Admin Update: directly below is BMWUSA's official response to the IIHS report:
Quote:
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The BMW Group has been an industry leader for headlight technology innovation for more than four decades. BMW was the first to introduce ellipsoid projector headlights, electronic adaptive headlight technology, xenon headlights and most recently BMW Laserlights. BMW has also pioneered Night Vision systems that can detect animals and pedestrians far beyond the range of the best headlight systems. While we are disappointed with the results of the IIHS headlight test of a BMW 3 Series equipped with basic halogen headlights, we remain confident that we offer our customers very effective headlight systems at a variety of price points.
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Original post:
"Many of the poorest-scoring vehicles were luxury cars. Case in point: The headlights on the
BMW 3-Series [with halogen lights] received the
lowest marks of any car tested. Researchers said a driver with a BMW equipped with those headlines would have to be going 35 miles per hour or slower to stop in time to avoid an obstacle in the travel lane."
"
A better-performing headlight system available on the 3-Series [i.e., LED lights], for example, earned a
"marginal" score."
"Cars earning a
"marginal" rating include: the Acura TLX, Ford Fusion, Audi A4, Lincoln MKZ,
BMW 2-series, BMW 3-Series, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Camry and Chrysler 200."
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/03/30/h...afety-car-led/
"Headlights are evaluated on the track after dark at the IIHS Vehicle Research Center. A special device measures the light from both low beams and high beams as the vehicle is driven on five different approaches: traveling straight, a sharp left curve, a sharp right curve, a gradual left curve and a gradual right curve.
Glare for oncoming vehicles also is measured from low beams in each scenario to make sure it isn't excessive.
Headlights are tested as received from the dealer. Although the vertical aim of headlights can be adjusted on most vehicles, IIHS doesn't change headlight aim because few vehicle owners ever do and some manufacturers advise consumers not to.
After a vehicle is tested on the track, IIHS engineers compare its visibility and glare measurements to those of a hypothetical ideal headlight system and use a scheme of demerits to determine the rating. Results for low beams are weighted more heavily than high beams because they are used more often. The readings on the straightaway are weighted more heavily than those on the curves because more crashes occur on straight sections of road.
Vehicles equipped with high-beam assist, which automatically switches between high beams and low beams depending on the presence of other vehicles, may earn back some points taken off for less-than-ideal low beam visibility. This credit is given only for approaches on which the glare threshold isn't exceeded and on which the high beams provide additional visibility compared with the low beams.
A vehicle with excessive glare on any of the approaches can't earn a rating above marginal."
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/deskto...ed-improvement
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/rat...ght-evaluation
Prius V LED vs BMW 3er halogen:
Add the 2016 X1 to the list:
