I know it's just now we're driving this rig since we bought it in 2020. Do you have blind spots driving it? Just noticed the right rear view mirror is huge it hides a car while turning left on a 4?way or two way stop. Thanks!

 

Coming from an LR4 with huge windows, high seating, a low cowl and spare underneath, the Defender was a big change in visibility for me. I'm still find myself looking twice and looking over my shoulders when making quick lane changes. So yes, I'd say there are a few blind spots, especially behind the rear pillars. Plus I'd like to change the angle of the driver side rearview mirror to better see the blind spot in the lane to the left of me but I've got it as far left as it will go.

I'm getting used to it. But the visibility change was a deal breaker for my wife and one of the major reasons she doesn't want a Defender for her daily driver.

 

I guess upright seating would help in sniffing out small cars hiding behind the right rear view mirror or other blind spots.

 

Agree with PaulLR, It's been 8 months and I am still adjusting. I'm having to learn to use cameras which is totally new to me as I came from a '98 Disco. Lane changes are a bit of a pain so I am looking but also relying a bit on the yellow LED in the side mirror. Almost solely reliant on cameras when reversing, I still do the arm on the passenger seat, twist the body around to look backward thing, but the truth is, there isn't much to see once I do that.

When off-road I feel like the A-pillars are just too big in addition to the above. But at the end of it, I feel like most of my complaints stem from just not being one with the car yet, so to speak. I drove the Disco for almost 20 years, so I knew exactly where every bit of it was at all times, whether in a parking lot or off-road.

 

I have removed all of the rear seat headrest and it has helped a lot to open up the rear side windows.....I also have become more dependent on the rear camera and adjusted it to the lower position to see the car directly behind me. The scale is a bit odd as the car behind seems closer than it actually is.....but removing the rear head rest has been a great help.

 

There is blind spot monitoring but I had a somewhat close call a week or two ago where a motorcyclist was in my drivers-side blindspot and perhaps it was the speed or distancing of it but I didn't see the blind spot monitor turn on. I was only starting to switch lanes and cautiously, so I caught it and moved back. While the visibility is generally very good in the vehicle I don't see why the side-view camera system doesn't toggle on when you put your turn signal on. This would seem to be a trivial enhancement to implement and quite literally may save lives. Not to mention safety is a huge selling point.

 

As much as I praised our LR4 for outstanding visibility, that all changes with college move-in. The Defender is too small to fit all the stuff our daughter was taking to college. Needed the LR4 plus a big roof box. However, when you pack it to the ceiling you wish the LR4 had a clearview mirror and BSM. Felt like I was driving a box truck. Will need to move it all home in spring using 2 vehicles since we are now done with our LR4. Guess I need to order a 130 for future college moving trips once it becomes available.

 

Totally agree, the Defender BSM doesn't catch everything, especially if approaching at really high speed. Had the same thing happen to me, once with a high speed motorcycle and once with 2 highly modified civics racing and weaving through traffic. Seems to happen every time I'm on 95 through Providence, RI. No wonder RI just got ranked as the state with the worst drivers.

 

I have my rear headrests flipped down all the time. It improves the rear view a fraction, but I agree that lane changes are still pretty slow. I check for the lane change warning light, turn and look, then check for the lane change warning light again.