Brightness/ alignment of new cars/ LEDS head lamps

theone8181 said:
Be interesting to see how you get on, I think of the model 3 as a very fast car, but it's clearly not 'sporty' imo. I'd love to go for a taycan to solve that, but I don't have 100 grand lying around :cry: .
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I originally had my mind set on the iX, but the M50 variant is just crazily expensive on lease, so started looking at the i4 M50, the air spring suspension had me intrigued and it's great, very refined, loads of effortless power.. In fact the only flaw I found was the rear door openings are bizarrely small and a weird shape to a point that you have to contort yourself a bit to get in/out.. However on a test drive, I was amazed that instead of the more sporty focus I thought it would have, it was quite refined/isolated and a departure from the ICE 'M' sub variants (M440i, M240i etc).

And to back that up.. From Car magazines i4 M50 vs M3P:
The BMW feels better built. Not a surprise. But this is a surprise: the Tesla’s more fun than the BMW. It’s not only preposterously fast in a straight line (in a way that pins you to the oddly shaped headrest) but the lack of bodyroll and the quick steering make it a laugh in corners. The i4 has better steering feel than the Model 3, keeping you more in touch with what’s going on. But it’s a shame the i4 doesn’t seem keen on you being involved. For a BMW, it’s a bit inert; safe and unspectacular.
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I've driven a couple of M3Ps and whilst quick, it's actually their more hooliganistic/involving nature that I found more at odds with the EV aspect.
 
I was in traffic yesterday and what was stuck behind me? A lifted Ford Ranger. It was so high that the headlights were basically perfectly in line with my wing mirrors and burnt my eyes as if I was staring straight into the sun. Had to fold in my mirrors!
 
theone8181 said:
Be interesting to see how you get on, I think of the model 3 as a very fast car, but it's clearly not 'sporty' imo. I'd love to go for a taycan to solve that, but I don't have 100 grand lying around :cry: .
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I've driven a Taycan Turbo S for a day. Whilst insanely refined compared to the M3, it has a lot of weight and you can feel it when you start pushing it, especially on the brakes. So actually the M3 feels quite sporty compared to it as you aren't having to manage the dynamics of what is a very long and wide car on our roads.
 
Type_R said:
I've driven a Taycan Turbo S for a day. Whilst insanely refined compared to the M3, it has a lot of weight and you can feel it when you start pushing it, especially on the brakes. So actually the M3 feels quite sporty compared to it as you aren't having to manage the dynamics of what is a very long and wide car on our roads.
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Tbf it was the turbo or the s I was looking at due to the acceleration (can't get a slower car :p ), I hadn't look at the weight difference.
Oh wow, according to wiki thr taycan is 500kg heavier:eek:. Guess that's where tesla wins our is lightness of batteries (and thinness of panels:cry:). Not sure what else makes the difference though.
 
theone8181 said:
I forget that most evs do tend to be in the 2.5 tonnes+ category.
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Obviously EVs have the heavy batteries, so I get why people think this, but in reality, they are generally lighter than you think.

Some are pretty much bang on their ICE equivalents:
e.g. Model 3 Performance - 1840kg, BMW M4 - 1865Kg
Model Y Long Range - 2045 Kg, BMW X4 M40i - 1995kg

