The Future of Headlights: A Balancing Act Between Technology and Cost

In recent years, headlight technology has undergone significant changes, with LEDs becoming a popular choice for many vehicle manufacturers. However, as Tom pointed out, while LEDs offer several advantages, they also have their drawbacks. One of the main concerns is the potential for glare, particularly when approaching oncoming traffic or navigating uneven road surfaces.

LEDs are indeed more energy-efficient than traditional halogen bulbs, but they can still produce a significant amount of glare if not properly aligned. The key to minimizing glare is proper beam alignment and adjustment. Tom had already adjusted his Jeep's headlights, which helped alleviate the issue. However, even with adjustments in place, some drivers may still experience glare, particularly when approaching oncoming traffic.

The main culprit behind this problem is the way LEDs are designed. Unlike traditional halogen bulbs, LEDs have a more uniform beam pattern, but they also produce a brighter and whiter light. This can make it difficult to distinguish between the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, leading to a perception that the high beams are flashing or on, even when they're not.

This issue is not unique to LED-equipped vehicles, as halogen bulbs can also produce glare if not properly aligned. However, LEDs seem to be more susceptible to this problem due to their higher intensity and uniformity. As Tom noted, even some police officers have complained about the glare produced by high beams in certain situations.

Despite these challenges, there are solutions on the horizon. Adaptive beam headlights, which can adjust their beam pattern or dim specific areas of the light to minimize glare, are already available in Europe but not yet widespread in the United States. These systems use advanced sensors and cameras to detect oncoming traffic and adjust the light accordingly. While they may address the issue of glare, they come with a hefty price tag, which could make them inaccessible to many consumers.

Another approach being explored is the development of more sophisticated LED headlights that can adapt to different driving situations. Some manufacturers are already testing vehicles with advanced LED lighting systems that can adjust their beam pattern or dim specific areas of the light in response to changing conditions.

In the meantime, consumers can take steps to mitigate glare by adjusting their headlight settings and being mindful of their surroundings while driving at night. It's also worth noting that not all LEDs are created equal, and some may produce more glare than others due to factors such as beam pattern and intensity.

As we continue to navigate the evolution of automotive technology, it's essential to strike a balance between innovation and practicality. While advancements in LED lighting can offer significant benefits, they must also be designed with safety and cost in mind. By acknowledging the potential drawbacks of these technologies and exploring alternative solutions, we can create safer, more efficient, and more affordable headlights for the future.

Adaptive Headlights: A Regulatory Catch-22

In recent years, adaptive headlights have gained popularity in Europe, where they're already a standard feature on many vehicles. However, their use is still not widespread in the United States due to regulatory concerns. The comment period for these systems has been ongoing, with manufacturers and industry experts weighing in on their benefits and drawbacks.

One of the main arguments in favor of adaptive headlights is their ability to reduce glare while driving at night. By adjusting the beam pattern or dimming specific areas of the light, these systems can help minimize the risk of dazzling other drivers. Additionally, adaptive headlights can provide improved visibility in low-light conditions, making them a valuable feature for safety-conscious drivers.

However, there are also concerns about the potential impact on driver perception and vehicle design. As Tom noted, some drivers may still perceive high beams as flashing or on, even when they're not. This issue is particularly pronounced with LED headlights, which can produce a brighter and whiter light than traditional halogen bulbs.

The regulatory framework surrounding adaptive headlights is complex, with multiple agencies weighing in on their safety and performance. In Europe, these systems are subject to strict testing protocols and certification requirements, ensuring that they meet rigorous safety standards. However, the United States has yet to establish clear guidelines for the development and testing of adaptive headlights.

As the debate around adaptive headlights continues, it's essential to acknowledge the need for innovation while also prioritizing safety and practicality. By exploring alternative solutions and addressing regulatory concerns, we can create more efficient and effective lighting systems that benefit both drivers and passengers.

High-Beam Headlights: A Tale of Two Technologies

When it comes to high-beam headlights, there's often a perception that the higher cost is always better. However, this isn't necessarily the case. While LEDs offer several advantages over traditional halogen bulbs, they also have their drawbacks. As Tom pointed out, even with adjustments in place, some drivers may still experience glare or discomfort when approaching oncoming traffic.

One of the main challenges facing LED headlights is the need to balance brightness and beam pattern. While LEDs can produce a more uniform light, this can sometimes lead to glare or reduced visibility for other drivers. In contrast, traditional halogen bulbs tend to produce a more focused beam, which can help minimize glare in certain situations.

However, as we've seen with Tom's Jeep, even halogen bulbs can cause issues if not properly aligned. The key to minimizing glare is proper beam alignment and adjustment, but this can be tricky, especially when dealing with complex lighting systems.

In some cases, LED headlights may offer an advantage over traditional halogen bulbs in terms of energy efficiency and durability. However, these benefits must be weighed against the potential drawbacks, such as glare or reduced visibility for other drivers. As we continue to navigate the evolution of automotive technology, it's essential to prioritize both innovation and practicality.

Lighting Up the Future: What's Next?

As we look to the future of headlight technology, there are several trends and innovations worth noting. One of the most exciting developments is the rise of advanced LED lighting systems that can adapt to different driving situations. These systems use sophisticated sensors and cameras to adjust their beam pattern or dim specific areas of the light in response to changing conditions.

Another area of research is focused on improving the energy efficiency and durability of LED headlights. By developing more efficient cooling systems and optimizing lighting designs, manufacturers can create longer-lasting and more affordable lighting solutions for the future.

Finally, there's a growing focus on integrating advanced safety features into headlight design. Many modern vehicles already feature adaptive headlights, but this trend is expected to continue with the development of even more sophisticated lighting systems. By prioritizing both innovation and practicality, we can create safer, more efficient, and more affordable headlights for the future.

In conclusion, while LEDs offer several advantages over traditional halogen bulbs, they also have their drawbacks. As Tom pointed out, glare is a significant concern, particularly when approaching oncoming traffic or navigating uneven road surfaces. However, by acknowledging these challenges and exploring alternative solutions, we can create safer, more efficient, and more affordable headlights for the future.

