volvo dips both mirrors simultaneously - maybe an American thing. Admittedly, if the mirrors are set to dip down all the way, you will lose much of the rear view(s). Have a great time in the U.S.
Agree Ashley, it was the first thing I turned off on my Volvo. It even has the option to split the drivers mirror separately from passenger, but I still don’t use it.
I have this on my car but it only dips the nearside mirror, i can turn it off using the switch below the mirror adjustment controls.
I dont use it myself but have found it useful when stationary just to check where the line of a parking bay is.
Same for my car. I do use it often when moving very slowly within a parking bay or against a curb to check the line/proximity to edge of the road. Quite useful when you can switch its position easily I think. Not so when you need to use the settings in a menu I imagine.
Absolutely right Ashley. I believe it is possible to override dipping mirrors on Volvo XC60. Reversing a large SUV requires extra care due to restricted views. I never rush it! I have the dipping mirrors switched off on my Volvo XC60 and only use them by exception, for parallel parking to avoid kerbing the alloys
I had this on my Ford Mondeo, but it was not via a screen menu. It was a button on the drivers door with the other mirror adjustment buttons. This made it easier to switch on, only when wishing to creep closer to the kerb. The model I had was also fitted with front and rear sensors, making it safer when using the mirror tilted.
You likely have a toggle switch for adjusting the left or right mirror.
On my car, if the toggle switch is in the center position, the door mirrors stay up when reverse is selected.
If the toggle switch is moved to the left or right mirror adjustment position, it allows both mirrors to dip when reverse is selected.
The switch can be altered whilst reversing to select normal or dipped position.
Its a great feature.
I set them to stay up notmally and just toggle the switch if I want them to dip.
I totally agree. I disabled this straight away in our Tesla for exactly the reasons you have said.
I can see how it is useful for looking at the kerb but it tilts far too low in my view and prevents you from seeing where you are actually going.
Tesla have since brought out a software update that allows you to adjust how much it tilts but I haven’t tried that yet. This video has reminded me to do that. Thank you.
Works brilliantly in my Tesla but I have adjusted the tilted position so I still have a good balanced view. Btw adjusting the tilted position has always been possible by using the normal position adjustment while in reverse.
3:42 This is quite a substantial dip! In VW group cars, before you use mirror dip, you have to "teach" the car the exact position you want, and switch to your offside mirror to activate the mirror dip feature. I can imagine the car you have also has a way to teach it how much dipping you actually need.
Also, I understand that the picture of the mirrors as shown by cameras is not representative of driver's view, *but if it is*, your mirrors are already too low. The horizon should split the picture 60-40 and side view should barely involve door handle, so that the near side of each mirror is parallel to the car and the picture gives 3-5 degree angle view to the sides.
The VW Golf I learnt in had this, you had to have the little mirror adjuster toggled to the left or right in order for the mirror to dip. I found it quite useful. My current car, a Suzuki Swift Sport does not have this facility, and as I've learnt all the reference points I need to, I've not felt a need to manually tilt a mirror. And as you say, it does mean I can see other things on the road aside from the curb.
My car does it automatically when going in reverse, its absolutely brilliant I find it so useful
I got my licence at 8am one morning. At 9am the boss handed me the keys to a Toyota HiAce and sent me off on my own for the day. I learned VERY quickly how to use mirrors. 40ish years on my rule is still: music off, driver's window open so I'm more aware of what is going on. Now, it also means I'm not looking through tinting when relying on the mirror. I can thread a van down any narrow laneway because of that first day's real world driving lesson. My personal cars have all had cameras but I do not really look at them or rely on them. Use your head, your eyes, your ears and your instinct. Never hit anything yet. Oh, I've driven a HiAce almost every day since getting my licence too.
As the only driver of my car I have this option disabled but in the 2nd driver memory i have stored a slightly angled down position which i only use if needed. The main benefit of tilting the mirrors down is pretty much so in car parks it is helpful to get the car into the space centrally and leave equal space either side.
Loved this feature on my 2001 BMW 330CI. The tilted posititon is/was adjustable and only activates when your mirror adjustment switch was set to the kerb side so it was great for getting as close as possible to the kerb without scratching the wheels, or a white line in a tight car park.
Most VAG cars do it if you leave the mirror adjust switch set to the left mirror. It used to be useful for parallel parking before car design evolved so you can hardly see anything out the back window
In the S60 you can disable auto dip, and double press the mirror selector when in reverse. It will dip the mirror you double pressed. It's actually great when you want to avoid curb.
