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The truth of the matter is that if you want to have the best lighting, both for driving and for avoiding glare, four round headlights with replaceable bulbs are the gold standard. All the rest is styling.
The truth of the matter is that if you want to have the best lighting, both for driving and for avoiding glare, four round headlights with replaceable bulbs are the gold standard. All the rest is styling.
Definitely "Makes Sense To Me" but what else is new?
Far too many "Changes / Upgrades" on newer vehicles are for "Styling."
The technical advantage of 4 headlights is that the low beam/high beam lights can be focused on the low beam filament, with the high beam filament in them somewhat compromised, while the high beam only lamps are focused on the high beam filament. With just 2 headlights (or one like some bikes) you have to pick one filament, or adopt a compromise focus.
The truth of the matter is that if you want to have the best lighting, both for driving and for avoiding glare, four round headlights with replaceable bulbs are the gold standard. All the rest is styling.
And they were either ultra dim, or they were very hot (halogens). Projector headlights can have much better beam patterns allowing more light in a more controlled manner (unless they are cheap Chinese copies).
I've always liked separate high & low beams. I could set the high beams to project a bit farther down the road. I used to get brighter bulbs for the high beams too. That helped quite a bit. On coming drivers didn't like them so much. I learned to be quick on the dimmer switch. On the '22 Honda Passport we have the fog lights are under the headlights and come on automatically lighting up the space between the front of the car and where the headlights start. High beams are pretty bright too. The car switches to low beams automatically as well.
If anything that makes sense as SUV's and trucks get higher. We all complain about the headlights from a big truck pulling in behind us blinding us. Now manufacturers are dropping the lights down.
The new traverse has a split headlight where the DRL and turn signal LED is up high, and the headlight is lower down
This is great to read. I can't stand truck headlights. They are right in your face, and they are way too bright. It's impossible to see anything at all until they pass, especially if they decide to put a light bar (whatever it is) in between the already too bright headlights.
When I drive at night, I'm always saying, "(Censored)! Turn off your football stadium lights!"
It's obnoxious, and affects other drivers. I seriously cannot see a thing until they finally pass. (I mean 2 lane roads, they're driving towards me.)
Which is why I specified "replaceable bulbs" - sealed-beams don't qualify.
Basically the stylists design how the headlights are going to look from the outside, then the lighting engineers try to make them work and comply to standards. Backwards in my opinion.
There are so many things wrong with current automobile lighting I just don't even want to get started.
Basically the stylists design how the headlights are going to look from the outside, then the lighting engineers try to make them work and comply to standards. Backwards in my opinion.
The headlight surrounds are designed by stylists, but the bulbs are not and are very much the same between most modern cars. The housings no longer have to have lenses in them, so the styling of them has zero bearing on output or pattern. You do realize that, correct?
Most modern cars use these housings:
with this type of replaceable bulb (halogen, HID, or LED can all be used with those housings)
But the overall surround can be styled like anything (these are all OEM) and not affect light output or bulb replacement:
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