By striking a balance between innovation and practicality, we can create lighting systems that benefit both drivers and passengers. Whether it's adaptive headlights, advanced LED lighting systems, or improved energy efficiency and durability, there are many exciting developments on the horizon. As we continue to navigate the evolution of automotive technology, one thing is clear: the future of headlights will be shaped by a combination of innovation, practicality, and safety.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey talking cars fans we really love making talking cars each week but we want to make sure you enjoy it as much as we do that's why we've created a survey to find out what you like best about the show what you want more of and what we can improve on go to see our org slash talking cars survey and let us know how we can make the podcast better we really want to be your favorite automotive podcast and your responses can help make that happen thank you for your help and enjoy the show we talked about our first impressions of the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas cross sport the cancellation of the Geneva Auto Show and do manufacturers warranties extend when you're buying a used car next on talking cars hi and welcome to talking cards I'm Jennifer stock burger I'm Keith berry I'm my Quincy so as of this taping what's going on in the world really is this spread of the coronavirus who would have ever thought it would affect things so drastically like the stock market's etc but what it really how it relates to cars is they recently cancelled the Geneva Auto Show for risk of large crowds the location etc and with the New York Auto Show right around the corner literally it got us talking about how the Auto Show has changed how the introduction of cars has changed Keith any thoughts there yes so it's interesting so Geneva kind of turned into over recent years this show where supercars came out in these cars that nobody could afford these thousand horsepower tour des forces of engineering a Koenigsegg which I still can't spell exactly exactly there are lots of vowels in there and but they made this incredible you know 4-door force a four-seater going door kind of concept that that no one got to see except for online because the auto show was closed New York sent out something the other day that said you know we're gonna be having lots of hand sanitizers but the shows still on right and that may change I mean Geneva was on up until the last minute but it kind of shows that we don't necessarily need to have these big Big Show's where everyone comes into the same place all the automakers are competing for attention right so you know it I think it started with Apple Apple had their own event they don't go to CES or at the time Comdex or the big the big trade shows they wanted to own that news cycle and if you're you know Volvo Mercedes BMW you're all competing to have the world learn about your latest concept on the same exact day why would you do that when you could just own another day so it made this may be the sort of the the death of the the Auto Show well we've already seen attendance wave oh yeah I'm of them and they've shifted times of the year we've seen it more to LA than d'être Frankfurt's Munich with the Auto Show not the same and in Detroit is Detroit in some place the train is moving to - June yeah instead of you know the nice weather that we always have in January yeah we're as competing against CES and it was backing up against these other shows yeah yeah I still think they do speak to just consumers love of cars just wanting to see them or I get a clarification I mean - maybe the the automakers attendance of the auto shows are coming down some some car makers are choosing not to come to shows I think that's what you're referring to before yeah but say pulled out from up well the public is still coming to Auto Show yeah I mean the attendance is still really strong right the availability of all the online right nation right but they're looking at it as buyers and and from an automotive manufacturing perspective I mean this these things cost a lot of money yeah not to stage these things I mean that they're hiring you know a list musicians to introduce their vehicles and and so it's it cost them a lot of money so maybe they're not only they're considering the health hazards of doing you know auto shows and maybe they're looking at it from a financial perspective right would they have in the past - I still think to people you know you can get all glean all the information from from the internet but to get in a car and sit in it and touch it and feel it we've been saying the local shows are starting to do test drives and these are shows that aren't supported necessarily by the automakers but they're supported by local dealers and they're these smaller shows they're at like Hartford Convention Center they're at yeah yeah they're it's smaller places and people can still go to those and without the pressure of a dealer breathing down your neck you can try out cars from a bunch of different brands and then you know go on to decide and you can find out are these seats comfortable do I like the feel of the interior yeah and those are typically production cars you don't see a lot of concepts right yeah I think the origin of the auto show was to help local dealers now and that was that was it before it became this big multinational concept car thing but it is a big deal top shopping yeah but it is a big deal to cancel it I mean I know we were talking about LA they had a fire at one of their auto shows in the in the 19-teens and they just moved it down this so canceling these shows this is you know I don't think it's it's it's sort of an inevitability that's being accelerated I think by the coronavirus yeah alright so well so we'll see what happens in New York yeah so yeah very interesting we're covering it remote I thought you know in the big picture how a health issue would have so many repercussions now one of the cool things is that because of all of this stuff is already set up there some of the brand's turned it into a new opportunity to debut their cars that were actually more than just prototypes that could actually drive and they debuted them by driving back to headquarters in Europe so I know Mike Morgan did that and they turned it into and followed along online and like to give you lemons drive and of course that's what our crack video team would do of course oh yeah we messed up so let's let's pick up they wouldn't mess up yeah of course exactly all right so speaking of new cars we had our first chance to drive the 2020 Volkswagen atlas cross sport and Keith I know you wrote the first drive what's some specs on this car yeah so the Volkswagen appleís is a big SUV with three rows seats seven the Volkswagen Atlas cross sport Volkswagen kind of melted the end off of it to make it apparently look sporty exactly so so basically it's the same car up front as a sort of loaded version of the Atlas the interior feels a lot like the Volkswagen arty on except it only seats five it loses 19 cubic feet of cargo space so it's it's less utility more sports we'll talk about that all right but there are two engine choices there's a 2-liter four-cylinder turbo or 3.6 liter v6 the only transmission is an 8-speed automatic we have on the one that we're renting from Volkswagen right now is the 2-liter four-cylinder turbo that's the that's the car I mean if you want to learn more about it read our review of the regular Atlas because a lot of that a lot of it is very very similar as you can tell by some of the intonation I've been giving this I have feelings about this car those feelings are let's get to them my thought is that means it's yet another autumn manufacturer that needs another version of an SUV yeah slicing and dicing it thinner and thinner and thinner I don't know how how many SUVs the public can buy me obviously they're still popular but anyway driving the Atlas cross sport I thought the four-cylinder turbo was surprisingly engaging yeah I was pleased to learn that I thought it was the v6 yeah I didn't know that's how good it I had to go look so it's responsive it feels kind of light and heat I think I thought that the transmission was super smooth good good ride good handling again I'm not sure