[DoctorOctopus]

Hi

IIHS has rated the 2021 hybrid limited headlights as POOR !!!
I bought a 21 XSE with adaptive headlights to avoid this problem, it is rated good
My fiance has a 21 hybrid limited on order, we can't get the adaptive headlights in New England
I understand that 2022 models have updated headlights.
Are the 22 headlights better than the 21
Can I factory order adaptive headlights for a 2022 in Massachusetts

Thanks
Murray

 

[NameofUser]

NO, you can NOT order adaptive headlights as an aftermakret accessory add-on/retrofit. Sensors and steering wheel input tell the adaptive system how much to "turn" the lights. That would be a lot of stuff you would have to transplant onto a car that never had it; no telling if it would interface with a "dumber" car correctly. Can it be done? Yes, just time and a lot of money. Probably cheaper to just sell the car you have and buy the car w/ the features you want.

22 headlights may or may not be better than 21 headlights. Both RAV4 model years employ LED headlights. You should investigate what the differences are (if any) between the headlight on a 22 vs 21. What does IIHS and Consumer reports say?

As nice as adaptive headlights sound, it introduces moving parts and all the various sensors/electronics, that can and will go wrong at some point in the vehicles life. If you change cars every 3-5 years, you probably won't experience any repair issues with such a headlight system, so you'll enjoy the benefits minus the headaches.

Have fiance cancel the 21 limited order. Order a 22 that has what you are looking for.

Why can't you get the adaptive headlights in the New England area, when it is available on certain Toyota models sold in the USA? Just no RAV4s (regular, Hybrid, or PRIME) have adaptive headlights. Highlander, and some sedans have adaptive headlights.

 

[Piticli]

NO, you can NOT order adaptive headlights as an aftermakret accessory add-on/retrofit. Sensors and steering wheel input tell the adaptive system how much to "turn" the lights. That would be a lot of stuff you would have to transplant onto a car that never had it; no telling if it would interface with a "dumber" car correctly. Can it be done? Yes, just time and a lot of money. Probably cheaper to just sell the car you have and buy the car w/ the features you want.

22 headlights may or may not be better than 21 headlights. Both RAV4 model years employ LED headlights. You should investigate what the differences are (if any) between the headlight on a 22 vs 21. What does IIHS and Consumer reports say?

As nice as adaptive headlights sound, it introduces moving parts and all the various sensors/electronics, that can and will go wrong at some point in the vehicles life. If you change cars every 3-5 years, you probably won't experience any repair issues with such a headlight system, so you'll enjoy the benefits minus the headaches.

Have fiance cancel the 21 limited order. Order a 22 that has what you are looking for.

Why can't you get the adaptive headlights in the New England area, when it is available on certain Toyota models sold in the USA? Just no RAV4s (regular, Hybrid, or PRIME) have adaptive headlights. Highlander, and some sedans have adaptive headlights.

Anything would be better than the 21 headlights. The 2022 are way better. You can't compare projectors with reflectors...

 

[Tazio Nuvolari]

Anything would be better than the 21 headlights. The 2022 are way better. You can't compare projectors with reflectors...

I don't know that is true. I had racing Hella halogens back in the 1980s that were more powerful than any current Toyota headlights. The IIHS rated the projector LEDs on Toyota 2021 hybrids as "Poor" and rated the reflector LEDs on the ICE models better as "Marginal". The IIHS 2022 ratings are not available yet.

 

[Piticli]

I don't know that is true. I had racing Hella halogens back in the 1980s that were more powerful than any current Toyota headlights. The IIHS rated the projector LEDs on Toyota 2021 hybrids as "Poor" and rated the reflector LEDs on the ICE models better as "Marginal". The IIHS 2022 ratings are not available yet.

I'll bet you loved your car, but as long a projector is not defective and well designed, no reflector compares. The prior rav4 reflectors were notoriously bad. You can find how the new one performs on YouTube. So much better. And anything would be better than my 2015 Altima 😂

 

[Tazio Nuvolari]

You can find how the new one performs on YouTube.

Do you have a link? Only YouTube vid I found is the Canadian salesman who turns on the '21 ICE and '22 projectors IN THE DAY TIME! I want to see a direct side by side night test showing how they light the road--not just how they look when you view the car from in front. Projectors were not really made to supply more or better lighting but rather as a safety feature for other on-coming drivers as the shutter in the projectors cuts off the light beam to prevent blinding others.

 

[Tazio Nuvolari]

In general projector and reflector light bulbs if LED emit the same volume of lumens of light. The projectors concentrate that light very narrowly to basically horizontally illuminate the lane of travel in front of the car with a strict vertical cut off. The reflectors disperse that light much wider horizontally to illuminate the on coming lanes and the shoulders of the road. The reflectors have no vertical cut off shutter so they illuminate road signs and objects much higher off the ground than the projectors. I think the reflectors are better for rural areas where a deer might jump out of the shadows from the shoulders of the road.