This may have been answered before, but why on the more expensive cars (audi, volvo, mercs and bmw's for example), are there no rear screen wipers? It cannot be due to cost, and one would have thought that the higher end cars would include bit/gadgets from those below.
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probably because wiper would look silly on non-hatchback (where would motor fit?) and, anyway, car with boot tends not to get so much thrown up from the rearwheels onto rear screen, I guess. Interestingly, one my main gripes about Lexus 200 is the angle of rear screen seems to encourage much water to gather. I do miss that rear wipe!
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probably with them being prestige cars the manufactuers think you will be chammying them every five minutes anyway!! there again think your self lucky if you have two on the front! many new models can only seem to manage one.
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Generally if the aerodynamics are ok you shouldn't need wipers on the rear screen, it's more difficult to get the aerodynamics right with an estate or hatchback.
Reasons of appearance are important too, wipers look pretty awful on the front and would look even worse on the back (didn't they try this on a Ford Orion?) When the stylists get the magic markers out, they don't draw wipers on at all because they're not aesthetically pleasing.
Cue the gag about the rest of the car isn't always that good anyway...
Gareth
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Generally if the aerodynamics are ok you shouldn't need wipers on the rear screen, it's more difficult to get the aerodynamics right with an estate or hatchback.
So you're saying estates and hatchbacks have rear wipes because of their bad aerodynamics, not because there's somewhere to fit the wiper/motor?!
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>> Generally if the aerodynamics are ok you shouldn't need wipers on the rear screen, it's more difficult to get the aerodynamics right with an estate or hatchback. So you're saying estates and hatchbacks have rear wipes because of their bad aerodynamics, not because there's somewhere to fit the wiper/motor?!
Yes, that's it exactly. Detail aerodynamics around that area are difficult, but as has been said already lots of cars 'self-clean' the rear screen at any speed, very few estates do.
The level of research that manufacturers do would probably amaze you, a tweak of the wheelarch lip means that the side of the vehicle doesn't get so dirty etc.
Gareth
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My Alfa 156 doesnt have one. It can be a bit of a pain, but if you go anywhere fast, eg on a motorway journey, it dries itself quite quickly and remains clear even if it is raining, until you stop that is!
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My Citroen C5 doesnt have a rear wiper. I use RainX and at speeds above walking speed, the rear screen is clear. Sometimes it requires a wipe with a squegee before you set off. I don't miss the wiper at all.
Ben
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My C5 doesn't have a rear wiper either, but the new models do. Apparently Citroen decided before the launch of C5 that they wanted to compete with upmarket saloons (I heard that titter at the back - silence, or else you're out the backroom window!)To this end,(no pun intended!) they designed the hatchback so that it appears to be a boot and back window.
As is usually the case, Citroen have finally seen sense, but not before making their usual stand for idiocy!
My Xantia handbrake lever was recalled for replacememt 10 years ago (people weren't pulling them on hard enough) The replacement was identical but with a few teeth taken off the lower end of the ratchet so that it 'had' to be well up to stay on.
10 years later, I bought the C5 and it was recalled for a handbrake modification. When I asked what it was, the dealer started to explain...'Well people weren't.......so they decided to take a few teeth off the ratchet.......'
Bless!
Graeme
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I drive two cars, a hatch with a rear wiper and a saloon without. If it's been raining before I start to drive in the saloon, the water only starts to clear once I've been able to get up to cruising speed, but it's never as good for visibility as being able to flick the glass clear on the hatch. Reversing can be awkward as well. As for the aesthetics, I would have thought it was more important for you to be able to be fully aware of what was going on behind you than what the back of your car looks like.
Weren't there some saloons that did come with a rear wiper once upon a time?
andymc
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I'm sure early Peugeot 406's had rear wipers....
If you are trying to reverse out your parking space in a busy car park and it is chucking down it is a complete pain if you are in a saloon and don't have a rear wiper. At crawling speeds you wouldn't drive forward without putting your wipers on, so to say that you don't need a rear wiper once you have reached cruising speed doesn't really make that good an argument IMHO.
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Had one on my E270 CDi Merc estate today ( hire car ) but I could not fine the rear wiper switch. Loved the car thou. Peter
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>>Weren't there some saloons that did come with a rear wiper >>once upon a time?
Time to show just what a sad so-and-so I really am...
IIRC, the Ford Orion and the Mazda 323 both had rear wipers. I can remember as a callow youth being really impressed with saloons with rww and ferverently wishing that one day I would own one.
I never did (sob)....
Cheers
Rob
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>>Weren't there some saloons that did come with a rear wiper >>once upon a time? Time to show just what a sad so-and-so I really am...
Peugeot 306 Sedan ditto, but never got to the sad level of actually wanting one.
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Perhaps drivers of A...V....M.... and B..s have no need because they do not use the rear view mirror .:-)
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