Some are obviously that bit heavier, but not crazy
ID.3 - 1740Kg, Golf - ~1530kg


Looking at actual weighed on the road (at a weigh station) so a bit heavier than the advertised weights, so can't be directly compared to brochure level information, the list of EVs over 2.5T is:
Mercedes EQS SUV 580 4Matic 3000
Mercedes EQV 2960
BMW i7 xDrive60 2860
Mercedes EQS 53 4Matic+ 2800
Hongqi E-HS9 2780
BMW i7 xDrive60 2770
Hongqi E-HS9 Exclusive+ 2760
Mercedes EQE SUV 350 4Matic 2760
Mercedes EQS 580 4Matic 2760
Audi Q8 e-tron 55 Sportback 2740
Audi e-tron 55 2720
BMW iX xDrive50 2720
Mercedes EQS 500 4Matic 2720
Maxus Mifa 9 2680
Mercedes EQE 43 AMG 2640
Mercedes EQC 2620
Mercedes EQE 53 4Matic+ 2620
Mercedes EQS 450+ 2620
ID Buzz Pro 2600
BYD Tang 2580
Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic 2580
Nio ES8 100 kWh 2580
Audi e-tron 50 2560
Nio ET7 2560
BMW iX xDrive40 2540
Audi e-tron 50 Sportback 2520
Citroen e-Spacetourer 2520
Nio EL7 2520

The Taycans's are quite 'fat'.. 2300+ measured , 2215kg claimed
 
theone8181 said:
Tbf it was the turbo or the s I was looking at due to the acceleration (can't get a slower car :p ), I hadn't look at the weight difference.
Oh wow, according to wiki thr taycan is 500kg heavier:eek:. Guess that's where tesla wins our is lightness of batteries (and thinness of panels:cry:). Not sure what else makes the difference though.
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They even skimped out on the paint on my doors....several shades of grey different from the white of the rest of the car :)
 
Yeah definitely a problem with brightness and/or alignment..

I’ve not tried the fancy new cars with cornering lights and led but I find halogen easier to see with than xenon
 
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Demon said:
Obviously EVs have the heavy batteries, so I get why people think this, but in reality, they are generally lighter than you think.
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isn't the corollary to that, that with the battery pack sub-floor, most of them, bar tesla are taller , heading into cross-over territory where headlights are higher, so more in my mirrors.

on the weight thing - isn 't there a US tax break as soon as it's 3000Lb (it's a pickup) so ev manufacturers have said what the hell, a few more pounds won't matter,
well until legislation elsewhere imposes bigger taxes on heavy vehicles (Paris, incoming, I thought)
 
jpaul said:
isn't the corollary to that, that with the battery pack sub-floor, most of them, bar tesla are taller , heading into cross-over territory where headlights are higher, so more in my mirrors.

on the weight thing - isn 't there a US tax break as soon as it's 3000Lb (it's a pickup) so ev manufacturers have said what the hell, a few more pounds won't matter,
well until legislation elsewhere imposes bigger taxes on heavy vehicles (Paris, incoming, I thought)
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There was already a trend in ICE cars to get taller/bigger each generation, and if you look at those that share the same body/platform for ICE and EV, e.g. Peugeot 208, they are the same height, and considering the rival to the 208 is a fiesta which was taller, then I'd say probably not, it's just EV only chassis tend to be larger segment cars.
 
People sat on the footbrake at night in stationary traffic with bright LED rear lights is as annoying, especially as its completely preventable in manuals.
 
Duke said:
People sat on the footbrake at night in stationary traffic with bright LED rear lights is as annoying, especially as its completely preventable in manuals.
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The rise in the number of cars with various types of Autoboxes probably doesn't help that, I know I'm guilty of it in my auto Audi but not in my little manual Citroen.
 
bigmike20vt said:
I am surprised all new automatic cars these days don't have auto hold. they should really imo
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I believe the auto hold in our car still keeps the brake lights illuminated. And I'm afraid I'm also guilty of holding my foot on the brake sometimes, because otherwise, stop/start doesn't work; the engine will shut off, but immediately restart if I shift into neutral. Sorry :E
 
I believe even if I'm in drive I the Tesla, but stopped then the break lights are on. When I had my M3 with dct I don't think they cane on. Previous manually I'd dip the clutch/go to neutral and handbrake it.
 
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The handbrake lights them up in many cars now too :/

Another annoying one is EVs with regenerative braking, when you lift off the brake lights come on. So it looks like the driver is hovering on the brake pedal and an nervous driver.
 
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