Front LED Lights - Love 'em or Loathe 'em?

[Guest wilkopilko]

WTF is up with LED's everywhere?

I know I am not going to be flavour of the month but personally I cannot stand them.

Edited 12 March, 2010 by wilkopilko

[vRSLen]

Hate them with a vengeance :(

[Barbourc1]

Ditto to that , makes a car look cheap

[RobClubley]

I like them, but I'm a tart.

[ric04vrs]

darned annoying, far enough if its the way forward, but still annoying

even Transit vans have them on now

[daveface]

I like them if they come as standard or on the car when it comes from factory like the new Audi range or Citroen DS3. I cant stand retro fit LED DRL's they do my head in and they look in 99.99% of the time crap!

I mean i saw a brand new Golf R32 which looked stunning and what did the owner do?! Put two strips of BLUE LEDs under each of the headlights following the curve of the bumper! But what makes it even worse was they were not even straight!!!

So in summary i like OEM factory fitted DRL LEDS but hate aftermarket ones!

Dave

[KenONeill]

Another hater here; I even hate them as factory fit!

[SnailUK]

I like them, but I'm a tart.

+1

[Calomax]

I absolutely hate these daylight running lights. I can tolerate them in bright weather but as soon as it's just a little bit dull, they dazzle. They're almost as bad as foglights but don't get me started on that.

I wish everyone who has them fitted would turn on their dipped headlights because that turns the DRLs off.

They're supposed to be a safety feature but they aren't because I'm always having to shade my eyes when I meet them. Maybe they're ok on fast wide roads so perhaps, if we have to have them, they should be desigbned to come on when traveling faster than 50mph.

I think even the latest Skodas are beginning to have them fitted.

Edited 12 March, 2010 by Calomax

[KenONeill]

I absolutely hate these daylight running lights. I can tolerate them in bright weather but as soon as it's just a little bit dull, they dazzle. They're almost as bad as foglights but don't get me started on that.

I wish everyone who has them fitted would turn on their dipped headlights because that turns the DRLs off.

They're supposed to be a safety feature but they aren't because I'm always having to shade my eyes when I meet them. Maybe they're ok on fast wide roads so perhaps, if we have to have them, they should be desigbned to come on when traveling faster than 50mph.

I think even the latest Skodas are beginning to have them fitted.

In the main I agree with you; certainly they make it harder to range oncoming vehicles correctly when you first see them, without making them any easier to see!

But, at least on some Audis, turning the headlights on does not cancel the DRLs!!

[Guest wilkopilko]

even Transit vans have them on now

No way! You've got to be kidding?

How can you not see a fecking great big Transit van?

Edited 12 March, 2010 by wilkopilko

[Bogwoppit]

I think they are way too bright. Also as a ex biker I think these DRL's will become so common that bikers with headlights won't be seen as easily, this is bad news as most of Joe Public drive with their eyes closed.

Edited 12 March, 2010 by peter0976

[skinnyman]

I hope they're a passing phase and we'll look back on them witha wry smile in a few years.

The trouble is the majority of people in society seem to like shiny things. If they see someone who has a shiny thing, they want one too, irrespective of whether it is needed. If they're told it looks good, they will think it looks good. Maybe the designers are having a laugh at our expense, seeing how far they can take stupid ideas to find out how dumb society is and if we'll pay for them.

[TriggerFish]

The principle behind them is fine IMO, but the use of LED's is what I can't stand. Why can't they follow Vauxhall with some of the Insignia and just use side lights? Or Merc who have standard bulbs on some models. Or BWM who use the main headlamps or old Vovlos - they did fine without chaving everything up?

I suppose at the end of the day it's Audi etc knowing its market really, which is annoyingly on the whole, the sort of people who like shiny things.

Edited 12 March, 2010 by TriggerFish

[Guest wilkopilko]

The principle behind them is fine IMO, but the use of LED's is what I can't stand. Why can't they follow Vauxhall with some of the Insignia and just use side lights? Or Merc who have standard bulbs on some models. Or BWM who use the main headlamps or old Vovlos - they did fine without chaving everything up?

I suppose at the end of the day it's Audi etc knowing it's market really, which is annoyingly on the whole, the sort of people who like shiny things.

