I've been burned twice so far, both times in the first week or so of ownership and both times coming off a stop. The first time I was in a subdivision coming to a four-way and a car came up on the right, moving relative to my motion and staying behind the A-pillar before stopping a few feet behind her line, outside my field of vision in the windshield. I saw her car only in my passenger window after I was well into my turn; if she had proceeded through the intersection I very well could have hit her left side. The second time was on my left side. I came up to a stop and did not see the pedestrian warning cone (an tall, narrowish cone in the centerline of the road at marked pedestrian crosswalks ... I've noticed them popping up in more places in the past year or so) in the crosswalk. I was cutting the turn a little close and the cone stayed in my blind spot through the turn ... I would have hit it at the left fender way back by the A-pillar if not for the warning cry of my wife in the passenger seat.

Since then, I've been careful to compensate for this, mostly by either bobbing my head around like a chicken or being careful to watch for traffic coming both ways well before I get up to the stop sign. The sail window isn't doing it for me, sorry. I've had two other incidents similar to my experience at the four-way with cars on my right but now I know what to look for.

So does this blind spot bother you? Do you even see it?

 

I honestly haven't noticed a real blind spot, but I am a pretty active driver. I look around and move a lot while driving.

 

this is me as well..I haven't noticed anything either.

 

Yes, the A-Pillar produces a big blind spot for me. I've experienced the worst with pedestrians as they are walking right with the pillar and I don't see them.

 

The A pillar on the driver's side is the one that really gets me. I have to lean pretty far forward to peer around it to make sure my blind spot is clear. Like you, I learned this through a close call, completely missing a car waiting to my left at an intersection. I ended up having to stop short in the middle of the intersection to let her pass first to avoid a fender bender. Since then, I've been extremely careful, ducking my head and craning my neck in order to ensure that blind spot isn't quite so blind.

 

I have that blind spot too. It bothers me most when on a curve to the left. My husband hasn't noticed it. I wonder if part of it isn't that I'm short so my seat is further forward.

 

I have almost hit pedestrians twice. I am being very careful but it seems like a pretty bad blind spot to me.

 

My wife went really negative on the Fit over two things: 1) An A pillar blind spot which I really hadn't found objectionable, 2) The odd distortion in her peripheral vision from the expanded view mirror.

I think she'd get used to #2--she had a 2012 Focus which had a similar, but much better executed (hint to Honda!) and less distorting, uniformly convex second mirror element. I don't think I'd ever hear the end of her unhappiness about #1.

And she didn't like the HR-V because, well, we already have a CR-V and she just isn't a huge fan of the SUV form factor. So we are still living with one vehicle and now studying up on 2016 Civic.

 

Thought i was the only one troubled by this. Curve to the left really annoys me, a-pillar somewhat blocks my 10 0r 11 o'clock. Can't see incoming cars at the opposite end. I really had to stick my head up front...

 

Haha, mine is sort of the opposite ... I'm way down low (seat cranked as low as it goes) but pretty far back (at least for someone who has a short inseam). I tried moving the seat forward a bit but it was too uncomfortable and moved it back.

 

As bothersome as they are, the A-pillar blind spots make me drive more cautiously and defensively, which is a good thing.

 

I haven't given No. 2 more than a few seconds thought. I've used the expandy strip a handful of times (always wind up checking over the shoulder anyway) but otherwise I don't even know it's there.

Interesting to see the subtle differences in how we all are wired.

 

Agreed. I hated it, but learned to mentally remove it from my sight picture after the first drive.

 

With you, that extended mirror is a mess.

 

No.

I love that this car does not have an A pillar blind spot along with the rest of its excellent visibility.

 

me and my old man has been having trouble with this pillar on both GE and GK =/ I thought it was just me because I've just started driving the GE. I keep missing stuff even people especially at night time! =O

Just yesterday, an old lady was trying to cross the street on a red light (not on a pedestrian lane, but well what the heck, it's a red light). and when it went green nearly ran over her feet because I didn't see her there on the blind side x____x

Turning on corners is a pain as well, what I do as a solution is ignore the A pillar window altogether and just lean up front reaaaal hard to peek on the corner while turning. My old man has been doing this as well when he saw me drive. Problem is, he's a short man so.. =/

 

I also do the chicken head bobbing left, right, front and back to address the issue. My inner chicken comes out once in a while to avoid making a chicken mess of pesky pedestrians and 4-way-stop cars.

 

Correction: I am a rooster, not a chicken.

 

The A pillar has not been an issue. And neither has the extended mirror.

 

I've not had a problem with the "A" pillar, although I notice it. It just is.

Such is life with 10 or so air bags. The "A" pillar is big in order to hold the air bag. We have cars loaded with air bags because people won't wear their seat belts, so the law requires "passive restraint systems" on cars. Anybody remember the "automatic seat belts" cars used to have in lieu of air bags?