Why Do Car Manufacturers Deliberately Make Their Cars Worse?

[David87]

Was sitting behind a new Passat yesterday and was confused to see that with the introduction of the B7 facelift they've removed the LED tail lamps from the B6 and replaced them with regular old bulbs again. Why?! This was a base-spec car I was behind, so I suspect the top-of-the-range ones with Xenon headlamps will retain some form of LEDs, but why get rid of them on any model when they clearly have advantages over bulbs (other than cost to VW, I suspect!)? Just seems like an intentional backwards step or to get people to pay to spec them.

[chris1roll]

Good. I (and about 50% of the population to some degree) get incredibly irritating trails when shifting focus with LED lights in view.
You don't need to be looking directly at them, just have them in your field of view.
So as far as I am concerned, that's an improvement.

[adycav]

£

[deveng]

adycav said:

£

Bing bing bing we have a winner

[HellDiver]

Compare a Mk6 Astra's build quality and reliability to a Mk4. The Mk6 is a massive step backwards in both. The Mk4 you put petrol/diesel in to it and drove it until you were sick looking at it, the Mk6 has more electrical and engine gremlins than an old Yugo.

[littlebasher]

chris1roll said:

Good. I (and about 50% of the population to some degree) get incredibly irritating trails when shifting focus with LED lights in view.
You don't need to be looking directly at them, just have them in your field of view.
So as far as I am concerned, that's an improvement.

Glad it's not just me then. The first time i saw this at night on the motorway, i assumed somebody has slipped something in my drink.

[anonymous-user]

littlebasher said:

Glad it's not just me then. The first time i saw this at night on the motorway, i assumed somebody has slipped something in my drink.

My Dad says the same, he thought it was just his eyes.

[mrmr96]

littlebasher said:

Glad it's not just me then. The first time i saw this at night on the motorway, i assumed somebody has slipped something in my drink.

Are we talking about when you cast your eyes side to side and can see the 'dashes' in the trail?

[Cemesis]

I have to put my hand up to shield my eyes from the LED's. In stop start traffic its hardly safe but I have no choice.

On the facelift e46 they arn't that bright but some cars have much brighter ones.

[Herman Toothrot]

Or is it because they are really unreliable? I've seen loads with LEDs out of sync with each other or some failed completely.

[Herman Toothrot]

Or is it because they are really unreliable? I've seen loads with LEDs out of sync with each other or some failed completely.

[redstu]

I thought that the central high level strip led s were a good idea , easy to see , quick to react.
But the new all led stop lights really are almost painful when stopped behind one. And if the cost to fix is high or dealer only then it really is a step backwards.

[bigdods]

LEDs are a pain but its the future unfortunately. I keep a pair of extra dark sunglasses handy in the side pocket, just pop them on when in traffic. You can still see whats going on but it stops your retinas being burned out.

It has been known if sitting behind something really bright to wear my normal sunglasses over the top of the dark sunglasses to reduce the glare to an acceptable level

[minor5]

new bulb 40p against the price of a new light cluster when theled fails (whch they do regular)£200
not backward step in my eyes

[2 Wycked]

They could also be saving them for the facelift in three years time. The only car that I've taken issue with the LEDs on is the Citroen DS3 and its absurdly bright DRLs.

[Fast Jonnie]

Completely agree with the comment about the face lift. My E46 had LED rear lights, but my E90 reverted to bulbs. Sure enough, when the light makeover of the E90 occurred 3 years in back came the LED's. Very easy mod for the production department and a point of difference for the sales department.

[Dr Jekyll]

What's Maserati's excuse for getting rid of the Boomerang lights?

[DrTre]

Dr Jekyll said:

What's Maserati's excuse for getting rid of the Boomerang lights?

Not legal in the US market IIRC although that may be hearsay as I assume they sold some first gen 3200?

[Papa Hotel]

DrTre said:

Not legal in the US market IIRC although that may be hearsay as I assume they sold some first gen 3200?

Nonsense. A US focus group didn't like them, that's why they got rid. Everyone knows that.

[JonRB]

Papa Hotel said:

DrTre said:

Not legal in the US market IIRC although that may be hearsay as I assume they sold some first gen 3200?

Nonsense. A US focus group didn't like them, that's why they got rid. Everyone knows that.

Yup. They were dropped because the Yanks didn't like them.