5 ms·

Surprising number of new cars specially lower priced SUVs (Kia, Hyundai) tend to have blinding headlights straight out of the factory. I see this as more of a p

by soheil 7y ago

Surprising number of new cars specially lower priced SUVs (Kia, Hyundai) tend to have blinding headlights straight out of the factory. I see this as more of a problem with OEMs than with one-off cars on the road with aftermarket LEDs. The tech used to self-adjust the headlight brightness in new cars is probably to blame. Headlights in those cars tend to not be so good as detecting other cars on the road to adjust their brightness accordingly.

jws 7y ago
Observing from a new KIA three row seating SUV… • The lights are higher color temperature than an incandescent bulb, so are perceived brighter for the same legal power output. • The vehicle has a tall front grill because buyers want a truck-like front end to avoid being called a minivan. Once you have a grill, headlights look like eyes and it bothers people to have eyes low on a face, so the headlights end up on pretty high up from the road. The geometry of needing to be pretty much parallel to the pavement for long distance illumination and starting out high up gets the light into more oncoming drivers' eyes. • I'm pretty sure these are aimed too high from the factory. Other driver's will sometimes flash brights at the vehicle's low beam headlights. It's great for the driver, until the oncoming car hits you.
- semi-extrinsic 7y ago
  Add to that the absolutely hideous chromatic aberrations in the optics - and this is not just low-end cars, at least the normal BMWs used to be terrible at this - and you get blinded by basically pure blue light.
ollie87 7y ago
As nearly always - SUVs are the problem. Smaller, lower cars don't seem to have the same issues.
- war1025 7y ago
  SUVs are just the worst of all worlds in my opinion. I really don't understand the appeal of them.
  - magduf 7y ago
    People like big vehicles; people like to sit up higher; small women especially like them because it makes them feel more powerful. Finally, Americans just don't care about fuel economy, or cornering ability, or having a vehicle that doesn't roll over easily.
    - closeparen 7y ago
      People like to sit up higher so that they can see over the other people who like to sit up higher, recursively. People like to have a heavy vehicle so that they feel less at risk in a crash with other people who like to have heavy vehicles for the same reason, recursively. The base cases are more mysterious.
      - magduf 7y ago
        Exactly; it's basically an arms race.
    - gizmo385 7y ago
      > small women especially like them because it makes them feel more powerful [citation needed]
  - rootusrootus 7y ago
    Every time my 78 year old mom climbs down into the passenger seat of my Model 3, I am reminded of the appeal of SUVs/crossovers/etc.
  - arkades 7y ago
    Well, I recently switched from a sedan to an SUV, so let me help: 1. There are rows of SUVs parked at most residential intersections. This way I can actually see what's going on at the intersection, and if I can safely enter it. 2. Less headlight-in-eyes issues. 3. More storage capacity in the trunk. Yay! I don't live in Madrid or London; I can't just stop by the nice little corner store on my way home and get fresh produce. I have to do trips to Costco and haul back a supply. This makes a big difference. 4. More room for fitting the kid's car seat in the back. Since car seats in close proximity to a driver's seat are dangerous (if they should impact during an, uh, impact), this is safer. 5. Better stability in our regional weather. That's why I switched. Please be so kind as not to eat the serpent's tail: I don't care that if fewer people bought SUVs 1 and 2 would be irrelevant. I care that they -do- buy SUVs and this is my safety-oriented response to that reality.
- cmrdporcupine 7y ago
  Remember when The Simpson's Canyonero clip was satire/comedy? Now it just looks like an ad for a real car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI_Jl5WFQkA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI_Jl5WFQkA
  - kube-system 7y ago
    You must not remember what real car ads used to look like in the 80s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j-qy1s1RIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j-qy1s1RIM
    - cmrdporcupine 7y ago
      Dude I'm from Alberta, Canada's Texas. I grew up with these ads on constant rotation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivnYaqmXwS4&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivnYaqmXwS4&t=1s But if you look at the biggest pickups from the 80s they're not really that big. The whole compact and subcompact truck market has vanished. People only want 'em big.

by soheil 7y ago

jws 7y ago

Observing from a new KIA three row seating SUV… • The lights are higher color temperature than an incandescent bulb, so are perceived brighter for the same legal power output. • The vehicle has a tall front grill because buyers want a truck-like front end to avoid being called a minivan. Once you have a grill, headlights look like eyes and it bothers people to have eyes low on a face, so the headlights end up on pretty high up from the road. The geometry of needing to be pretty much parallel to the pavement for long distance illumination and starting out high up gets the light into more oncoming drivers' eyes. • I'm pretty sure these are aimed too high from the factory. Other driver's will sometimes flash brights at the vehicle's low beam headlights. It's great for the driver, until the oncoming car hits you.

semi-extrinsic 7y ago
Add to that the absolutely hideous chromatic aberrations in the optics - and this is not just low-end cars, at least the normal BMWs used to be terrible at this - and you get blinded by basically pure blue light.

ollie87 7y ago

As nearly always - SUVs are the problem. Smaller, lower cars don't seem to have the same issues.

war1025 7y ago
SUVs are just the worst of all worlds in my opinion. I really don't understand the appeal of them.
- magduf 7y ago
  People like big vehicles; people like to sit up higher; small women especially like them because it makes them feel more powerful. Finally, Americans just don't care about fuel economy, or cornering ability, or having a vehicle that doesn't roll over easily.
  - closeparen 7y ago
    People like to sit up higher so that they can see over the other people who like to sit up higher, recursively. People like to have a heavy vehicle so that they feel less at risk in a crash with other people who like to have heavy vehicles for the same reason, recursively. The base cases are more mysterious.
    - magduf 7y ago
      Exactly; it's basically an arms race.
  - gizmo385 7y ago
    > small women especially like them because it makes them feel more powerful [citation needed]
- rootusrootus 7y ago
  Every time my 78 year old mom climbs down into the passenger seat of my Model 3, I am reminded of the appeal of SUVs/crossovers/etc.
- arkades 7y ago
  Well, I recently switched from a sedan to an SUV, so let me help: 1. There are rows of SUVs parked at most residential intersections. This way I can actually see what's going on at the intersection, and if I can safely enter it. 2. Less headlight-in-eyes issues. 3. More storage capacity in the trunk. Yay! I don't live in Madrid or London; I can't just stop by the nice little corner store on my way home and get fresh produce. I have to do trips to Costco and haul back a supply. This makes a big difference. 4. More room for fitting the kid's car seat in the back. Since car seats in close proximity to a driver's seat are dangerous (if they should impact during an, uh, impact), this is safer. 5. Better stability in our regional weather. That's why I switched. Please be so kind as not to eat the serpent's tail: I don't care that if fewer people bought SUVs 1 and 2 would be irrelevant. I care that they -do- buy SUVs and this is my safety-oriented response to that reality.
cmrdporcupine 7y ago
Remember when The Simpson's Canyonero clip was satire/comedy? Now it just looks like an ad for a real car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI_Jl5WFQkA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI_Jl5WFQkA
- kube-system 7y ago
  You must not remember what real car ads used to look like in the 80s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j-qy1s1RIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j-qy1s1RIM
  - cmrdporcupine 7y ago
    Dude I'm from Alberta, Canada's Texas. I grew up with these ads on constant rotation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivnYaqmXwS4&t=1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivnYaqmXwS4&t=1s But if you look at the biggest pickups from the 80s they're not really that big. The whole compact and subcompact truck market has vanished. People only want 'em big.