My Volvo has 360 cameras. When I am parking against a kerb I sometimes dip the mirror on the kerb side (double-click the mirror selector on the door) but the rest of the time I keep them normal. That said, the cross-traffic system would warn you if a child went across the back of the car. I learned reversing by parking trucks in a car storage yard: reversing a 36ft rigid body down between a row of brand new unregistered Jags on one side and brand new unregistered Porsches on the other, you very soon learn to value clean well-positioned mirrors.
I've turned my near side mirror on my BMW off so it doesn't move when I reverse. I agree Ashley, it restricts my view and doesn't help when reversing.
After 56 years driving I know how to reverse and how to stay comfortably the correct side of central white lines without the distraction of a vibrating steering wheel, just more gimmicks I don't need and turn off.
I use mine daily, usually for tight parallel parks with high kerbs. But it’s adjustable and easily overridden, which I have many times when I need the full view.
I can see it being a problem if you just check your mirrors rather than check your surroundings.
I love the dipping mirror on my RS3. It's only the passenger side, and only if the dial is turned to the top left. It also only dips as far as I set it to. I have mine only dip a little but it helps me to not reverse over the edge of the lawn. Because of the angle I need to approach it's been fantastic. Options are good, and what works for one person doesn't work for everyone else. You've got an impossible mission trying to convince me that they're bad
Are you sure that you can't adjust them to not angle so far down?
I see your point. Some cars I find that reverse parking into a space behind me I can’t see the curb, so I tilt the near side mirror down so I can see the rear wheel as it approaches the curb. I believe some manufacturers on their top spec models have the near side mirror tilt automatically when you select reverse gear. I know the top spec Minis do this.
I’ve seen some cars do this and never really thought about it much, since I’ve never driven one that does it. From this demonstration it does feel more trouble than they’re worth. My current car has a curbside camera instead, which I think might be a more useful compromise.
"Neighbours are gonna think I'm mad" - Well, they won't be wrong! But we still love ya!
By the looks of things, most neighbours will think he's mad for reversing into the drive. None of the cars I spotted in drives across the road were reversed in.
Just tell them you are a driving instructor in the UK, they will ask you to explain roundabouts.
@@hadorstapa I also commented exactly on this and just saw your comment now.
@@hadorstapa I think it should be mandatory to reverse in. Reversing out is more dangerous, as walls, hedges and parked vehicles make it harder to see other moving vehicles and pedestrians.
@bofor3948 yeah, I entirely agree. Amazingly there are places where reversing into parking spaces is banned and can carry a penalty fine.
My UK BMW has this feature on passenger side mirror (driver side mirror doesn’t tilt) and I find it quite useful when reversing into tight parking spaces to see the lines or when parallel parking to see the kerb. However, there’s a button that you can flick any time and it will move the mirror back into its normal position when reversing longer distances or need to see behind you. I find this very useful
I was taught to reverse on mirrors alone before I passed my test (probably because my instructor usually taught people to drive fire engines!).
Nowadays I don't have mirrors that automatically dip on reverse and would not want it much for you reasons you say BUT, I do use the remote control to point them down if I am reversing into a confined space (such as into the garage) because it gives me better visibility relating to where my car is and, because the space is confined, I can be confident that what is directly behind me is not going to change whilst I am reversing.
I have this feature on the passenger side mirror but it is available at the flick of a physical switch next to the mirror adjustment controls (BMW). I find the dipped position very useful when parallel parking to position the rear wheel near the kerb. However, I never use the feature when reversing in situations, such as onto a driveway/parking space, as depicted in this video.
I've driven quite a few cars with this feature, I think Mercedes did the first, sometime in the eighties. Most cars I've experienced tilted the mirrors a little, making it easier to follow kerbs, but still leaving some other view. I have found one, a Korean car, that tilted it so much it was almost looking below the rear door. With cars getting bigger, with fatter rear ends, looking back out the window shows little of value, tilting mirrors can be useful, if the tilt is right, for you. I see another commenter that says some are adjustable, which is a good way to go. I will have to experiment next time I drive one with this feature. Might have to read a handbook!
I think the ones on my car are great. You can adjust mine independently or turn the function off. I only use the dipping when reversing into my garage (I know it’s a shock that someone actually uses a garage for the purpose it was meant) When general reversing I keep looking around and use the reversing camera.
I don't have that on mine. I understand that it's there to help reversing to save time altering the mirrors all the time, but I completley understand what you're saying. A big risk, not seeing small kids or even animals. What I do have on my car is some small circular blind spot mirrors attached to mine to help me see the ground when reversing into parking bays so I don't have to change my car mirrors so I can see.