that we need another SUV and and and we were I remember this this this reminded me of when we first started talking about the Honda Passport another two row SUV and a lot of our colleagues with with smaller children was like oh three it doesn't have three rows and that's terrible blah blah blah I have no use for third row seating in my life right now I'm never using a third row right so the vehicle some vehicles like the passport and I guess they atlas cross sport totally fit into my life and and they're very useful but you know that being said I'm also more of a fan of sedans these days than it should be so yeah I I said you know you talked about needing another SUV I do think Volkswagen needed this you know the Touareg died off and they didn't have a five row larger cargo had the Tiguan right and they had the Atlas they in my mind they needed this cross port tucked in there between the two to compete with passports and other five or five Cedars so I agree with you I was pleasantly surprised with the with the turbo four I thought it was great I think they've kept to your point again I talked about you know having adult sized passengers all the time there's a lot of room in there just like there was in the Atlas I think it's you know that where they lost his cargo mm-hmm I'm not sure it does look sporty er but I'm not a fan of that rear slope I think it just Rob's cargo it robs visibility in a lot of cases that most Island q a couple things there I said you know we really liked the Atlas if it was hurt by some reliability issues in our overall score but if it can cash in on the Atlas success it was a good seller for Volkswagen then I think it's doing a good thing standard safety automatic emergency braking forward collision warning including pedestrian detection blind spot warning which is not always standard rear cross-traffic warning all standard but it's expensive it starts around 31 goes up to about 50 okay so so just I'm at the edge of my seat because I'm gonna dying to hear your assessment yeah so I gotta say it's it this reminds me this is so this started this is a problem that started in Germany I think it started with the x6 that BMW where they sort of sliced off all the cargo space on on a big SUV and and it reminds me of you guys know this this with this Ritter sport the it's a cookie that's old and it's a German it's called Ritter sport and it's a cookie and it says sport and it has like a bunch of calories and like 19 grams of sugar and like 30% er saturated fat it is not sport so I think that maybe the word sport needs something different in German so you go to you go to a furniture store and it says like couch sport or you go to the Berlin Zoo and this is why I like Keith Murray untargeted car the problem is awesome you know so are the one that we rented Volkswagen plastered the name cross sport outside of it is sort of an advertising thing so people know what it is but there already is a sporty car out there with this interior with a great back seat and with a lot of cargo space in the back and it's called a sedan it's called the Volkswagen arty on which is what I drove last night and all the praise that we lavished on this car is sort of conditional on the fact that it is large one of the reasons that I like the Atlas is because it was great for how big it was but if you can find it if you can only sit five people and if you can only fit a small amount of cargo space why are you getting you know around twenty miles a gallon why are you sitting up high why are you driving this big lumbering beast of a car if you can get that sportiness out of a sedan so I'm kind of I'm with you here I don't think that all SUVs are bad necessarily but when you take the rationale for why they exist and just have it be about an image that that to me is is that that really really sours me on this on this vehicle you're holding out the keys to the Atlas sport and the RT on is a mic you can go out and log on long road trip I'm taking the are town and if you're taking a lot of people you're taking the regular Atlas or if you're coming back with antiques or you know bringing a bunch of gear so that's the question yeah I will be buying our own and we'll have more so very interesting yeah you gathered your thoughts that was very nice so moving on to questions as always keep them coming talking cars at icloud.com the first one is a video question from Daniel take a listen hi talking cars my question for you is whenever you get a next generation of a car come in for testing and you review it and you talk about it on the show I hear you say things all the time like well you know it lost a little bit of steering feel compared to last generation given how many years it generally is between generations of cars and all the other cars you guys test in between and the shortcomings of human memory how is it that you retain this information in order to compare the two generations to know oh well you know lost like 5% of steering feel to be that specific are you just looking at old notes or you guys all have excellent memories thanks so Thank You Daniel and why I would love to say that it is indeed our remarkable memories that allow us to make these comparisons I think it's a bit more than that Mike right so so I did it this question brought up you know conversations like how do we do this and but it reminded me of how we handle a redesign so and and what brought to my mind was the 2012 Honda Civic now this car took a step backwards the ride got worse it got noisier the steering wasn't it wasn't very good that was someone that only lasted one generation was no longer fun to drive and it Tesla tested so poorly like for the first time in like forever Consumer Reports didn't recommend a Honda Civic and hunt of course panicked they went back to the drawing board and they fix it and the reason I know this Daniel is I looked it up we have a database that encompasses just about every car we've ever tested going back decades and so when when new cars come online and we either rent them from a manufacturer for a first drive where we buy our own test cars we're always comparing it to how to where it came from is it is it better or is it worse than the remodel that it that it replaced you know that we one of the within the vehicles that got better for example was the Toyota Camry I mean the Camry to me it the steering got better the handling got better I think Toyota took that criticism of all your cars are boring to drive seriously and they instilled a lot more lively steering in their vehicles I mean Keith in are big fans of the Avalon for example and so they that we look at it from from a data standpoint in terms of fuel economy the Camrys fuel economy got better compared to the last and the opinions aren't just one person's opinions I think sort of these are juries these are numbers these are yeah and so it isn't all just in our head right it's also in our database and it and it helps us you know publish as extensively as we do and I think it's important in the database is not just the numbers but the place for comments and why it were rated why it was and a resource for us and for our listeners and viewers is the way you know the web we have model page right for the used version as well exactly we can go back and get the character and say you know even if we can't say exactly why the numbers in fact we can certainly go back and read in are you in are used card formation are memories we would say to Consumer Reports members avoid the 2012 Honda Civic Retin look for a 2035 2014 because it got better right and some vehicles to you just you you drive enough from the brand that you know that there's a bit of a reputation so I think Mazda and steering is a good example that the steering feel is different yeah we've driven a lot of Mazdas all of us alright and then all of a sudden they just they just started feeling a little bit different right in this in this latest round that's come out right we've often used even on on talking cars it's not Mazda like or B&W like right cuz there's an expectation for the brand as well so yeah great question Daniel thank you so much our next question is from Paul I'm interested in buying a one or two year old used car to save money but I'm concerned about warranty if something breaks on a used car can I still go to the dealership to get it fixed under the manufacturer's warranty or does the warranty get voided once there's a transfer in ownership Keith Barry the short answer is that almost every time you buy a used car that is still under its original manufacturer's warranty that you'll be able to go to the dealership and get it fixed now there are some at you know restrictions apply buyer beware it depends on a lot of things so for example some honey vehicles some hybrid vehicles will have one portion of their warranty that's very very long and sometimes if the car is transferred to another owner that warranty stays but it gets shorter so it goes from ten years to five years or lifetime warranty in a battery to a 10 year warranty and a battery sometimes there are different warranties that you can get after the fact and that is where things change here so a certified pre-owned car is often something that the manufacturer claims that the dealer has gone through and done a huge inspection on and you know we've looked into that and sometimes that inspection isn't as exactly you said it but the one thing you can get from that is usually a longer warranty and sometimes if you buy a one or two year old car that's certified pre-owned you can get a longer warranty than someone who bought it new by the factory backed by the factory that's the thing you could bring that to any dealer from the same brand now sometimes dealers will add on their own little warranties like lifetime oil changes or lifetime this or a lifetime something those there's a lot of fine print on all of those the same goes for if you're buying a third party warranty which we found aren't always a great bet especially on reliable cars and those are kind of basically just they're they're just backed by a company that will pay for a portion or potentially all of our repair no matter where it's done those those are a lot of fine print but the long story short is if you buy a reliable car that does well in our reliability ratings you're probably not going to need the warranty particularly on one or two year old cars as possible yeah on on on a one or two year old car exactly and on a one or two year old cart probably has some factory warranty left and you can actually see that if you if you look at say you know the CARFAX or something it'll even sometimes show you but you know the in-service date of the car cuz it isn't by model year it's by the in-service date of the car I'm sorry yeah you're so right about about that yeah the fine print because several years ago Chrysler made a big deal about their lifetime powertrain warranty the fine print on this was that it was not transferable yeah so obviously the smart people in Chrysler looked at this and said okay well our average owner keeps their cars X number of years and then they move it alright yeah so they weren't really risking for one yet they weren't really risking as much as it probably sounded like and also several years ago we did a survey that showed about 55 percent of owners who purchase an extended warranty this is more little more for a new car but still right the same logic applies so 55 percent said they hadn't used it for repairs during the lifetime of the policy yeah so so buy a reliable car check the in-service date because just because it's a 20-19 it could have gone in service in late 2017 2021 exactly purchase exactly so check that to make sure it isn't by the date of the car and consider a CP Oak certified pre-owned car if you that extra warranty it's as funny it comes to light for Consumer Reports because as we've said we buy all of our test vehicles and then ultimately sell them via different channels but Consumer Reports is considered the first donor even though the cars only have sometimes five to ten thousand miles on it yeah some of those warranties don't go so we're kind of interesting we see if certainly from this site our next question is from Sheila my husband is not a particularly good driver let's not say anything and he's developed this habit of driving with his left elbow propped up on the window sill I am NOT a fan of this behavior and recently asked him not to do it when driving a rental car but once we were back home he picked the bobbitt back up please give me a good reason he shouldn't drive like this I can't believe this is the safe way to drive so my grandmother helped teach me to drive yeah and when I started to drive like this and she was she was a rather strict woman about certain things and she said Keith it's better to be safe than to look cool always better with both hands on the wheel you know we talked about teaching our young drivers that nine and three and better control but in the reality I do think it's valuable for people to be relaxed attentive but relaxed if you're on roads you know if you're on a freeway etc I do think of all the things that Sheila's husband or others could do I think there's minor risk in that temperament if he's driving right you know driving like this that's a problem we've a rental car stop doing that part of the question now you bet you're right about teaching our kids I mean with my youngest is 16 so we're doing a lot of driver education and he's very nervous and I get it but one of the things I say it was like don't white-knuckle it right so you're at 93 and you're doing this you just try to relax your hand the more tense you are driving the more fatigued you're gonna get no just like the the best of some of the good driving advices also don't stare straight ahead while you're going on a long trip keep your eyes moving so keep your body moving keep you change your position change your posture adjust the seat long time it's all about reaction time at all that should you have have an issue so did my only thought on Sheila's question was if they're in a rental car are they in an unfamiliar location hmm so that would be my only thing if you're again on roads you don't know you don't know what's coming maybe keeping both hands on the wheel for all these reasons we talked about is a good thing but I do think there's a balance there in the way that you introduced the question was sort of funny talking about you know spouses yeah we could do all talking but if he's not a particularly good driver anyways yeah potentially this is someone who can exactly someone who can who can benefit from a little more attentiveness behind the wheel in general in general and general hopefully that helps you Sheila yeah so our fourth question is from Tom I Drive a Kia Niro Evy and I'm constantly having other drivers flash their headlights at me they're saying nice car tom and i cv i don't think so okay thinking I have high beams mm-hmm my car has LED headlights which I have adjusted a few times but this seems to be an LED issue well I can't the auto industry which is always going on about advanced safety produce a safe and effective headlight especially one that does not cast thousands of dollars to replace and Tom we just happen to have our headlight expert right here so so I thank you I thank you so um it's very the timing of this question from tom is kind of interesting for those of you who don't know when we test a product any product not just cars and the manufacturers have concerns particularly it happens when we rated something low mom they are allowed to come look at the vehicle to say you know we even sometimes show the test result like here it is you know and they have concerns we recently had this on a vehicle we tested where it had a poor headlight rating and they were looking for the wise because they want to improve it so it was a new thing yeah they wanted yeah it's all good it's good for your tumors and etc so anyway I asked them specifically what is the drive to add in LED headlights we've mentioned on this show it's much more prevalent even on Main Street even on low-cost vehicles that were seeing the LEDs and they said three things life you don't have to worry about you know replacing bulbs and etc though the replacement to Tom's point of the unit is more expect there's a cracking up power consumption they they indicated me the LEDs as a technology have lower power consumption though they alluded to the fact that as they add more of them they're creeping towards what the old halogen to me and styling because the point source is small it allows the stylist to do these funky arrangements in terms of styling to answer Tom's question they are more light they are a brighter whiter light and they're simply more of it so they when they you combine that with these sharper cut-offs and I say that it's the transition between light and darkness at the top of that low beam pattern and you approach that car either on an uneven road if you it's an SUV like the narrow and yours in a lower stance vehicle if they're even following you it gives the impression as you cross that cutoff line that these LEDs are flashing you yeah sometimes if you go over a bus it looks like they're they're flashing right yeah and it doesn't just happen with with LEDs right so I was driving our our Jeep gladiator the other the other week at night mom these are halogens yeah and a lot of oncoming drivers thought my high beams were on like I looked at the instrument panel no the lows the lower on so it it can happen with all different even types of vehicles as well as different types of lenses right and Tom it's an alignment is key right you can you know there's a big range of allowable alignment if your tweak those lamps are slightly high you're gonna see this even more Thomas said he's already adjusted them and we've adjusted the ones like the gladiator that you've been in before we tested it so even with that I had an interesting we have a relative visiting from Alaska and we were driving the other night and he said oh there's an LED that must be a police officer and I said what he said yeah when we see those bright white lights in Alaska we know they're a police officer and I said that's not the case certainly here in Connecticut and and I think perhaps they have older vehicles and LEDs are not so prominent where he is in Alaska as they are maybe here on the Northeast so it was very interesting so there's we're not quite where all the vehicles or LEDs we still see that mix people pick them out and believe them to be high beams so Tom you are not alone keep your alignment good and again you may be subject to this because there's a balance of wanting to see further ahead but balance and glare now aside from that that that thousands of dollars to replace there are some solutions that are on the on the horizon so to speak and it's those the adaptable beam headlights which we're starting to see in Europe they're very expensive but these are essentially headlights that can either put a shutter over a portion of the lights or it can sometimes even move the lights a little bit it can if you disable individual LEDs yes yeah so basically there's a there's a camera looking out or sensors looking out it sees where oncoming cars are coming in yeah and it basically dims the beam for the oncoming drivers only in their field of vision right that's not gonna solve your cost problem and go back to the days of square headlights around headlight but Co beams exactly but it will I think we're in this sort of interesting regulatory phase where where those are already legal in Europe but they're not legal in the United States and there's still this long comment period about it so we've written about that a lot at Consumer Reports org so if you want to search a search for adaptive headlights you can learn about those and to your point headlights are no longer just a sealed beam you get what you get right there's options come on nearly all vehicles be it halogen on the base car and an LED we I know it sounds crazy but we said if that's a concern do a night drive see which ones are more pleasing to you depending on where and and how you drive so and as you have accurately pointed out getting the higher cost light isn't always better right so sorry LEDs are nots interesting we have never said quickly that LEDs are better than a legend there's good in battle and as you you started answering this question you said you know no question that that it in this case your your the LEDs are bright they're lighter they're they're doing all these things it's another example I think in the automotive world where you have technology that takes steps forward but also takes stuff backwards I'm getting this but you're giving up and then eventually it might reach that equilibrium right okay increase in popularity which they continue to do so hopefully we've helped you Tom that will do it for this episode of talking cars as always keep listening keep watching keep the questions coming talking cars at icloud.com and we will see you next time youhey talking cars fans we really love making talking cars each week but we want to make sure you enjoy it as much as we do that's why we've created a survey to find out what you like best about the show what you want more of and what we can improve on go to see our org slash talking cars survey and let us know how we can make the podcast better we really want to be your favorite automotive podcast and your responses can help make that happen thank you for your help and enjoy the show we talked about our first impressions of the 2020 Volkswagen Atlas cross sport the cancellation of the Geneva Auto Show and do manufacturers warranties extend when you're buying a used car next on talking cars hi and welcome to talking cards I'm Jennifer stock burger I'm Keith berry I'm my Quincy so as of this taping what's going on in the world really is this spread of the coronavirus who would have ever thought it would affect things so drastically like the stock market's etc but what it really how it relates to cars is they recently cancelled the Geneva Auto Show for risk of large crowds the location etc and with the New York Auto Show right around the corner literally it got us talking about how the Auto Show has changed how the introduction of cars has changed Keith any thoughts there yes so it's interesting so Geneva kind of turned into over recent years this show where supercars came out in these cars that nobody could afford these thousand horsepower tour des forces of engineering a Koenigsegg which I still can't spell exactly exactly there are lots of vowels in there and but they made this incredible you know 4-door force a four-seater going door kind of concept that that no one got to see except for online because the auto show was closed New York sent out something the other day that said you know we're gonna be having lots of hand sanitizers but the shows still on right and that may change I mean Geneva was on up until the last minute but it kind of shows that we don't necessarily need to have these big Big Show's where everyone comes into the same place all the automakers are competing for attention right so you know it I think it started with Apple Apple had their own event they don't go to CES or at the time Comdex or the big the big trade shows they wanted to own that news cycle and if you're you know Volvo Mercedes BMW you're all competing to have the world learn about your latest concept on the same exact day why would you do that when you could just own another day so it made this may be the sort of the the death of the the Auto Show well we've already seen attendance wave oh yeah I'm of them and they've shifted times of the year we've seen it more to LA than d'être Frankfurt's Munich with the Auto Show not the same and in Detroit is Detroit in some place the train is moving to - June yeah instead of you know the nice weather that we always have in January yeah we're as competing against CES and it was backing up against these other shows yeah yeah I still think they do speak to just consumers love of cars just wanting to see them or I get a clarification I mean - maybe the the automakers attendance of the auto shows are coming down some some car makers are choosing not to come to shows I think that's what you're referring to before yeah but say pulled out from up well the public is still coming to Auto Show yeah I mean the attendance is still really strong right the availability of all the online right nation right but they're looking at it as buyers and and from an automotive manufacturing perspective I mean this these things cost a lot of money yeah not to stage these things I mean that they're hiring you know a list musicians to introduce their vehicles and and so it's it cost them a lot of money so maybe they're not only they're considering the health hazards of doing you know auto shows and maybe they're looking at it from a financial perspective right would they have in the past - I still think to people you know you can get all glean all the information from from the internet but to get in a car and sit in it and touch it and feel it we've been saying the local shows are starting to do test drives and these are shows that aren't supported necessarily by the automakers but they're supported by local dealers and they're these smaller shows they're at like Hartford Convention Center they're at yeah yeah they're it's smaller places and people can still go to those and without the pressure of a dealer breathing down your neck you can try out cars from a bunch of different brands and then you know go on to decide and you can find out are these seats comfortable do I like the feel of the interior yeah and those are typically production cars you don't see a lot of concepts right yeah I think the origin of the auto show was to help local dealers now and that was that was it before it became this big multinational concept car thing but it is a big deal top shopping yeah but it is a big deal to cancel it I mean I know we were talking about LA they had a fire at one of their auto shows in the in the 19-teens and they just moved it down this so canceling these shows this is you know I don't think it's it's it's sort of an inevitability that's being accelerated I think by the coronavirus yeah alright so well so we'll see what happens in New York yeah so yeah very interesting we're covering it remote I thought you know in the big picture how a health issue would have so many repercussions now one of the cool things is that because of all of this stuff is already set up there some of the brand's turned it into a new opportunity to debut their cars that were actually more than just prototypes that could actually drive and they debuted them by driving back to headquarters in Europe so I know Mike Morgan did that and they turned it into and followed along online and like to give you lemons drive and of course that's what our crack video team would do of course oh yeah we messed up so let's let's pick up they wouldn't mess up yeah of course exactly all right so speaking of new cars we had our first chance to drive the 2020 Volkswagen atlas cross sport and Keith I know you wrote the first drive what's some specs on this car yeah so the Volkswagen appleís is a big SUV with three rows seats seven the Volkswagen Atlas cross sport Volkswagen kind of melted the end off of it to make it apparently look sporty exactly so so basically it's the same car up front as a sort of loaded version of the Atlas the interior feels a lot like the Volkswagen arty on except it only seats five it loses 19 cubic feet of cargo space so it's it's less utility more sports we'll talk about that all right but there are two engine choices there's a 2-liter four-cylinder turbo or 3.6 liter v6 the only transmission is an 8-speed automatic we have on the one that we're renting from Volkswagen right now is the 2-liter four-cylinder turbo that's the that's the car I mean if you want to learn more about it read our review of the regular Atlas because a lot of that a lot of it is very very similar as you can tell by some of the intonation I've been giving this I have feelings about this car those feelings are let's get to them my thought is that means it's yet another autumn manufacturer that needs another version of an SUV yeah slicing and dicing it thinner and thinner and thinner I don't know how how many SUVs the public can buy me obviously they're still popular but anyway driving the Atlas cross sport I thought the four-cylinder turbo was surprisingly engaging yeah I was pleased to learn that I thought it was the v6 yeah I didn't know that's how good it I had to go look so it's responsive it feels kind of light and heat I think I thought that the transmission was super smooth good good ride good handling again I'm not sure that we need another SUV and and and we were I remember this this this reminded me of when we first started talking about the Honda Passport another two row SUV and a lot of our colleagues with with smaller children was like oh three it doesn't have three rows and that's terrible blah blah blah I have no use for third row seating in my life right now I'm never using a third row right so the vehicle some vehicles like the passport and I guess they atlas cross sport totally fit into my life and and they're very useful but you know that being said I'm also more of a fan of sedans these days than it should be so yeah I I said you know you talked about needing another SUV I do think Volkswagen needed this you know the Touareg died off and they didn't have a five row larger cargo had the Tiguan right and they had the Atlas they in my mind they needed this cross port tucked in there between the two to compete with passports and other five or five Cedars so I agree with you I was pleasantly surprised with the with the turbo four I thought it was great I think they've kept to your point again I talked about you know having adult sized passengers all the time there's a lot of room in there just like there was in the Atlas I think it's you know that where they lost his cargo mm-hmm I'm not sure it does look sporty er but I'm not a fan of that rear slope I think it just Rob's cargo it robs visibility in a lot of cases that most Island q a couple things there I said you know we really liked the Atlas if it was hurt by some reliability issues in our overall score but if it can cash in on the Atlas success it was a good seller for Volkswagen then I think it's doing a good thing standard safety automatic emergency braking forward collision warning including pedestrian detection blind spot warning which is not always standard rear cross-traffic warning all standard but it's expensive it starts around 31 goes up to about 50 okay so so just I'm at the edge of my seat because I'm gonna dying to hear your assessment yeah so I gotta say it's it this reminds me this is so this started this is a problem that started in Germany I think it started with the x6 that BMW where they sort of sliced off all the cargo space on on a big SUV and and it reminds me of you guys know this this with this Ritter sport the it's a cookie that's old and it's a German it's called Ritter sport and it's a cookie and it says sport and it has like a bunch of calories and like 19 grams of sugar and like 30% er saturated fat it is not sport so I think that maybe the word sport needs something different in German so you go to you go to a furniture store and it says like couch sport or you go to the Berlin Zoo and this is why I like Keith Murray untargeted car the problem is awesome you know so are the one that we rented Volkswagen plastered the name cross sport outside of it is sort of an advertising thing so people know what it is but there already is a sporty car out there with this interior with a great back seat and with a lot of cargo space in the back and it's called a sedan it's called the Volkswagen arty on which is what I drove last night and all the praise that we lavished on this car is sort of conditional on the fact that it is large one of the reasons that I like the Atlas is because it was great for how big it was but if you can find it if you can only sit five people and if you can only fit a small amount of cargo space why are you getting you know around twenty miles a gallon why are you sitting up high why are you driving this big lumbering beast of a car if you can get that sportiness out of a sedan so I'm kind of I'm with you here I don't think that all SUVs are bad necessarily but when you take the rationale for why they exist and just have it be about an image that that to me is is that that really really sours me on this on this vehicle you're holding out the keys to the Atlas sport and the RT on is a mic you can go out and log on long road trip I'm taking the are town and if you're taking a lot of people you're taking the regular Atlas or if you're coming back with antiques or you know bringing a bunch of gear so that's the question yeah I will be buying our own and we'll have more so very interesting yeah you gathered your thoughts that was very nice so moving on to questions as always keep them coming talking cars at icloud.com the first one is a video question from Daniel take a listen hi talking cars my question for