Do the headlights perform on 2017s?

I think 2nd and 3rd gen headlights works fine for the most part. The 3rd gen is a little better than 2nd gen.

Both 2nd and 3rd gen headlights don't light up the road well during dusk after rain on black roads, can hardly see the stripes on the road. It also be nicer to light up the sides better than just in front of you. I suppose a little brighter bulbs would help.

Turning on my foglights helps a bit.

 

This is illegal btw. Just thought I would point that out since no one else has.

 

In my engineering world there is a word called "nominal." If something is nominal, that word means something is working as designed. The 3rd gen headlights are nominal. They work, at posted speeds. You can see. Could they be better? Sure. I could be a better person. My mountain bike could be better if it had a rear suspension. The Tacoma could tow better if it came with a 4.6l.
See the point? What is "better?" Further? Brighter? Wider? Different color?
Absolutely there are better headlights out there in every category listed, but there are negatives to every "better" one lol. Cost, life, etc. So, what is it worth to be "better" and it with worth it?
Right now I can drive my Tacoma in black moonless night on a two lane highway at posted speed limits with no issues. Their performance is nominal, which means they work as advertised.

 

Got pics of the output?

 

I think the stock lights perform great. However I am still doing the @mesojdm rx350 retrofit.

Now the lights on my 16' 4Runner are incredible poor, literally can't see shit at night. I wonder if there is a quality issue with the factory halogens, and maybe the different factories use different bulb suppliers.

 

I see your point.
The transmission/engine combo was also designed as "nominal".. But obviously there is still much to be desired. Just because it meets specs doesn't mean it can't be improved. And with something that I/my family are relying on for SAFETY, I won't settle for "nominal"....sorry. Just my .02

 

Nominal, maybe. Consider the study mentioned by the OP. The engineers at IIHS assessed our "nominal" headlights as "poor" performers.

More clearly: a thing that works as it was designed to work doesn't mean it was designed to work well.

As I've stated previously... I think the lights work okay. But like you said, they could be designed to work better.

 

Every. Single. Thing. Can be made better, faster, stronger, etc. Question is, are you willing to pay? The average customer has no issues and won't pay extra. No OEM designs their vehicle to not sell lol. They design what the customer wants and will pay for. The 3rd gen Tacoma is the result of what the customer wanted, from the headlight to the tailgate.

My friend, if safety for your family is your absolute number one priority, you need a different vehicle than the Tacoma. A Suburban or something with a much greater mass than the average vehicle weight of 3400 lbs. Higher the mass, safer the vehicle if all other things are equal.

 

The headlights work great. If you are having trouble seeing at night with the stock lights, perhaps its your vision and NOT the headlights. Maybe time to go spend the money on an eye exam versus new lights. Just a thought!

 

I work 3rd shift in New Hampshire. 90% of my driving is at night through all weather and terrain. They are considerably better than what my 2011 had. I'm satisfied with the OEM light with no plan to upgrade. As a side note, I weld 7 hrs a day which makes my eyes prone to light sensitivity. Even with that deficiency the lights are still sufficient.

 

3rd gen headlights are way worse than my wife's stock Outback's lights. I put in LEDs and now they are on par. If I could do it over, I would put HIDs.

 

Stock Halogen bulbs are poor. Install aftermarket Halogen, or step up to upgrade to LED or HID. I am running LED, love the output, and I do not blind oncoming drivers.

 

I drive under the speed limit on the freeway along the foothills here outside of Denver, these lights come up short at 65. Too much traffic to run brights, which are great. Switching to HID to see how they do.

 

Slap some HID or LED in and your golden.

 

Headlights in these work great. They work for what they are. Headlights on a truck. So that you can see at night. So.

There is a huge range that exists in what people want headlights to do, from lighting the road in front of you while you drive at night, to beaming photons all the way to the cosmic radiation wall. Adjust your expectations more towards "can I drive at night?"... because that's what they do. They aren't megalazerz.

 

I've owned my '12 from new, and the headlights were pointing at the sky when I took delivery. I have found that this is common with most new vehicles, doesn't seem to matter who's...
I aim the lights on everything I drive and just do a Sylvania bulb upgrade. My truck will illuminate signs over a mile up on the highway on high beam. That's as good as you could ever need... plenty of time to see the reflection of an animal's eyes

 

My 2016's were aimed too low from factory.

The high beam is really good, which is why I left it alone. I wasn't happy with the low beam, so switched to LED, which fills out the view much better. Also upgraded fogs to Rigid, which are amazing.

 

On my 11 stock bulbs were alright I switched to piaa and was a big difference. If you wanna see real crapy headlights just drive a ram

 

Toyota and Honda are the slowest to get w/ the lighting game. Took them a wile to adopt LED tailights to their bread and butter cars. They're now gone full tilt crazy w/ LED lighting, it's just a matter of time before it trickles down to the trucks

 

Old (stock 2016)



New (LEDs in the projectors and rigid DOT approved Fog lights)

If you get in a new Tacoma and drive any speed at night you are out driving your headlights. They are horribly inadequate. If you live anywhere without street lights you are risking your life driving this truck in a dark environment. I replaced all my lights, the fogs are a joke as well. I almost hit multiple deer with the old headlights and I was not speeding. I'd go as far as saying they were the worst headlights I've ever used. My 2015 had excellent lights stock, the 2016 are a joke. Not only can I see great now at night but also I do not blind other drivers. Same guy at Toyota who decided to leave out the floor mat clips on the passenger side must have been in charge of picking out the headlights.