Toyota Prius beats BMW 3 series!!!... in the new IIHS headlights ratings

"EL_ULY" (uly)
03/30/2016 at 10:38 • Filed to: iihs, headlights

The IIHS is featuring a new rating system for headlamps. Testing various things, most new cars fall short.

Here at work when it still got dark at 6pm ish, a lot of our cars (new and used) didn’t really light up our local streets very well when I drove them. Even if LED or Xenon, some new Mercedes cars and Volvo cars didn’t do so well imo. In halogen form, the XC60 and GLA light up better than those sedans in HID.

All time great lighting personally for me are the LS600hL, Acura TL (3rd gen 04-08), 2015/16 Toyota Corolla (LED), G wagon, and Aston Martin Rapide.

Cars that I haven’t driven this I assume are rad are the new Acuras, Audi A8L, Jaguar XJ, and Tesla Model S

WORST i’ve seen are new GMC Sierra 4x4 trucks. Whether in El Zapatito or El Moose, those trucks in factory form blind the shit out of me always

Video courtesy of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DISCUSSION (31)

Nibby > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 10:42

My sister had a 2010 Prius with the LED headlamps, now those were great at night.

Mercedes Streeter > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 10:42

The IIHS, always trying to find some new test that most new cars will fail. lol

At least this one makes a little more sense than some of their previous crazy tests.

finn's arm > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 10:43

Curious why no CTS. My CTS lights up the road incredibly well.

TL’s have GREAT lighting. One of the main reasons I want to retrofit that projector or the RX8 projector into my E36 assembly.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 10:51

>IIHS creates test for headlight brightness

>NHTSA or whoever makes those regulations won’t let manufacturers like BMW bring over their über bright headlights they offer in Europe (freakin’ LASERS man)

Yup, sounds like the same usual US government *rolls eyes*

Dean Beyer > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 10:51

Dear NHTSA,

Pardon the pun but get out of the dark ages and approve laser headlights for the US.

Thanks.

EL_ULY > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/30/2016 at 10:58

LOL exactly. NHTSA is slacking big time

EL_ULY > Mercedes Streeter
03/30/2016 at 10:58

lol indeed. Driving around at night is a joke. Every car is either blinding me or invisible.

RoadsterRevolution(wants a Range Rover Classic) > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 10:59

Could I be ungreyed?

EL_ULY > Nibby
03/30/2016 at 10:59

LED is da future, yo!

EL_ULY > Dean Beyer
03/30/2016 at 10:59

lol good one. And yes, 100% fact!

uofime-2 > Dean Beyer
03/30/2016 at 11:00

This test mostly seems to demonstrate how poorly aimed the headlights are.

That’s just what we need, brighter headlights blinding motorists.

EL_ULY > finn's arm
03/30/2016 at 11:01

I did just the standard $30 ebay 4300K retrofit for my 2 e36 back then. It was ok but some sort of projector “ellipsoid” would of been rad

RoadsterRevolution(wants a Range Rover Classic) > RoadsterRevolution(wants a Range Rover Classic)
03/30/2016 at 11:02

Already been ungreyed.

EL_ULY > RoadsterRevolution(wants a Range Rover Classic)
03/30/2016 at 11:03

You can be here :] For a more permanent solution, contact a mod by clicking HERE

uofime-2 > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 11:05

Good to see someone doing this, it needed done.

Kind of sad the biggest thing they want to promote is the auto high beam deal as opposed to just promoting better light design in general. I suppose it is the cheapest easy fix.

Rico > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 11:09

Not surprised. Federal regulations written by NHSTA in the 1980s will continue to hold the U.S. car market back. In an article I read it said Toyota, MB, BMW, Audi and others all got together to petition NHSTA regarding headlight advancements in 2013 and basically were told to get lost.

Can’t wait to see how the 84 LED multibeam headlight on the new E class gets neutered and the S Class refresh headlight which will probably have double those individual LEDs.

EL_ULY > Rico
03/30/2016 at 11:16

wow, didn’t know that occurred

EL_ULY > uofime-2
03/30/2016 at 11:17

if it helps with aim, i’m down. It is a mess driving at night OEM and aftermarket

Mercedes Streeter > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/30/2016 at 11:22

It is like Vin said on the fp...behind every idiotic law is some old dude who will undoubtedly make money off it. American automakers suuuuuck at good lighting, so of course the natural option is to use state/federal laws to gimp everyone else. We can’t have laser lights now, the American brands are just now getting into HIDs! lol

Rico > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 11:24

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a2…

uofime-2 > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 11:25

auto dimming rear view mirrors are the greatest thing ever, now I need them on the side view mirrors too. I actually heard someone was working on those. Doesn’t help with the oncoming traffic though especially on hills

EL_ULY > uofime-2
03/30/2016 at 11:28

oh yeees! I have it in my XC90. I wish I could swap it with my Z4. Not sure why the hell it isn’t a standard feature on small low cars. Especially where I live and big trucks dominate the roads

EL_ULY > Rico
03/30/2016 at 11:31

Too bad ADBs are illegal here: DOT rules permit a low beam, a high beam, and nothing in between

excrement!!!!

CompactLuxuryFan > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 11:35

BMW needed to drop halogens in their *entire* (US) lineup long ago. It cheapens the entire brand! And they don’t even perform well? Look at Audi. Even their stripper models look cool from outside because they’ve had standard LEDs and Xenons on all models since the B8 A4 came out in 2009! (ok, there’s a few of those with halogens, but very rare)

EL_ULY > CompactLuxuryFan
03/30/2016 at 11:40

I totally understand. When we launched the XC90, Volvo urged us not to order any of them without the Thor’s Hammer advanced lighting. Halogen is unfortunately an option. Out of the mass amount of XC90 shipped to us from the port, only 1 has arrive with halogen per customer request.

Rico > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 12:14

They (NHSTA) even balked at the idea of self leveling HID projectors as a requirement... Are you serious?

EL_ULY > Rico
03/30/2016 at 12:17

That is just wrong of them. There is so much obvious benefit for auto-level

Rico > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 12:21

They’re entire complaint about all advanced lighting technology is that they are afraid it will blind other drivers, but HIDs that don’t auto level will blind more people than if they did auto level.

EL_ULY > Rico
03/30/2016 at 12:24

NHSTA...... politicians or a bunch of grumpy old men

BLCKSTRM > EL_ULY
03/30/2016 at 12:30

Maybe it’s just in protest that BMW can’t being their laser lighting system here.

EL_ULY > BLCKSTRM
03/30/2016 at 12:30

crazy rules. That tech is badass.