Is that why REM wrote "Shiny Happy People"?

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

The principle behind them is fine IMO, but the use of LED's is what I can't stand. Why can't they follow Vauxhall with some of the Insignia and just use side lights? Or Merc who have standard bulbs on some models. Or BWM who use the main headlamps or old Vovlos - they did fine without chaving everything up?

I suppose at the end of the day it's Audi etc knowing it's market really, which is annoyingly on the whole, the sort of people who like shiny things.

1+

Side lights that are on all the time are fine, as are LED side lights, but all the ones on new cars seem to be a bit chavvy imo

[SimonJ]

I like them on the front of the new Audi's, especially the A4 Avant.

[The Ors]

The principle behind them is fine IMO, but the use of LED's is what I can't stand. Why can't they follow Vauxhall with some of the Insignia and just use side lights? Or Merc who have standard bulbs on some models. Or BWM who use the main headlamps or old Vovlos - they did fine without chaving everything up?

I suppose at the end of the day it's Audi etc knowing its market really, which is annoyingly on the whole, the sort of people who like shiny things.

+2

Side lights that are on all the time are fine, as are LED side lights, but all the ones on new cars seem to be a bit chavvy imo

Same here. Don't mind DRL's but hate the fairy lights draped across the current Audi's etc. Looks cheap. Looks nasty.

[Jcb.]

I have to say, it could just be because i'm young, but i've never experienced any kind of dazzling or masking from cars with DRLs. As far as I can tell, they do their job in making the car with them fitted far more visable. I don't feel this obscures any vision of a bike that might be infront etc. If the condtions are of a low light in which the biker is difficult to see, then he should have lights on anyway. Infact, in this scenario, having the car behind him nice and visable may prevent someone pulling out at a junction infront of him.

If other road users don't make themselves as visable then perhaps there could be a problem. But as said, in low visablility conditions, then certainly I turn my lights on regardless. If everyone takes the same steps (which they should do anyway) I can't see that they are a problem.

[Guest wilkopilko]

I have to say, it could just be because i'm young, but i've never experienced any kind of dazzling or masking from cars with DRLs. As far as I can tell, they do their job in making the car with them fitted far more visable. I don't feel this obscures any vision of a bike that might be infront etc. If the condtions are of a low light in which the biker is difficult to see, then he should have lights on anyway. Infact, in this scenario, having the car behind him nice and visable may prevent someone pulling out at a junction infront of him.

If other road users don't make themselves as visable then perhaps there could be a problem. But as said, in low visablility conditions, then certainly I turn my lights on regardless. If everyone takes the same steps (which they should do anyway) I can't see that they are a problem.

I don't know though - what with increasing speed reductions on sweeping 'A' Roads, average camera systems & snidey camera vans popping up all over & amongst the most expensive countries to run a car (High VAT on vehicles, Fuel expense Inc' VAT & Road Tax) & now we're being thwarted with high-visibility LED lights that are constantly on because of growing Health & Safety fears......WTF is going on?

Are we really a nation of people who cannot see very well or have no common sense anymore? Geez, anyone would think the Government are pushing us to use public transport.

The Nanny State Cometh.

I notice the "There OK, may consider some in the future" in the above Poll is creeping up

Edited 16 March, 2010 by wilkopilko

[mikey vrs]

Dont like them...........looks tacky & will become the latest chavy mod,just like the lexus rear lights !

[Irvtheswerv]

Can't stand them, especially on the Audi's, which are now the ultimate chav car imho.

[M12MKD]

I have them on the Octavia and I like them.

Are they mostly aimed towards stupid people who cant see cars and end up walking out in front of them? Personally I feel correct use of birth control would stop this. Going off topic you need a licence to drive, to fish, for a TV and yet you dont need a licence to reproduce!

[lordrobs]

90% of aftermarket ones look rubbish as do about 50% of OEM ones.

When they are integrated well I quite like them.

Edited 16 March, 2010 by lordrobs

[tomo9945]

I was all set to buy a facelft model last week. However, i passed a blue VRS with the LED's last night and I have to say they looked awful. So much so that I think I will look at a pre facelift model now I think. The design of the headlights is really good...if only they could have stopped there! Even changed my vote on the poll too!

Edited 19 March, 2010 by tomo9945