When exactly is new technology better...owned a 95 and 98 never had terrible blind spots especially going around turns at night..Hell for that matter I have a 72 Monte that has better headlamps . They really don't light the road and don't shoot that far in front and yes I have the Carbon Monoxide smell on hard acceleration. Anyone else not happy with headlights? I've even lowered them a tad to no avail.

 

They're just a BAD design to be honest. We've had dozens of customers complain to no end about them.

There are better options in terms of projectors that fit & function like OEM - except put out a MUCH nicer level of HID light output - the right way.

 

I have no issues with mine! They are brighter than my 02 Excursion. Even better than my 01 Explorer! The only lights I have had that were better were on our 07 Chrysler Town and Country.
As far as the smell. Ours doesn't.

 

No problems with our HIDs on the sport...
I like them better than the xenon's that were on our Audi Q5...
(but we both like the sport better than just about anything on the Q5 !)

are there different levels of headlights on the different models ?

 

Most headlights use 2 different lamps or at least a lamp with 2 different filaments for the headlights. The Explorer uses a single lamp with a mechanical shutter that blocks part of the beam for low and retracts for high beam. Sort of the worst of both worlds.

 

The bi-xenon / bi-halogen / bi-led system you're talking about (with the shutter that controls light output) is actually a good mechanism overall and can be really efficient.

The main issue here is that the actual halogen projectors SUCK big time. So yes - their low and high beam output is terrible no matter what.

 

Yes that's what I experience...The Highs are almost just like a good low beam with the shudder door.