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Are you sure you weren't looking out of the back window, or did you just drive with your nose pressed against the windscreen?
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Mini cooper SD convertible - any experience?
- Thread starter ancient_mariner
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Mikesphotaes
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Only when I reversed and no!
Honestly, the heated windscreen elements were extremely distracting.
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- Neil
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Even this close up, the elements are barely visible.
From a normal driving position, they are invisible, you'd have to really focus on the windscreen and not the road in front of the car to be distracted by it.
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- Nod (UK)
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I only notice the screen heating elements in ours when it's very bright and I've forgotten my shades. Usually focussing way beyond the screen but at small apertures, the DoF of my eyes does allow me to see the wires as well as the road in front in town driving. At higher speeds, the point of focus is further ahead so the wires vanish. I find the smears on the s***box's screen more distracting than the wires (and I barely notice the smears/scratches on that!)
Mikesphotaes
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I can assure you that the Mondeo I had, the heating elements were definitely not invisible from a proper driving position.
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I've had Mondeos from mk1 through to mk3, plus driven several mk4's and they were practically invisible from the drivers seat. As I said you'd have to really focus hard on the windscreen to see them. I've also driven Transits, Kugas, Fiestas mk4 through to current, Focus mk1-3, B-Max, S-Max, Galaxy, Fusion, all with heated front screens all at differing angles and never noticed the elements in any of them.
scorpius
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Having had my Focus ST for 10 years in my experience the elements are really only noticeable in bright sunshine but even then I don't 'see' them and it only took me a couple of weeks to stop 'seeing' them when I got it. Just like I don't see the frames and lens edges on my glasses.
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But, of course! You're famously so blinded by everything Ford, of course you wouldn't notice things other people do!
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Quite the opposite, I'd notice a lot more than others do.But, of course! You're famously so blinded by everything Ford, of course you wouldn't notice things other people do!
Swanseajack
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Tested a Kuga and the heater wires were very noticeable to me and put me off the car. As a car, the spec and design were my favourite, ended up getting a Honda CRV and I can't see any noticeable wires.
Mikesphotaes
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I will certainly never buy another car with a heated windscreen.
Probably never have another Ford again either!
Probably never have another Ford again either!
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On frosty mornings, if I'm taking Mrs Nod down to town, I'll use one of the decent cars (which both have screen heaters and seat heaters) which will defrost in 30 seconds or so while I'm sorting myself out rather than spend 5 minutes squirting and scraping the s***box's screens.
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As more and more manufacturers are fitting them as standard, that could soon mean you won't be buying anymore cars unless you just plan on buying old cars which will get older and older.
As Nod said you can jump in the car and practically drive off within 30 seconds to a minute without having to scrape the screen, all for an identical view out of the windscreen.
OP
ancient_mariner
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As more and more manufacturers are fitting them as standard, that could soon mean you won't be buying anymore cars unless you just plan on buying old cars which will get older and older.
As Nod said you can jump in the car and practically drive off within 30 seconds to a minute without having to scrape the screen, all for an identical view out of the windscreen.
Except that for many of us that view is not identical, and as a photographer you should be aware that we all see differently. Many are happy to use compact cameras without seeing any problem, but some of us look at things a bit differently from that.
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Does the CRV have a heated front screen or did you just opt for the £50 windscreen cover?
Mikesphotaes
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As more and more manufacturers are fitting them as standard, that could soon mean you won't be buying anymore cars unless you just plan on buying old cars which will get older and older.
As Nod said you can jump in the car and practically drive off within 30 seconds to a minute without having to scrape the screen, all for an identical view out of the windscreen.
I think my Merc and me will grow old together!
Mind you, my £2 purchase of a heated scraper today should make things easier, if we ever get a cold winter again!
