Are the 2019's headlight covers darker/tinted?s

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2019 Mazda CX-5 AWD Grand Touring
This might be my imagination, but I swear my headlights aren't as bright on my brand new 2019 white cx-5 grand touring compared to the previous 2018 grey cx-5 grand touring I had for a month.

It almost seems like the plastic headlight casing is darker or tinted slightly, just not as clear as it was on the 2018. Now I know you can get headlight covers to protect the plastic, but I can't tell if mine has that on it or not. I bought the car brand new, so I would think something like that wouldn't be applied.

But at night it just seems to me they are a tad bit dimmer than the 2018's brightness was.

Did the headlights change in anyway at all between the 2018 and 2019 models? Is there some option I might have installed that would cause this?

Just curious if anyone else has noticed this, or if I'm just going crazy

I'll try and take some pictures on a sunny day, and then also at night... it's raining right now.
 
Ok, here's all the pictures I have of my car right now, I took these the day I got it, note that it is in the shadows here. I need to take some better up close pics of the headlights in the sunlight, as well as at night so you can see them better. Right now it's a rainy day, but once it clears up I will add better closeups of the headlights.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6Qo2hV73UdTdQMjG9
 
Let's see some pics

FxF5UMj.jpg
 
Need to replace that incandescent turn signal, already did the rear with red LED. Makes the light housing look clearer. There is a LED element between the LED projector and turn signal.
 
I have updated my photo album with close-up pictures of the headlights today, at the bottom of the album.

Note that today is still a cloudy/rainy day, so it is cloudy outside, no sun out. When it clears up and is bright and sunny I'll take more pics in the sunlight.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6Qo2hV73UdTdQMjG9
(click the pics to make bigger, the lights on at the bottom are the full headlights turned on)

I'm wondering if the headlight lens cover is tinted/darker perhaps with some sort of coating? Or maybe the 2019 LED bulbs are different than 2018? The light emitted at night seems dimmer to me than my 2018 was, it was immediatly noticable to me the first time I used the lights at night.

I'll try and get some night shots as well on a clear night.
 
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Your lights are definitely not tinted. Mazda uses black plastic in the housing to provide contrast and make it visually interesting. Whether they are the same output as the previous ones is a different question. Perhaps night shots will show if there's something amiss.
 
Thank you, that is good to know about the black plastic housing.

I too wonder if the LED lights are different at all. Is there anyway to find out exactly what LED's are used in each year car?
 
It should be the same unit and part number from 2018 to 2019, though sometimes batches could vary slightly in intensity. Can you post a pic of the illumination at night? Take a pic lighting up a wall. It's also possible to reaim the headlights if they're incorrectly aimed (which they probably aren't, from the factory). No complaints here with the headlights on my 2019.
 
I will get some good night shots when I can.

Just generally speaking, is it possible to switch out the LED headlights, install new OEM ones, or even aftermarket better ones? Is it easy to do, or difficult, or not even possible?
 
I will get some good night shots when I can.

Just generally speaking, is it possible to switch out the LED headlights, install new OEM ones, or even aftermarket better ones? Is it easy to do, or difficult, or not even possible?

I don't think it's possible to swap out the LED "bulb" in the headlights because it's a sealed housing, but I could be wrong. I know it's not possible on the CX-9, which has LED headlights on some trims. You can swap out the entire headlight housing for an aftermarket one, but I'm not sure if aftermarket options exist yet.
 
I remember on the HID models, Mazda used environmentally friendlier bulbs with less mercury....at expense of being not a bright.
 
Luckily, no one is using HID on new designs, LED modules are simpler and lighter, and don't require high voltage ballasts. Oh yeah, and the HID bulb fades over time. HIDs are a pain in the ass, I don't miss them.

LED headlights are standard across the range on the CX-5 and CX-9.
 
Luckily, no one is using HID on new designs, LED modules are simpler and lighter, and don't require high voltage ballasts. Oh yeah, and the HID bulb fades over time. HIDs are a pain in the ass, I don't miss them.

LED headlights are standard across the range on the CX-5 and CX-9.

Only downside to car LED headlights...when they die you have to change whole assembly.
 
if you really think it is dimmer, i would take it in to the dealership, compare it side by side to another cx-5, and if it is indeed dimmer, Ask Mazda to swap them out.
 
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