Drive, She Said

Feature Friday: The Rear Camera Mirror

Anyone who has ever driven a vehicle with tall passengers or a cargo-laden trunk knows the frustration of not being able to see out your rearview mirror. It can be scary backing out of parking space — even with the back-up camera — and trying to see what’s behind you so you can change lanes is near impossible.

That’s why the rear camera mirror is one of those brilliant features I’d love to see on more vehicles. Quite simply, this feature allows you to flip a switch and turn your rearview mirror into a camera display that shows a clear view out the rear of the vehicle via a well-placed camera.

We first encountered prototypes of this feature way back in 2014, but we didn’t start seeing production versions of this feature until the last couple years. First in GM products and now scattering throughout other manufacturers.

The rear camera mirror is also helpful when a rear window might be narrow — such as in the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque — or if there is another visibility issue — such as the split rear window in the Toyota Prius.

We’ve seen this pop up a few times now in test vehicles, and while I don’t have a comprehensive list of vehicles with this feature, I have seen them on Cadillac, Chevrolet, Toyota and Land Rover vehicles. So, if this feature is important to you, start there.

Other items in the Feature Friday series: