How to Adjust Rearview Mirrors for a New Car?

[McBrynlee]

Here are the steps to adjust the rearview mirrors for a new car: 1. Sit in the driver's seat and adjust your body posture to find the most comfortable and relaxed driving position. This seating position must allow your feet to easily reach the accelerator and brake pedals. 2. First, adjust the left rearview mirror. The vertical position should be adjusted so that the sky and ground each occupy half of the mirror, and the horizontal position should be adjusted so that the car body occupies about one-quarter of the left rearview mirror. 3. For the right rearview mirror, the horizontal position should also have the car body occupying one-quarter, but the difference is that the ground should occupy two-thirds of the right rearview mirror, with the sky occupying only one-third. 4. Because the driver's position is generally on the left side of the car, there is some visual deviation. Only by adjusting the mirrors to this state can you clearly see the cars on the right side.

[DiValerie]

When I first got my car, I was also quite confused about how to adjust the rearview mirrors properly. It took me five highway trips to finally figure it out. First, adjust the center interior mirror so that the entire rear window is fully displayed, with the horizon positioned slightly above the middle of the mirror. The key to adjusting the side mirrors is to minimize blind spots—I prefer to have just a quarter of the car body visible, which allows me to see the wheel positions of adjacent lanes. Make sure to adjust them while sitting in your normal driving posture, without leaning or stretching, otherwise the view will be distorted when driving. The rearview mirror heating button is especially useful on rainy or foggy days, so remember to test its effect. Lastly, a reminder for drivers with lane-keeping assist: ensure the yellow warning lights on the mirrors are not obstructed, as this completes the optimal driving visibility setup.

[Jeffrey]

As a veteran driver with twenty years of manual transmission experience, I believe the core principle of rearview mirror adjustment boils down to three words: no blind spots. After settling into the driver's seat, adjust your seat first before touching the mirrors. For the left-side mirror, just ensure you can see the tip of your car door handle in the reflection—that's sufficient. The right-side mirror should always keep the rear wheel visible at the bottom-right corner of your field of view. When changing lanes on highways, pay special attention to the size of headlights appearing in the mirrors. If the headlights appear as small as soybeans, it means the following car is at least three car lengths behind you. Remember to flip the anti-glare switch at night to protect your eyes from harsh lights. New car owners often make the mistake of setting their mirrors too high, forcing them to constantly look down to check road conditions—ironically increasing driving hazards.

[VanReese]

Here's how I usually adjust the mirrors on a new car: First, fix the driver's seat in the most comfortable position. Second, adjust the center rearview mirror until you can see the entire rear window. Third, adjust the left side mirror so that about a quarter of the car body is visible. The right mirror is the most complicated; it needs to balance the view for the parking sensors, so it's recommended to have the sky and ground each occupy half of the mirror. If the car has the auto-dipping function for reverse gear, be sure to test the angle in the garage to see if it's suitable. Remember to readjust every time the driver changes, especially since seat memory and mirror positions may not be linked.