Netaddict

Have you installed an additional internal mirror. Any suggestions?

icspots

You can greatly reduce the blind spots by reaiming the mirrors properly (not saying you didn't, but most people don't). Aim them out so that with your head in a neutral position they go just past where you can see the side of the car. The idea is if you need to look directly behind you you're going to use the rearview, so have the side ones further out to the sides.

You can also get a set of wide-angle mirrors from thespeedline.com (they're also blue tinted and heated. ). the outer edge is convex so it gives you a 30% greater viewing angle. They're a little weird and take some getting used to, but they do decrease the blind spot somewhat...... though not as much as if I'd stuck a fish eye on there. :P Honestly the best thing about them is the blue tint which greatly reduces glare.

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Netaddict

I currently have both side mirrors adjusted so that when my head is in the neutral position, I can see the end of the car at the edge of the mirror, this helps when parking in tight places.

icspots, you mentioned "a set of wide-angle mirrors from thespeedline.com (they're also blue tinted and heated.)"
Do these fit on the current mirror or do I have to remove the mirror itself ( the glass) and replace it with one of these?

icspots

It seems a little weird but angling the mirrors out just a bit further will help a whole lot. When backing into spaces you can easily move your head over a tad either direction to see the sides of the car, however in general driving forwards (which you do more than reverse) they'll be in a better position. I nearly exclusively use my mirrors while backing as I'm used to driving large vehicles where the rearview is useless and turning around equally useless, and the extra head movement isn't a problem at all. Also having them tilted out a bit more will reduce the amount of blinding glare from other drivers while driving at night.

The blue mirrors are a replacement for the existing glass in the mirror housing. The glass is held on by three ball joints (center, and then one for each motor) and pops out easily with a little persuasion. If you're interested in hooking up the heated feature it's a really simple mod if you have any ability with minor wiring. The car is prewired for heated mirrors up to where the car plugs into the mirror housing (behind the tweeter panel) so all you need to do is add wiring from the plug to the glass, the mirrors then heat when the rear defroster is on. I have a rather comprehensive walkthrough on another forum if you're interested. By far the blue tint and the heated function are more useful than the wide angle, but it still comes in handy.

ProfessorDave

I use the convex stick on 2" mirrors on all my cars. I place them near the outer edge of the mirror, closer to the road than the top. No blind spot whatsoever.

Netaddict

ProfessorDave, I only noticed your post today (17 Feb 2008).

I'm new to the terminology; what is a "convex stick"?

metroplex

The stock mirrors on the 2008 Mazdaspeed3 are wonderful. They're on-par with the mirrors on my 07 Mustang GT, which are fantastic for such a small car. The worst mirrors are the ones on Chevy's and Pontiacs. I agree that you should definitely re-aim them.

ProfessorDave

The "Convex Stick on" mirrors are those small, curved mirrors that come with double-sided tape so they can be applied right onto the glass of the outside rear view mirror.

They come in different diameters (I prefer the 2" ones, although the Mazda 3 mirrors are large enough to accommodate a larger size). I got my last set at Walmart for about $2 each. You can get them at any auto parts store, too.

Ryz

No problems with the mirrors. Most people just don't know the proper way to have them adjusted. If you can see your car in them, you don't know what you're doing.

metroplex

I agree. The way I adjust them is so that I have a good view of what is around me. If you can mentally piece together both wing mirrors and the rear mirror, you would get an almost panoramic view of what is behind you. You should only see a tiny bit of your car on the edge of each wing mirror.

Tea Bagger

what blind spot?

ProfessorDave

I like the little stick on mirrors for seeing the curb/lines when backing into spots (an injury prevents me from twisting around to look out the back window before anyone gives me a hard time!).