Topic: Eye opener: First-ever IIHS headlight ratings show most need improvement

[Benhaze]

Very interesting study. For example: new adaptive LED systems some manufacturers have you paid dearly for are worse than their standard Halogen headlamps.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Toyota Prius v is the only midsize car out of 31 evaluated to earn a good rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's first-ever headlight ratings.

The best available headlights on 11 cars earn an acceptable rating, while nine only reach a marginal rating. Ten of the vehicles can't be purchased with anything other than poor-rated headlights.

A vehicle's price tag is no guarantee of decent headlights. Many of the poor-rated headlights belong to luxury vehicles.

Curve-adaptive systems don't always lead to better ratings. The Cadillac ATS, Kia Optima and Mercedes-Benz C-Class all earn poor ratings even when equipped with adaptive low and high beams.

Read on: http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/first-ever-iihs-headlight-ratings-show-most-need-improvement

[aquadorhj]

The headlights on my Camry are practically useless.

could it be worse than any of the chrysler halogens?   can't imagine any lighting system being worse...  maybe if you hold a candle in a hurricane, it would approach the usefulness of the chrysler halogens....

[johngenx]

People get all hung up on having HID lights, but I've found that the bulb type means less than the design of the lens and reflector.  I've driven behind some really good old-fashioned halogens and some terrible HIDs.

Right now in our fleet, the old 7" round H4 halogen lights in the Miata (not the factory sealed-beams from 1994) are probably the best.

[5 Wheel Drive]

People get all hung up on having HID lights, but I've found that the bulb type means less than the design of the lens and reflector.  I've driven behind some really good old-fashioned halogens and some terrible HIDs.

Right now in our fleet, the old 7" round H4 halogen lights in the Miata (not the factory sealed-beams from 1994) are probably the best.

That's on my to do list for the Miata this year.  Didn't get around to it last year.

[Fobroader]

My wifes F-150 headlights are horrid.....not as useless as the ones on our Wrangler, but can't believe that in 2013 that vehicles came out of the factory with such crap headlights and they are huge!!!

[Firm]

My wifes F-150 headlights are horrid.....not as useless as the ones on our Wrangler, but can't believe that in 2013 that vehicles came out of the factory with such crap headlights and they are huge!!!

^This. That generation F-150 with Halogens is the most inadequate lighting I've ever experienced....and I regularly drive around with old Sealed Beams - still better than the F-150.

Just recently tested a 2016 Wrangler and found the headlights to be fine....big foglights in the bumper helped too.

[tooscoops]

one set of lights out of 82 gets a good rating?... wowzas...

i don't love many of my brands lights, but i also don't really care... i have driven some old cars with brutal lights... as roadways get better systems in place, my lights are hardly needed. it is only on the darker country roads where they are really needed.

i'm just impressed that the chrysler is at least marginal...

[safristi]

doesn't Rrocket participate in this manufacturing field...........do they have a "BIG BEAMS" house mag that reviews these things...................under the covers of course......

[Seafoam]

People get all hung up on having HID lights, but I've found that the bulb type means less than the design of the lens and reflector.  I've driven behind some really good old-fashioned halogens and some terrible HIDs.

Right now in our fleet, the old 7" round H4 halogen lights in the Miata (not the factory sealed-beams from 1994) are probably the best.

Just bought a set of those last month for mine. Cheapest place I found was Amazon .ca . Free shipping.  A lot of the U.S. vendors seemed cheaper until the exchange and shipping were factored  in.