I have those little blind spot mirrors, they're very useful. I also have orange lights that flash in the mirrors if anyone is approaching on that side. Very useful when deciding when to pull out to overtake, you sometimes miss people in the blind spots.
Never knew this was a thing. The only time I find it useful to lower a mirror when reversing is in an empty car park to sure I’m going nicely between the lines.
I'm in the UK so never used tilted mirrors, didn't even think that was a thing... but I wouldn't use them anyway because I've had the practice of parking without them so i can position myself easily anyway. It's always preferable to be safe than perfect, especially when you're always allowed to reposition if not happy.
I remember over 20 years ago, my driving instructor would set the mirrors at a slightly lower angle on the test for the reversing manoeuvres like parking or reversing round the bend, but they also said you should never drive like that normally once youve passed.
You can flick the switch so that the mirror doesn't tilt when not needed. When needed I tilt it to an angle where I can see both the back and the ground - I just need to adjust/raise my head depending on where I want to look.
Thank you for the upload Brother! I have this setting on my BMW used just on the left mirror however: it is not as adverse as your cars dip setting I can see the parking space line & the space behind the car too probably as the mirrors curvature is greater. This is helpful it very tight confined spaces when you cannot reverse an ideal distance from the start of the parking space lines!
As an advanced driver I recognise the problem if you only used the mirrors: however; I was taught NOT to rely just on the mirrors but to also look out the back window when you are driving a vehicle with one & I use the maera along with the mirrors when I am using the lorry!
Peace & Love!
I do use my dropped reverse mirror, but only the passenger side drops, but I have it lifted enough to see behind the vehicle also.
So while I can see the curb/line of where I'm parking, I can still see clearly anything moving around the vehicle.
I have this function on just the passenger side external mirror. (BMW) Generally I have the dipped mirror function turned off, for the exact reason Ashely is highlighting. However, i do use it (with the flick of a switch) at times when I want to just nudge the car in towards the kerb really close, and I'm only travelling slowly, and moving a few feet, as clearly that's what the dipped mirror function is there to facilitate.
My current car does not have dipping mirrors but I have had them on other cars and I thought they were great and I found it easier to park, good for seeing the curb. Given a choice I would have them every time! Depends how you set them and if you can switch dipping off I don’t see a problem.
My 20 odd year old transit tipper has controllable electric mirrors. Very handy when delivering and reversing down people's drives when clearances are often down to an inch. Needing to avoid steps, path edges and parked cars, stacks of bricks and building materials etc. I often set them to down position. Would be good to have both automatically dip at the press of a button but not every time I reverse!
I like the way it's implemented on my Kia EV6. They dip down by default when the mirror adjustment switch is not left in the neutral position, but they remember how they are adjusted while in reverse. You can move them to face anywhere, and they'll go to that remembered position. When driving, I have then adjusted to SAE guidelines to extend the view of my rear view mirror and eliminate blindspots, and when I go into reverse, I have them configured to close in so that I can just barely see the edge of my car.
I was a bit confused when I saw the title and most of the video, but I actually agree, at least with this car. BMWs have this feature as well and they don't tilt down anywhere near as much as that, they do it just a little bit so you can still see behind you, but also see a bit more of the ground as well to make parallel parking a little easier.
Yeah, I've got it but nearside mirror only. It can be turned on and off from a real slide switch by the mirror controls in the door. I have it turned off for most of the time, but I do turn it on for the final "tidy up" manoeuvre when I'm adjusting my position relative to the kerb during a parallel park. It's really good for that, pretty terrible if used during any other reversing manoeuvre.
Never had on any car of mine. Vans and LGVs have separate mirrors for down and behind. When supervising my daughter learning, I was the reversing tilt mirror - for her to see the drop kerb for our gateway she'd ask me to wiggle the lever to lower the angle.
something to like about older late 90s and early 2000s jags, tilting back once on the mirror control cause the passenger mirror to dip but it only happens on command,on the passenger side. great to protect your rims when reverse parking against a kerb, and safe because the mirror spends most of its time up.
A valid point and demonstration but reverse cameras and dipping mirrors are a useful aid to us senior citizens especially those of us that can't twist their bod y and neck like they once could. Don't forget also modern cars mine included have reverse traffic sensors and pedestrian proximity sensors as an added safegaurd.
I have mine set up, but unless I choose a side from the mirror functions knob on the drivers door they stay at regular driving.
