Help with possible EX35 purchase

[parasailing]

When I came home tonight, I saw my poor 1999 Nissan Maxima park in my garage with an open trunk and a crushed bumper . I came into the house and my wife told me she got into a car accident where she was rear ended which ended up pushing her car into the car in front of her. Upon further inspection, my front headlight went out and there is some damage to the front as well so this looks like a car that won't be fixed. I bought my Maxima brand new and loved it dearly for the past 12 years that I have owned it.

Now I need to find a replacement car and prefer a SUV and spent some timing reading the reviews on the EX 35. I am open to purchasing a 2008 used one or a brand new 2011 EX35. I have read through this forum and my biggest concern is the blind spot. I know about the cramp rear seats but there are only two of us so not a big issue. Does lowering the rear headrest sufficiently address the blind spot issue? I like to know if this has been a concern for car owners here on this forum or if there is a way to mitigate this issue.

Also, are there any other issues that I should be aware of?

[sashki2]

Does lowering the rear headrest sufficiently address the blind spot issue?

I don't think so. Rear visibility of this car is pretty bad. Good thing I've got a rear camera. In genaral, this is a driver car with a sporty feel - as far as SUVs get. I don't like that it has very few storage compartments in comparing with other, even low end, cars. I'd recommend buying a used one since it looses value a lot. The sticker price of mine was 42k and change & I've paid 27k about a year ago with 20kMi on it. You do the math...

[CDNicecube]

Firstly, I am sorry about your "loss" but relieved that your wife is safe and sound.

For me, I am fine with the rearward visibility. I do have a backup camera which helps with backing up but for formal driving, no worries at all seeing cars following me. And I barely use the back up camera and sensors, really. I turn my head!

The side way blind spot is a little worse than what I had in the Acura but this is because the B pillar (is that what they call it) is big. But again, I am used to it: I have positioned the mirrors in such a way that I barely have any blind spot (you should not see the side of the car in your side mirrors).

Best advice: test drive one.

[XIS]

yes - drive one and find out first hand...
I dont see the blind spot. View is fine and headrests still installed.

[minimo3]

The backup camera takes care of the rearward visibility just fine, its the driver's side blind spot that is pretty bad i.e. when you're trying to filter left. Turning your head back you'll notice your view is almost entirely blocked by the giant b-pillar and huge driver's headrest. You do have to sort of lean forward and glance backward/to the left to make sure there are no cars there. The giant b-pillars are also sometimes a hassle when you're turning left/right at an angle.

Rear seats are perfectly adequate, even with the front seats set to accommodate 6' drivers.

[parasailing]

CDNicecube - Thanks for your kind words and she will be seeing a doctor today for a medical evaluation. This kinda threw me for a loop having to purchase a car now but I guess that's life.

Thanks to all who have replied with their experience and I take your suggestions with me when I go test drive this car in the next couple of weeks. Is there anything else besides the rear seats or lack of cargo space issue I should add to my test drive checklist? I already have a bigger SUV which I can if I need more space. Are the seats supportive and comfortable for long drives of more than an hour?

[blfstyk]

The backup camera only helps with rear visibility when you're backing up. I removed the rear headrests since it's rare anyone sits in the back, and that helped a lot with the rear view. Still, the rear window is small and overall rear visibility is not great. I find the ride very comfortable except on poor city streets with the 18" tires. If you drive on potholed city streets a lot, you might opt for the 17".

[canuck99]

As others have suggested, give it a try. If you are know where the blind spots are, I don't think you'll have much trouble. Many SUV's seem to have some limitations for visibility that you need to get used to...

I personally was more concerned about rear leg room and fuel economy (and both of those aren't great in the EX35).

[jaxfann]

Have had my '08 EX for about 5 months now and love it!

Just remember to turn your head and check everytime (as you should on any car) when switching lanes.

[parasailing]

I do check every time I switch lanes but wondering if the blind spot is that big that even if turn to check, you still have a great chance of not seeing a bicyclist, pedestrian, or car.

[jaxfann]

I had one close experience when I forgot to turn my head and relied solely on the mirror - but have not had any problems since and neither has my wife so I do not think the "blind spot" is significantly worse than other SUV's or Crossovers.

[EXceptional]

Even the Factory acknowledges that this car has Blind-spots...

A new option for 2011 is Infiniti’s Blind Spot Warning system, which illuminates an indicator if it detects a vehicle in the blind spot area. If the turn signal is activated, the Blind Spot indicator flashes and an alarm sounds.

[parasailing]

Do you know if this warning occur even at lower speeds? I read somewhere that below 30mph, it does not work but not sure if this car or another car.

[Tasman]

The BSW operates from approximately 20 MPH and higher. That includes both the warning light and the alarm that is activated by the turn signal.

[TimGinCentralNJ]

I wouldn't be to terribly concerned with the blind spot. Yes--to be sure it is a bit larger than many cars have, however, assuming your head still swivels on your shoulders, and you utilize the backup cam IN ADDITION to your eyeballs, I don't think it will be a huge thing to get used to. And on the highways, your best friends are your side view mirrors which should be cocked-outward so you can see what if anything is in your blindspot while driving. Too many people IMO use their sideview mirrors to see what's directly behind them--in addition to the rearview mirror.

Hope that helps!
Tim

[Hono]

When I came home tonight, I saw my poor 1999 Nissan Maxima park in my garage with an open trunk and a crushed bumper . I came into the house and my wife told me she got into a car accident where she was rear ended which ended up pushing her car into the car in front of her. Upon further inspection, my front headlight went out and there is some damage to the front as well so this looks like a car that won't be fixed. I bought my Maxima brand new and loved it dearly for the past 12 years that I have owned it.

Now I need to find a replacement car and prefer a SUV and spent some timing reading the reviews on the EX 35. I am open to purchasing a 2008 used one or a brand new 2011 EX35. I have read through this forum and my biggest concern is the blind spot. I know about the cramp rear seats but there are only two of us so not a big issue. Does lowering the rear headrest sufficiently address the blind spot issue? I like to know if this has been a concern for car owners here on this forum or if there is a way to mitigate this issue.

Also, are there any other issues that I should be aware of?

Hope your better half is OK. Sometime it takes a week or more for whiplash to manifest so keep an eye on your better half's aches and soreness...

Re rear headrests. Like you there is just a pair of us and I didn't like the rear headrests blocking outward visibility. Real easy fix for that. My solution---simply remove the rear headrests (see the manual) and store them in a small bag in the trunk. My wife had a spare "Sports Sack" that they fit into perfectly. If needed for occasional rear seat passengers it takes only 15 seconds to put them back in. BTW, on the '11, and assume older versions, the center rear headrest is a part of the center arm rest. Simply put the armrest down and the center rear headrest is out of your view plane also...

Re blind spots. The side mirrors are bigger than the ones on the G and if used/set correctly eliminates most of the blind spots...

Re used/new. Resale appears to be pretty high so would go d!ck on a left over new '11 (not much if any change for '12 according to rumor central). That way you get a new 4-year warranty and don't become heir to someone's problems...