Hi, I'm looking at a 2016 GT and I'm trying to find a visual comparison of the LED headlights vs the standard halogen lights. I'm having trouble finding side-by-side comparison images and/or video of the differences, especially at night. From what I've read most people seem to think the GT Tech Package is well worth the $1,500 cost but it would be nice to be a actual side-by-side comparison. The LED lights certainly look nicer up close but how that translates to night driving improvements is what I'm trying to find more info about. Anything people know of would be great. Thanks!
LED Headlight Comparison
- Thread starter vis
- Start date
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- '17-6, '21 CX-5
Don't believe either of these vids shows the comparison of the halogens vs the LED's, but they do show how the LED's light up the night.......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh1dRWiXavA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKCKsmC0d3I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh1dRWiXavA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKCKsmC0d3I
Thread is somewhere here but here is same comparison of HIDs & LEDs on another site.
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?62722-2013-CX-5-OEM-HID-vs-2016-CX-5-OEM-LED-(RHD)&
EDIT: Probably doesn't help since you are looking for halogen.
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?62722-2013-CX-5-OEM-HID-vs-2016-CX-5-OEM-LED-(RHD)&
EDIT: Probably doesn't help since you are looking for halogen.
Well I ended up going with the Tech Package for the extra $1,500 based on other comparisons I saw online and other upgrades/things it included. I think I will like the better headlights because I do drive in some quite dark areas with deer and other animals / etc... I was going to get nav either during or after the sale anyways.
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For deer I think the original self-aiming Xenon headlights are probably better due to their more effective peripheral illumination. The better spectrum won't hurt. However, realistically speaking, if you're going over 50, it's hard enough to avoid a deer hell-bent on jumping in front of you, and that's in broad daylight. At night the best headlights might be a small advantage when it comes to deer strikes.
Led spread is shown on page 12 under "The safest on the road"
https://www.mazda.co.uk/assets/uk/cars/brochures/cx-5/mazda-cx-5-brochure.pdf
I don't know though if the same applies to the American market.
https://www.mazda.co.uk/assets/uk/cars/brochures/cx-5/mazda-cx-5-brochure.pdf
I don't know though if the same applies to the American market.
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
I think HID offers the best vision. LED's are typically rather low CRI. I have done a lot of messing around with LED's on weapon lights in the past, and only recently have I found some that I really like. The new Surefire stuff is only moderate CRI, but for whatever reason, the CONTRAST it puts out is amazing. Typically, LED's "gray out" at distance. I have not seen the CX-5's LED's, though, and I'm curious how effective they are!
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- RDX Aspec Adv.
Are you unable to get the point across with HID's? I wonder if the flash-bang effect of the LED is actually a positive thing, here. Who knows what kind of geriatric you're flashing that might have a vision issue that otherwise wouldn't have occurred with the HID. I realize that's reaching a bit, but so is "It's better for flashing people".
Just playing devil's advocate, here, but for $1500, I'd probably get them, as I doubt that's ALL the $1500 gets you.
The CX-5's Xenon HID's with self-leveling goes from low to high beam without changing current to the bulbs. The bulbs continue to put out high beam brightness, regardless of beam setting. It's a thin metal aperture plate that flips up/down instantly to switch from low to high beam.
Are these lights still offered as an option on new US spec models?
This is one area in which the newer CX-5's have been downgraded as the Xenon's had better projection down the road and better CRI (color rendering index) which will mean less eye fatigue after extended night driving. The Xenon's also have less glare to oncoming drivers.
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- Plano, Texas, USA
LED lighting on CX-5, which includes headlights with low/high beams, fog lights, DRLs, tail lights, brake lights, definitely is worth the money. You have cool looking and more expensive LED pipe (instead of LED array used by the most) DRLs and trail lights. The Pivoting Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS) which turns your LED headlights left and right according to your steering wheel angle and auto leveling function based on your load, greatly improves safety of night driving. LED headlights have the light output much stronger than halogen, which also helps your see more clearly and farther in the dark. Not to mention LEDs will last almost forever!
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Exactly! LED headlights is a trend now and Xenon will be a thing of past. You can see how high tech the LED headlight system can be, Mazda i-ACTIVSENSE - Adaptive LED Headlamps (ALH), but unfortunately this is not available here in the US.
I hate it when the bean counters decide what we get and what we can't have I appreciate really good headlights since I live pretty far north where the winter nights are long and dark.
For those that think the LED's are inferior to HID, I'd ask if any of you have actually driven a CX-5 with the full LED lighting package? I have, and I've driven cars with HID lighting as well. Both are great systems, but I prefer LEDs. Light output is tremendous, and extremely clear, the cutoff is about as flat as I've ever seen on any lighting system (I.e. it does not bother oncoming drivers at all). Add to that the adaptive feature which is amazing on any dark road with corners, and you've got one heck of a package. LED's aren't just a trend (although they are trendy), but they have some significant features over HIDs (greater efficiency, lower operating temperature, less material required - lenses/reflectors/ baffles/ballasts - etc, instant on/off, longer useful life - typically measured in thousands of lamp hours, slower "lamp decline"), the list goes on. If we're talking off road lighting, where you want light to go "everywhere", only then can I see an advantage for HID, but for street lighting where a sharp focus is beneficial, LED is the way to go.
To the OP: I'll happily post up pictures of my LED lighting at night, if someone will post up photos of their HID system. Not true apples to apples since the photos will be in different places with different cameras but it may help? Or we could do a bay area CX-5 meet up and compare lighting systems. (cabpatch)
To the OP: I'll happily post up pictures of my LED lighting at night, if someone will post up photos of their HID system. Not true apples to apples since the photos will be in different places with different cameras but it may help? Or we could do a bay area CX-5 meet up and compare lighting systems. (cabpatch)
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Totally concur! I thought my last ride (2012 Countryman) had amazing xenon headlights. . .Then I drove the CX-5! I spend a lot of time on back roads late at night. Twisty roads full of Deer don't scare me as much with the high beams of the CX-5 lighting the way!
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I'm always hesitant to flash bi-xenon HIDs when I don't have any driving lights on as it tends to put a lot of stress on the ballasts/ignitor. It has nothing to do with others getting the point of me flashing my lights. 
If you already have the HIDs on, say, at night, then it's not an issue. The little cover flips up, etc. but if you're driving around with the headlights completely off (say, during the daytime) and you pull-to-flash a few times, the ballast will need to rapidly ignite the HID bulbs over and over.
I remember doing a bit of research a few years back and the conclusion was that it'll increase wear and tear on the ballast/ignitor of the HID if you turn it on and off over and over.
Of course, if you drive a car with only HID lowbeams and halogen highs and the lows do not turn on when you pull-to-flash, then it's a non-issue. (Like on my NC MX-5)
I hope I'm making sense.
If you already have the HIDs on, say, at night, then it's not an issue. The little cover flips up, etc. but if you're driving around with the headlights completely off (say, during the daytime) and you pull-to-flash a few times, the ballast will need to rapidly ignite the HID bulbs over and over.
I remember doing a bit of research a few years back and the conclusion was that it'll increase wear and tear on the ballast/ignitor of the HID if you turn it on and off over and over.
Of course, if you drive a car with only HID lowbeams and halogen highs and the lows do not turn on when you pull-to-flash, then it's a non-issue. (Like on my NC MX-5)
I hope I'm making sense.