Only time I enable them is when I've noticed a sizable pothole in front of a driveway/parking bay I want to avoid when reversing into and only for the short time until the rear wheel passes and I twist it back to regular view. It's only one side at a time on my car.
So far, I have not come across this feature in any cars that I have used in the USA, nor would I wish to. It seems yet another dangerous feature that car designers think that we desire. I agree with you completely, Ashley.
Mainly agree with you. Tilting makes reversing harder in 99% of cases. However it is sometimes useful to have a quick look down at how close you are to the kerb. I flick the mirror button, and it moves to the set position; take a look and then flick it straight back up. All car manufacturers should make it an easy physical button like BMW and VAG rather than faffing on the screen.
When I first found this feature on my Freelander I thought "brilliant!" mainly when lining up with a kerb or parking space lines, but what I did find annoying, if I had to make a correction (reverse/forward/reverse) the mirror took 6-7 seconds going down/up/down as I changed gear. I mainly solved this by setting up an alternative 'second driver memory' with the lower mirror position (making sure, after making this mistake, the seat wasn't pushing me against the steering wheel!!) so the mirror didn't move while correcting.
My car has, I think, the best of both worlds. Only the passenger mirror dips when I select reverse, but if I slide the mirror adjustment thing to the passenger side, it cancels/prevents the dip. So if I'm parallel parking, I will slide it to the drivers side to get it to point down so I can check my tyre position relative to the curb, the rest of the time I leave it locked so it doesn't dip.
I see your point...
In my ancient car I have to do this manually and only on the kerb side, roughly three times a year or so...
Enjoy sunshine :)
I had this feature on my old car but it was easy to enable or disable it with a single control, not buried in a menu setting. So I could pick and choose for each manoeuvrer (or even partial) whether I want it dipped or not.
The feature is missing from my newer car and I do miss it sometimes as it was useful when parallel parking to check the distance to the curb.
I had a Kia eNiro (old shape). It dipped the mirrors if the mirror adjust rocker switch was in the L or R position. If the rocker was in the centre position it didn't dip them. This was awesome because you could easily swap being the two.
My 2009 Volvo doesn't do this automatically, but you can hit the L/R buttons to dip down either side manually. They stay down until you put on the handbrake or go over a few km/h. It's really the best of both worlds, if I'm reversing normally they don't hamper my visibility towards the back but if I'm up against anything that's raised I can dip down just that mirror to see where my tires are
I have manual toggle electric dipping mirrors, but usually only use them when reverse parking to nearside or offside kerb, I also use reversing camera and interior mirror along with checks over the shoulders when going backwards..
I like dipping the mirrors for parallel parking. I don't dip them as much as your hire car does, though. I set it about halfway between normal driving and where the Volvo puts it. It allows me to see the kerb closer to the car, while having a view of people on the pavement. Of course, I look around while I park, but the mirrors are useful.
Dipping mirrors are only dangerous if the driver isn't paying attention. don't just rely on mirrors when reversing, don't rely on sensors when reversing, don't rely on cameras when reversing, they are there to aid not replace physical looking.
It actually states on most vehicles when using parking aids make sure surroundings are clear.and in instructions it states don't rely on aids .
Tilt mirrors are solely for making sure you don't hit or mount curbs .
I think some men manufacturers use to make the tilt function only work on N/S mirrors ( uk)
There's two philosophies here:
1. Look through the rear window when reversing. Only use the mirrors to watch where your rear wheels are.
2. Reverse using mirrors.
It's a good idea to learn the second. Not all cars will have a useable rear window. But when you're using the first method (which I learned in the Netherlands from my driving instructor, ages ago), the tilting mirrors are a nice feature.
I do find that the rear visibility out of my BMW touring (Estate) is not good and I do tend to rely on the rear camera when reversing as it superimposes where the tyres will go on the view. Great for seeing if you're reversing towards a kerb. The car does have a switch on the door handle for tilting the mirror when reversing but this only affects the nearside mirror.
I found visibilty out of the rear windows in a Ford Transit with a solid partition between the cab and rear storage extremely limited 😉
I Learned how to safely reverse everything from a motorcycle to a tank transporter by using appropriate methods. Driver aids are just that, an aid, not a necessity. I switch the majority of driver aids off, because if I where to NEED them then I'm not the one doing the driving. Yes, I have a reversing camera, very often it's got water on the lens that distorts the image. It's of no use nor ornament then.
