How useful are the adaptive headlights?

[maxpowers]

I am in the market for a new car and have been looking at the Genesis 3.8 and Lacrosse (high end) and Sonata turbo and optima turbo (low end) for a while now. I love a luxury car, smooth ride, and bells and whistles. However I have been leaning towards the low end recently until I almost got into an accident at night where articulating head lights MIGHT have helped me. This gives me even more reasons to go towards my high end market. Both the Lacrosse and Genesis have the articulating headlights.
How useful do you think they are and are you glad you paid the extra amount to get them?

PS: I am 26

 

[hwks1]

They are a 'nice to have'...you get used to them and won't even really realize they are there. They aren't particularly useful in town driving I don't think but I do notice them and appreciate them in my rural driving areas. They do exactly what they are advertised to do...turn the wheel and the headlights swivelmin that direction. RurAl highway curves I consider them very useful

 

[BBQ Bandit]

Its an unseen but useful asset.

Late one night parked on a downward slope in a parking lot and powered down.
Powered back up and visually saw the headlight's beam rise upwards offsetting the downward slope of the parking lot.

Definitely be beneficial on the roads at night.

 

[QuantumRift]

Well, we got our 2012 Genesis 3.8L V6 on 8 AUG this past month and the articulating headlights are well worth it. We live in SE Arizona, not particulary urban area, more suburban with lots of open space between Sierra Vista and Tucson. I find them to be very useful. We got both the TECH and PREMIUM Packages on our Genny. I give the headlights TWO SOLID THUMBS UP. Test drive the Genny and you won't bother looking anywhere else for a vehicle...we test drove them all (BMW, Mercedes, yati yati yati) and as you, we were "leaning" towards a LaCrosse or even a [gasp!] manufactured-in-Germany Regal, but LOVED the Genny (and this was even after we BOUGHT a 200-HP Sonata, drove it for a weekend and took it back to 'exchange' it for the Genny [we had to wait about a month for the Genny)....hope that helps

 

[nextcar]

Its an unseen but useful asset.

Late one night parked on a downward slope in a parking lot and powered down.
Powered back up and visually saw the headlight's beam rise upwards offsetting the downward slope of the parking lot.

Definitely be beneficial on the roads at night.

yes, i noticed that when i turn on the car at night, the headlights swivel up.
but i thought the lights only articulate horizontally during turns, and in that respect, i haven't noticed any benefit in my mostly urban/suburban driving.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

yes, i noticed that when i turn on the car at night, the headlights swivel up.
but i thought the lights only articulate horizontally during turns, and in that respect, i haven't noticed any benefit in my mostly urban/suburban driving.

Funny cuz I'm the opposite: rarely notice a difference around curves, but always notice the up/down leveling on hills.
And to the OP:
I had them on my '03 and '06 Passats, Mrs. BTHBC had/has them on her EOS and BMW. We've learned to appreciate them.

 

[BacktoHyundaibychoice]

Quick question:
Is this really a "should I get the Tech package or not" question? Are the adaptive lights available without Tech? Honestly don't know, too lazy to look.

 

[hwks1]

....Both the Lacrosse and Genesis have the articulating headlights.

The Lacrosse looks great until you drive it. It leaves you very disappointed with the road noise.... did we leave a door open? Is there no floor board on this car? Turn up the radio honey so we can drown out the road drone.

 

[waveman]

I agree that the adaptive headlights are useful on winding, dark roads. There are a couple around here that I often drive at night - anything that helps me see deer and other critters crossing the road at curves is helpful.

 

[Gurkha]

Quick question: Are the adaptive lights available without Tech? Honestly don't know, too lazy to look.

No there are not, but in Canada you can get 'Autoleveling' HID's without the Tech package. They do not move left or right with the steering wheel though.

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[Soldier76]

I just simply appreciate the brightness of the xenon headlights, and the headlights cover a wider space too so you can see around those corners better. The turning feature just compliments the Xenons even more.

 

[QuantumRift]

The Lacrosse looks great until you drive it. It leaves you very disappointed with the road noise.... did we leave a door open? Is there no floor board on this car? Turn up the radio honey so we can drown out the road drone.

That's exactly what we thought as well, and a good reason why we are driving the Genny and not the Lacrosse or Sonata.

 

[Slider]

Truthfully, I haven't even noticed the adaptive headlights yet, insofar as actually noticing the turn.

I also drove the Lacrosse...was keen on the car until I drove it. The road noise was an issue, but the width of the cabin was a big dealbreaker for me--I found it to be far too narrow.

 

[tompass]

I also considered the Lacrosse but did not appreciate the blue disco lighting and the front wheel drive steering torque.

 

[homeofstone]

Quick question:
Is this really a "should I get the Tech package or not" question? Are the adaptive lights available without Tech? Honestly don't know, too lazy to look.

The tech package gives you a lot for the money. Get the v8 and the tech comes with it.

 

[QuantumRift]

You have to pay for it either way. Pay for the tech pkg and keep the V6 simply because the V8 really offers nothing more than 'bragging rights'...yea more power (a second.something faster 0-60 times) and less gas mileage....

 

[scottdk]

You have to pay for it either way. Pay for the tech pkg and keep the V6 simply because the V8 really offers nothing more than 'bragging rights'...yea more power (a second.something faster 0-60 times) and less gas mileage....

For the 2009 model year the V8 with tech came with options not available on a loaded V6, and for only about $1,800 more. ZF tranny, LSD, and my average of 22mpg city and 30 highway....I'll take it!

 

[acoga]

No there are not, but in Canada you can get 'Autoleveling' HID's without the Tech package. They do not move left or right with the steering wheel though.

I am confused. I'd assume that the autoleveling mechanism would be the same on a Canadian Genesis as on a U.S. one. I haven't seen them in action because so far I've only driven at night in very well lit areas, but I notice when I start the car in a dark garage the headlights seem to do a quick up/down cycle to realign, but I don't see them go left right. So I'd assume, like Gurkha said, that the headlights only adjust vertically, but I've seen comments on this forum from people saying the lights help them around curves.

So which is it? Do the adaptive headlights move left/right or only up/down?

 

[ShoNuff]

I am confused. I'd assume that the autoleveling mechanism would be the same on a Canadian Genesis as on a U.S. one. I haven't seen them in action because so far I've only driven at night in very well lit areas, but I notice when I start the car in a dark garage the headlights seem to do a quick up/down cycle to realign, but I don't see them go left right. So I'd assume, like Gurkha said, that the headlights only adjust vertically, but I've seen comments on this forum from people saying the lights help them around curves.

So which is it? Do the adaptive headlights move left/right or only up/down?

I can't speak to the Canadian Genesis, but I can confirm that the headlights on my 2009 Genny do indeed move left/right. I would presume that later models do the same, but cannot confirm that.

 

[newspruce]

I have had my 2012 premium/tech since June, and honestly cannot tell any difference. I placed an observer at a tight turn to watch the headlights, and they could not tell if they turned or were straight ahead (nor could I, driving). I am trying to figure out if they are working as advertised or not. Does anyone know a way to check them? I am sure they are computer controlled, so maybe the speed being slow in a tight turn kept them from moving. (??)