Ease up, friend.

As I read this, I just knew without looking that ronnie was going to be from Florida... The overwhelming majority of the roadways in the United States do not look like the roads in Florida. Florida, in U.S. terms, is an extremely young state when it comes to development. The rest of us live in areas where many roads (particularly urban roads) were built hundreds of years ago, and built to accomodate horses and wagons.


P.S. I'm with all of those who recommend the light-in-sight. It works great! I'm using my sister's MINI while she's away at college, and the light-in-sight is a life saver.

As for those who continue to suggest the solution is to just stop where you can see the light, it's not that simple. I live in an area with some really nasty hills, where you'll often find a stoplight at the bottom of a "V" shape. If you stopped where you could see the light, you'd never trigger the sensor to have the light change.

 

+++1 on lightinsight

 

Mongorama is right. If you stop to far back you won't be on the sensor and the light will take forever to change.
The Daytona/Orlando area is more modern when it comes to trafic signals. I think that gadget is a great solution.
Ronnie948

 

I'm 6'5" and I can deal with ducking to see the lights. I have a problem with the blind spot on the left side. Although I am more aware of it now after sideswiping a 4-runner (he won). 2500 miles on it and already a new hood and headlamp.

 

1) Lower the seat. If the seat is raked too high and given your height, you will have this problem. Lower the seat cushion and try again.

2) Balooney about the sunroof. They are trying to make you order something you don't need (Unless you want to get a sunroof for other reasons). You can get a plastic lense (I'll look it up) that allows you to see traffic lights in the MINI no problems.

3) Totally disagree that the MINI was poor outward visibility. That is your perception, not reality.

 

+1 on Light-in-sight, although my wife has to cover it with the sun screen when she drives the MINI, since the fresnel lens distracts her. I used to, and occasionally still do- look out and up through the driver side window and can see the traffic light that way. In MI we often have them on both sides of the road, so one can see the other side easily enough.
I also like the seat way up so I can see the lovely bonnet.

 

Im in AZ and have not noticed any issues with my visibility and the traffic lights.
Its interesting. I will really take notice this morning while driving to work.
To the OP. I know this may sound like a dumb question, but, Is it possible that you can reposition the drivers seat to lean back one more notch, therefore changing your angle a bit? Im only 5'10" so I of course see things from a different perspective then you.

 

I find the Mini (Clubman S) to have decent all-around visibility - plenty of glass and useful mirrors. And I don't even notice the door split in the back anymore, I've had the car for a little over 2 weeks. What a great car this is!

The key is to always be accelerating so that objects in mirror continually get smaller

 

I purchased the LighNSight shortly I got my JCW. Problem solved. Next problem is that the rear view mirror is always in my way when going around turns. Other than that I have no visibility problems with my MINI.

 

I am 5'11", have the seat all the way back and I ALWAYS stop with my front bumper at the line. (I am very **** about it) When the lights are suspended over the intersection I usually have to lower my head to see the light. If they are pole mounted - there is no problem. I have had one occasion (in Orlando, Fl.) when I used my sunroof because the light was soooooo far back.

 

Just get the LightinSight it will be the best thing you ever got for $17.50. Problem solved. I've used one since I got my first MCS in 2002. It was my first mod to my 2006 MCS, even before I left the dealers lot.

 

$17.50?? Wow, it went up since I got one years ago. Still worth it, though.

 

I took a look at the traffic lights here in AZ. now I know why I havent had any problems.
they set lights up on poles on opposite sides of the street. this way its as easy as looking at the car across from you.
to think someone actually "engineered' something correct with the roads out here!

Now if they could get that same person to design the highways out here we might be OK!

 

how do you define a nanosecond? the time it takes for a nyc taxi behind you to honk after the light turns green.

i had the light-n-sight. thought it was the best thing, but i realized most times i bent down and looked anyway because my brain never trusted the convex pinpoint view of the light especially during sunny days.

 

Ha - I also "confirm" what I'm seeing sometimes. Still a huge improvement over staying hunched over to see when the light changes.

The mirror blocking line-of-sight on certain right handers is a nightmare.

 

My dealer gives away those lightinsights! So maybe ask yours if they have them. I got so use to not using it I still duck down, then get pissed at myself for doing it and resume watching in the lightinsight.

Just a neat sidenote, in England I don't think I saw any light hanging they were all on poles which were easy to see and they use roundabouts which we need more of. Then you don't have to stop at lights and they would be so much fun in the MINI.

 

It's not the light ahead that's the problem, it's the light at the side for the cross traffic.

I installed the LightInSight last week. I do like it.
I can lean a couple inches to the side and see the cross traffic light.

 

If less people could see the cross traffic light that would be ok with me. I get annoyed by the light rollers. You have to wait for the cars to stop coming the other way before you can go anyway...

 

Suggest that you start looking at the 2004-2007 Scion Xb. Great visibility. Lots of room too.

 

Here in NJ we call them circles. They can be fun, but one has to know the rules. The "official" rule is "Traffic in the circle has the right of way, unless otherwise posted". No one has any idea as to how the yield signs are posted. Most people just ignore the signs and drive as they like. Most of them are being replaced because the average mental midget diving a car can't or won't drive them properly.

 

It's so funny to see the different opinions on here, because when I got my Clubman, I was thinking the exact opposite: How much I got for around $30K. The BMW is just as cheap, the new Mercedes are cheap, all cars are "cheap" compared to what they used to be. If you want a quality rock solid car like a Mercedes from the 1980's it would probably cost $150K. I can't argue on power, obviously there are more powerful cars, I mean the 335i is WAY faster than a MINI, but I feel like the small go-kart feel adds to the drive as well. Bottom line, a MINI is not for everyone, but I have had all sorts of cars, mostly luxury, and it is my favorite car by far. I am a MINI man for life.

 

I agree people don't get it here. But in England they have used them for so long that they work so well. It is nice not having to stop every 30 ft for a stop light or stop sign.

 

"I mean the 335i is WAY faster than a MINI"

Wampa, wasn't there a video on the board showing a Clubbie S (or was it a Coupe) kicking a 335i's butt? I remember reading it with interest. There sure are many, many more powerful cars out there but not many 3 series Bimmers are beating me down the line. (I'm not talking M3 here.)

Oh, visibility. Except for the stop light issue, fixed with line-in-sight, I think the visibility is great, even out the barn doors.

 

As Colin Chapman famously said "Add lightness." Our ace in the hole is our 2850 lb. wet weight. Plenty of other cars have more HP, but most of them weigh 3500+ lbs...

 

since the MINI is a relatively narrow car compared to most others on the road and compared to standard lane width, I often shift a bit to the right of my driving lane as i approach traffic light controlled intersections.
this way, a suspended light can be seen by tilting my head to the left and looking up at the light through the upper edge of the driver door window. no need to bend over, even when quite close to the light.
dont give up on MINI for this issue.