CX-5 Headlight Stalk Choices

Like I said, you can test these things if you want. Or you can just move to the old standard "on" setting which works 100% of the time, conveniently enough. That requires the modest exercise of one's wrist.
This is what I use. I don't like the auto setting as I can't use my high beams if the light sensor sees some light. I prefer to have full control of my headlights and I never blind incoming drivers as I pay attention!
 
I've pulled my '23 in front of my big glass doors in the middle of the day and went through all the settings. I didn't see any difference whatsoever in any of them. The lights were always on, same brightness, no DRLs that I could see.

The only way to shut them off is to shut the car off.
 
I believe it’s from old habit that in the old days you don’t want to turn on the headlights unless it’s really needed to prolong the service life of the “expensive” sealed-beam headlight which is usually short-lived. And it can save some electricity (gas) from battery too.
Oh, right, like my daily driver Studebaker. ;)
 
I've pulled my '23 in front of my big glass doors in the middle of the day and went through all the settings. I didn't see any difference whatsoever in any of them. The lights were always on, same brightness, no DRLs that I could see.

The only way to shut them off is to shut the car off.
So if your light switch is off, parked your 2023 CX-5 in front of a glass door with engine running, and the low beam headlights are still on? How about shift the gear into the reverse?

In both cases your low beam headlight DRLs should be off.
 
I believe the “parking lights” used for parking in Europe actually is different. You park on the left side of the road in UK, switch turn-signal to the right with light stalk in parking light position, then turn off the engine. Only the right side of “parking lights” is on. If you leave the turn signal to the left with engine off, only the left side of parking lights is on if you park the car on the right side of the road. The theory is all trying to save the electricity in addition to safety.

Interesting, i never tried the left or right stalk in combination with it, but i was only in europe for a year.
 
The only thing I would question about that approach is that AUTO purportedly turns the headlights off altogether if ambient light is sufficient. One would probably want to test that feature to see how well it works at dawn, dusk or in the rain.

I say "purportedly" because I have not tested it. It it happens to be as inconsistent as some features (rain sensing wipers and lane keeping) it might not do its on-off thing to one's satisfaction.

Of course you could just skip the overthinking and move the stalk to the bottom old standard "on" position in dim ambient light. My, oh, my, how did we ever live before automatic headlights. :rolleyes:
I have no issue dusk or dawn with headlights on auto, on my 22 there is a setting for how dark for auto headlights to come on.
 
I understand the "Auto" feature and how convenient it is. However, I recommend everybody to get into the habit of turning the lights on manually, rather than relying on the Auto function. Take back the total control of your car! 😆
 
I’m a big fan of auto feature. It takes the human element, and its inherent errors out of the equation. I see so many people at dusk and dawn without any lights at all! Talk about accidents waiting to happen. I want to tell these people that it’s not so much about how well you can see, but much more about being seen! Nothing like getting t-boned by something out of the darkness, when something as simple as having lights on could have prevented it.
 
Not a law in my state as far as I know, but if my windshield wipers are on, so are my headlights.

So many drivers don't get this. There are other conditions as well, but I do not need Auto to tell me when to have them on.
That’s what I came here to comment. I use Auto on my vehicle, but usually flip the stalk selector to On in the rain. During the day in my area there’s a 50/50 chance it’s still bright enough during rain to where the standard lights won’t come on automatically. Same law, wipers on lights on.
 
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