you is whenever you get a next generation of a car come in for testing and you review it and you talk about it on the show I hear you say things all the time like well you know it lost a little bit of steering feel compared to last generation given how many years it generally is between generations of cars and all the other cars you guys test in between and the shortcomings of human memory how is it that you retain this information in order to compare the two generations to know oh well you know lost like 5% of steering feel to be that specific are you just looking at old notes or you guys all have excellent memories thanks so Thank You Daniel and why I would love to say that it is indeed our remarkable memories that allow us to make these comparisons I think it's a bit more than that Mike right so so I did it this question brought up you know conversations like how do we do this and but it reminded me of how we handle a redesign so and and what brought to my mind was the 2012 Honda Civic now this car took a step backwards the ride got worse it got noisier the steering wasn't it wasn't very good that was someone that only lasted one generation was no longer fun to drive and it Tesla tested so poorly like for the first time in like forever Consumer Reports didn't recommend a Honda Civic and hunt of course panicked they went back to the drawing board and they fix it and the reason I know this Daniel is I looked it up we have a database that encompasses just about every car we've ever tested going back decades and so when when new cars come online and we either rent them from a manufacturer for a first drive where we buy our own test cars we're always comparing it to how to where it came from is it is it better or is it worse than the remodel that it that it replaced you know that we one of the within the vehicles that got better for example was the Toyota Camry I mean the Camry to me it the steering got better the handling got better I think Toyota took that criticism of all your cars are boring to drive seriously and they instilled a lot more lively steering in their vehicles I mean Keith in are big fans of the Avalon for example and so they that we look at it from from a data standpoint in terms of fuel economy the Camrys fuel economy got better compared to the last and the opinions aren't just one person's opinions I think sort of these are juries these are numbers these are yeah and so it isn't all just in our head right it's also in our database and it and it helps us you know publish as extensively as we do and I think it's important in the database is not just the numbers but the place for comments and why it were rated why it was and a resource for us and for our listeners and viewers is the way you know the web we have model page right for the used version as well exactly we can go back and get the character and say you know even if we can't say exactly why the numbers in fact we can certainly go back and read in are you in are used card formation are memories we would say to Consumer Reports members avoid the 2012 Honda Civic Retin look for a 2035 2014 because it got better right and some vehicles to you just you you drive enough from the brand that you know that there's a bit of a reputation so I think Mazda and steering is a good example that the steering feel is different yeah we've driven a lot of Mazdas all of us alright and then all of a sudden they just they just started feeling a little bit different right in this in this latest round that's come out right we've often used even on on talking cars it's not Mazda like or B&W like right cuz there's an expectation for the brand as well so yeah great question Daniel thank you so much our next question is from Paul I'm interested in buying a one or two year old used car to save money but I'm concerned about warranty if something breaks on a used car can I still go to the dealership to get it fixed under the manufacturer's warranty or does the warranty get voided once there's a transfer in ownership Keith Barry the short answer is that almost every time you buy a used car that is still under its original manufacturer's warranty that you'll be able to go to the dealership and get it fixed now there are some at you know restrictions apply buyer beware it depends on a lot of things so for example some honey vehicles some hybrid vehicles will have one portion of their warranty that's very very long and sometimes if the car is transferred to another owner that warranty stays but it gets shorter so it goes from ten years to five years or lifetime warranty in a battery to a 10 year warranty and a battery sometimes there are different warranties that you can get after the fact and that is where things change here so a certified pre-owned car is often something that the manufacturer claims that the dealer has gone through and done a huge inspection on and you know we've looked into that and sometimes that inspection isn't as exactly you said it but the one thing you can get from that is usually a longer warranty and sometimes if you buy a one or two year old car that's certified pre-owned you can get a longer warranty than someone who bought it new by the factory backed by the factory that's the thing you could bring that to any dealer from the same brand now sometimes dealers will add on their own little warranties like lifetime oil changes or lifetime this or a lifetime something those there's a lot of fine print on all of those the same goes for if you're buying a third party warranty which we found aren't always a great bet especially on reliable cars and those are kind of basically just they're they're just backed by a company that will pay for a portion or potentially all of our repair no matter where it's done those those are a lot of fine print but the long story short is if you buy a reliable car that does well in our reliability ratings you're probably not going to need the warranty particularly on one or two year old cars as possible yeah on on on a one or two year old car exactly and on a one or two year old cart probably has some factory warranty left and you can actually see that if you if you look at say you know the CARFAX or something it'll even sometimes show you but you know the in-service date of the car cuz it isn't by model year it's by the in-service date of the car I'm sorry yeah you're so right about about that yeah the fine print because several years ago Chrysler made a big deal about their lifetime powertrain warranty the fine print on this was that it was not transferable yeah so obviously the smart people in Chrysler looked at this and said okay well our average owner keeps their cars X number of years and then they move it alright yeah so they weren't really risking for one yet they weren't really risking as much as it probably sounded like and also several years ago we did a survey that showed about 55 percent of owners who purchase an extended warranty this is more little more for a new car but still right the same logic applies so 55 percent said they hadn't used it for repairs during the lifetime of the policy yeah so so buy a reliable car check the in-service date because just because it's a 20-19 it could have gone in service in late 2017 2021 exactly purchase exactly so check that to make sure it isn't by the date of the car and consider a CP Oak certified pre-owned car if you that extra warranty it's as funny it comes to light for Consumer Reports because as we've said we buy all of our test vehicles and then ultimately sell them via different channels but Consumer Reports is considered the first donor even though the cars only have sometimes five to ten thousand miles on it yeah some of those warranties don't go so we're kind of interesting we see if certainly from this site our next question is from Sheila my husband is not a particularly good driver let's not say anything and he's developed this habit of driving with his left elbow propped up on the window sill I am NOT a fan of this behavior and recently asked him not to do it when driving a rental car but once we were back home he picked the bobbitt back up please give me a good reason he shouldn't drive like this I can't believe this is the safe way to drive so my grandmother helped teach me to drive yeah and when I started to drive like this and she was she was a rather strict woman