Mixed here, in my vehicle dropping the mirrors shows the rear wheel enabling me to tuck the bigger car tight to the curb, there are specific situations I use this, along with the rear parking sensors. I do tend to rely on the rear parking sensors if using the mirrors in this way. I would also add that the dipped mirror controls in my older vehicle are a mechanical switch and I can dip them without having to stop and mess around with the infuriating touch screen.
I don't have it, however I've always struggled to back into spaces in a straight line. I used to quickly manually set my mirrors down before parking but for the last few years I've had a set of those convex blind spot mirrors stuck in the lower outside corners facing down. That way I can see both my full mirrors AND the ground as I back up. Sorted the issue for me. 100% can see how this can be an issue. Massive cars are way more popular in the US so I can imagine this being a massive issue.
when I heard of this feature in this video I thought to myself "what's so bad about it? looking at the floor a little bit near your rear wheel will be fine" and then I noticed the amount they tilted. the angle they tilt at makes reversing even harder
I use it, it’s helpful so I can see where I am relative to the line in a parking space, so I can see that I am straight. It helps I have a reverse camera as well but I always look over my shoulder anyway. On my Astra that did not have this feature, I had to manually tilt the mirror, every time I reversed into a parking space. So I’m glad my last two cars had it as a feature as standard.
My Volvo V70 has this feature. I have it switched off, as it doesn't move the mirror to a position where I can see my back wheel anyway, well, not without leaning across the cabin.
What it does have is electric memory seats with three presets, which also remembers the mirror positions.
I have preset 1 set for my driving position, preset 2 set for my partner's driving position and preset 3 is the same as preset 1, except the kerbside mirror is set to show the back wheel.
When I want to check my distance from the kerb, I just push button 3 and that one mirror dips.
My BMW X5 has a dipping mirror on the passenger side which is quite handy if your parallel parking near a curb but you still got the driver side mirror to see what's behind you. And if you don't like them you can always turn them off
some cars do this really well with a dipped setting set by the driver. when we had our S60 it was the first thing that was switched off. i find these volvos massively overdo it, which is surprising from a brand who is very well known for safety.
It's a feature on my Volvo but you have to press the corresponding mirror button twice to tilt it. It is only useful once you've nearly finished parking to "shuffle" nearer the kerb.
On the subject of mirrors, there are a few driving "authorities" that are of the opinion that for forwards driving, you should adjust your mirrors outwards to cover your blind spots. As opposed to the more popular way of having your mirrors just about cover the side of your car. I've always subscribed to the latter method as the side of my car is a very useful reference point. I can't imagine adjusting to the "blind spot coverage" method. Instead I prefer to perform an over the shoulder check...er, sorry Ash, I meant leaning forward in my seat of course.
Tbh most people/orgs suggesting that method are American and they have those flatter mirrors, and rarely have a wide angle section
@williamstrachan Yes, as I recall, the videos I've seen regarding this have been from either the USA or Canada.
Nope you need a small amount of the body in the mirror as a reference point I have mine set so I can just see where my door handles are. Never have an issues.
Tip of the door handles is what seemed sensible to me when it came to it. I concur. Some days I see more door than other days. Never an Orc though.
The dipping mirrors are more designed for parallel parking against the curb. Very handy feature in that case. As someone else above mentioned how BMW does it is great and no faffing through menus. If I’m parallel parking in that manner I flick the mirror switch and it helps me judge how close to the gutter I am. It even helps when the car is in auto park mode just to be sure. If however I were doing the kind of reverse you were doing in the video of course it’s better to not dip and it’s pointless as you are interested in what’s far rather than what’s close. So horses for courses rather than a blanket they are dangerous or useless.
I loved this function when I had my C5 a decade ago, I found it simple to set up at an angle where I could see the back wheel position but retain some view further back by ducking down a little.
How it is set up here to be looks immediately dangerous though, practical but not safe.
The reversinI mirror tilt seems very extreme on that Volvo, so I get your point entirely. That said my Enyaq only tilts the mirror if set to L or R, and only that mirror not both. Also it's not as extreme as your demonstration. I love the option because of the fact my drive has rock edging that I cannot see when reversing (it also slopes to higher stepped garden) when mirrors are set to normal.
I have a 73 plate CRV. The mirror dip is controlled by a switch that selects which wing mirror is adjusted by the controls. If the switch is set to the left mirror when I put the car in reverse, the left mirror dips. If the switch is set to the centre, the mirror doesn't dip. I toggle between the 2 setting depending on what I'm doing (the switch is in the door arm rest)