I've been complaining about too bright headlights for years

[wlong01]

At night it seems that just about every vehicle has their high beams on.

How Bright Headlights Escaped Regulation — and Blinded Us All

Modern LED technology promised safer roads. Instead, it's creating a blinding menace that regulators refuse to address.

www.autoblog.com

 

[GFrosty]

Downside:

• With "dumb" lighting it's all but impossible to escape extremely bright (apparently "high beam") lights coming at us.

Upside:

• Visibility is vastly better, these days (at least for me and my aging eyes), to see critters, jaywalkers and other obstacles on dark roadways.
• Nothing else has kept speeders from utterly ignoring safe speeds; their feeling of being "blinded" and difficulty seeing provides a constraint that cannot be avoided for such people.

I hope we finally get to a point where the "smart" matrix-type lighting becomes the norm.

 

[N7turbo]

I hope one day I wake up to a firmware update that upgrades my lights.

 

[jadmt]

I am happy with my 23's headlights...plenty bright and I do not get flashed and do a lot of night time two lane driving....

 

[paris1]

I am happy with my 23's headlights...plenty bright and I do not get flashed and do a lot of night time two lane driving....

The lights on my wife's '23 are great also (from a driver's standpoint), as are those on my '18 Mazda 3 (same technology). But I would have to agree with the OP that today's head lights (from an oncoming driver's POV) are irritating. In fact, I have made it a point to check the headlights of oncoming 2nd gen CX-5s and have noticed that, without exception, they have an irritating blue-ish glare that is noticeable as the vehicles rises and falls with the surface of the road. This is true even in daylight; they're even worse at night!

 

[N7turbo]

There are only 2 gens on the road, but I know what you're talking about, from the projector bulb.

 

[GovtCheese]

polarized sunglasses at night works wonders. its ridiculous how harsh headlights can be.

 

[wlong01]

It's exacerbated by the people driving around with their high beams on.

 

[GovtCheese]

It's exacerbated by the people driving around with their high beams on.

I don't think its just the high beams.

Even on the 2025 CX5s, our own headlights are ridiculously intense and harsh--and this is said as someone sitting BEHIND them.

 

[paris1]

There are only 2 gens on the road, but I know what you're talking about, from the projector bulb.

You're right; my bad! Here's a link to one solution the aftermarket is toying with.

Autoline on the Road

Drivers all over the world complain about the glare of oncoming headlights. And the problem is only getting worse as […]

www.autoline.tv

 

[N7turbo]

I don't think its just the high beams.

Even on the 2025 CX5s, our own headlights are ridiculously intense and harsh--and this is said as someone sitting BEHIND them.

In my experience, Mazda does the cutoff right, but only just barely. Every little bump in the road bounces the lights up into windows. I think they should be slightly lower (and the suspension better damped).