about certain things and she said Keith it's better to be safe than to look cool always better with both hands on the wheel you know we talked about teaching our young drivers that nine and three and better control but in the reality I do think it's valuable for people to be relaxed attentive but relaxed if you're on roads you know if you're on a freeway etc I do think of all the things that Sheila's husband or others could do I think there's minor risk in that temperament if he's driving right you know driving like this that's a problem we've a rental car stop doing that part of the question now you bet you're right about teaching our kids I mean with my youngest is 16 so we're doing a lot of driver education and he's very nervous and I get it but one of the things I say it was like don't white-knuckle it right so you're at 93 and you're doing this you just try to relax your hand the more tense you are driving the more fatigued you're gonna get no just like the the best of some of the good driving advices also don't stare straight ahead while you're going on a long trip keep your eyes moving so keep your body moving keep you change your position change your posture adjust the seat long time it's all about reaction time at all that should you have have an issue so did my only thought on Sheila's question was if they're in a rental car are they in an unfamiliar location hmm so that would be my only thing if you're again on roads you don't know you don't know what's coming maybe keeping both hands on the wheel for all these reasons we talked about is a good thing but I do think there's a balance there in the way that you introduced the question was sort of funny talking about you know spouses yeah we could do all talking but if he's not a particularly good driver anyways yeah potentially this is someone who can exactly someone who can who can benefit from a little more attentiveness behind the wheel in general in general and general hopefully that helps you Sheila yeah so our fourth question is from Tom I Drive a Kia Niro Evy and I'm constantly having other drivers flash their headlights at me they're saying nice car tom and i cv i don't think so okay thinking I have high beams mm-hmm my car has LED headlights which I have adjusted a few times but this seems to be an LED issue well I can't the auto industry which is always going on about advanced safety produce a safe and effective headlight especially one that does not cast thousands of dollars to replace and Tom we just happen to have our headlight expert right here so so I thank you I thank you so um it's very the timing of this question from tom is kind of interesting for those of you who don't know when we test a product any product not just cars and the manufacturers have concerns particularly it happens when we rated something low mom they are allowed to come look at the vehicle to say you know we even sometimes show the test result like here it is you know and they have concerns we recently had this on a vehicle we tested where it had a poor headlight rating and they were looking for the wise because they want to improve it so it was a new thing yeah they wanted yeah it's all good it's good for your tumors and etc so anyway I asked them specifically what is the drive to add in LED headlights we've mentioned on this show it's much more prevalent even on Main Street even on low-cost vehicles that were seeing the LEDs and they said three things life you don't have to worry about you know replacing bulbs and etc though the replacement to Tom's point of the unit is more expect there's a cracking up power consumption they they indicated me the LEDs as a technology have lower power consumption though they alluded to the fact that as they add more of them they're creeping towards what the old halogen to me and styling because the point source is small it allows the stylist to do these funky arrangements in terms of styling to answer Tom's question they are more light they are a brighter whiter light and they're simply more of it so they when they you combine that with these sharper cut-offs and I say that it's the transition between light and darkness at the top of that low beam pattern and you approach that car either on an uneven road if you it's an SUV like the narrow and yours in a lower stance vehicle if they're even following you it gives the impression as you cross that cutoff line that these LEDs are flashing you yeah sometimes if you go over a bus it looks like they're they're flashing right yeah and it doesn't just happen with with LEDs right so I was driving our our Jeep gladiator the other the other week at night mom these are halogens yeah and a lot of oncoming drivers thought my high beams were on like I looked at the instrument panel no the lows the lower on so it it can happen with all different even types of vehicles as well as different types of lenses right and Tom it's an alignment is key right you can you know there's a big range of allowable alignment if your tweak those lamps are slightly high you're gonna see this even more Thomas said he's already adjusted them and we've adjusted the ones like the gladiator that you've been in before we tested it so even with that I had an interesting we have a relative visiting from Alaska and we were driving the other night and he said oh there's an LED that must be a police officer and I said what he said yeah when we see those bright white lights in Alaska we know they're a police officer and I said that's not the case certainly here in Connecticut and and I think perhaps they have older vehicles and LEDs are not so prominent where he is in Alaska as they are maybe here on the Northeast so it was very interesting so there's we're not quite where all the vehicles or LEDs we still see that mix people pick them out and believe them to be high beams so Tom you are not alone keep your alignment good and again you may be subject to this because there's a balance of wanting to see further ahead but balance and glare now aside from that that that thousands of dollars to replace there are some solutions that are on the on the horizon so to speak and it's those the adaptable beam headlights which we're starting to see in Europe they're very expensive but these are essentially headlights that can either put a shutter over a portion of the lights or it can sometimes even move the lights a little bit it can if you disable individual LEDs yes yeah so basically there's a there's a camera looking out or sensors looking out it sees where oncoming cars are coming in yeah and it basically dims the beam for the oncoming drivers only in their field of vision right that's not gonna solve your cost problem and go back to the days of square headlights around headlight but Co beams exactly but it will I think we're in this sort of interesting regulatory phase where where those are already legal in Europe but they're not legal in the United States and there's still this long comment period about it so we've written about that a lot at Consumer Reports org so if you want to search a search for adaptive headlights you can learn about those and to your point headlights are no longer just a sealed beam you get what you get right there's options come on nearly all vehicles be it halogen on the base car and an LED we I know it sounds crazy but we said if that's a concern do a night drive see which ones are more pleasing to you depending on where and and how you drive so and as you have accurately pointed out getting the higher cost light isn't always better right so sorry LEDs are nots interesting we have never said quickly that LEDs are better than a legend there's good in battle and as you you started answering this question you said you know no question that that it in this case your your the LEDs are bright they're lighter they're they're doing all these things it's another example I think in the automotive world where you have technology that takes steps forward but also takes stuff backwards I'm getting this but you're giving up and then eventually it might reach that equilibrium right okay increase in popularity which they continue to do so hopefully we've helped you Tom that will do it for this episode of talking cars as always keep listening keep watching keep the questions coming talking cars at icloud.com and we will see you next time you\n"