Rear windshield wipers

[Boston Fit]

Why are rear windshield wipers found only on cars with hatches, and not - for example - on sedans?

[AHTOXA]

Not always. There are exceptions. However, The road spray doesn't hit the back window of a sedan, usually like it does on a hatch/SUV, so normally they don't need them.

Exceptions:

[Shadow]

Why are rear windshield wipers found only on cars with hatches, and not - for example - on sedans?

An even better question: Why are rear wipers found on any car? I find them pretty much useless. I did use the one on my 4Runner one time when I was on a long road trip during the winter and the back window got so dirty that I couldn't see through it anymore. But that was just once in the last 10 years and I would have been just fine without it.

Anyway, the obvious answer to your question is that most people find rear wipers ugly and don't want them on their sedans. To me, they're an eyesore and they only look appropriate on an SUV or wagon.

[AHTOXA]

I like them a lot and for me, they are extremely practical. I use mine just about every time it rains. Not all SUVs and hatchbacks are the same in terms of aerodynamics and some throw a lot more spray onto the back than others. My Sonic is like that - lots of water spray.

I turn my rear wiper on intermittent when I'm on the highway and there's lots of water on the ground. It helps me see out the back clearly. Also, the rear wiper turns on automatically for a single wipe when the front wipers are on and you select reverse. I think it's a great feature.

[Rope-Pusher]

I've had sedans and coupes where I wish I had one. Ugly? Dirty windows are ugly, not wiper blades.

[ClutchDisc]

Not sure why anyone would think a rear windshield wiper is ugly.

[AHTOXA]

Not sure why anyone would think a rear windshield wiper is ugly.

I've met only two people ever that did. One is Shadow. No right or wrong here, just pointing out that it's uncommon. However, most people never use them regardless and many probably don't even know right away how to turn it on in their car if they have one.

[potownrob]

as posted in another thread, i used to run my rear window washer every 2 minutes in the impreza wagon. stuff gets blown up on the window all the time and makes it constantly dirty. i think the longest i ever left it dirty before spraying was 10 minutes.

[Shadow]

Not sure why anyone would think a rear windshield wiper is ugly.

For the same reason some people prefer crank-up windows.

BTW, a rear wiper on a Porsche Cayman looks like crap. Looks much better/sleeker without.

[Shadow]

I've had sedans and coupes where I wish I had one. Ugly? Dirty windows are ugly, not wiper blades.

Dirty windows are beautiful. Here's proof:

[Shadow]

This guy has the right idea. Has a rear wiper, but didn't bother to use it:

[ClutchDisc]

Not sure why anyone would think a rear windshield wiper is ugly.

For the same reason some people prefer crank-up windows.

I guess if you want to make that comparison. But I think that's stretching it. Apples and oranges here.

[Shadow]

Not sure why anyone would think a rear windshield wiper is ugly.

For the same reason some people prefer crank-up windows.

I guess if you want to make that comparison. But I think that's stretching it. Apples and oranges here.

It wasn't a direct comparison. You obviously missed the point... which was simply that different people have different preferences.

Besides, I posted a picture that illustrates perfectly why I think rear wipers are ugly. On an SUV or wagon, they don't really bother me....but on a sleek sports car, them completely mess up the lines. One look at the beautiful lines on that Porsche should be all it takes to understand what I'm saying. The wiper just destroys the flow of the lines on that car. No doubt about it.

[watkins]

Im pretty sure being able to see out the back is important. I generally enjoy having full visibility. The air flow around my car means my rear window never really gets blown clear. I need a rear wiper to see.

What I dont understand are the poorly designed rear wipers that only get a tiny spec of window cleared. What kind of idiot would design that? Any wiper system that clears less than it should bothers me. The well designed wiper sweep that my car has is one of my favorite features.

[Shadow]

My back window really never gets so dirty that I can't see out of it. Like I said, it happened once in the ten years that I had my 4Runner. However, my 4Runner has side mirrors. That's all I need to see behind me on the road, even if I painted the back window black.

Lots of trucks and vans have no back windows at all. I guess it's not too important for them to see out back. But again, that's the purpose of side mirrors. It's not nearly as important to see where you've been as it is where you're going.