My new (2011) car has the kind of headlights that look like they contain crystal balls, if that makes sense. I know there's a name for them--high intensity, maybe? I don't know how they look to oncoming cars, but they are wonderful to drive with. I thought my 4Runner had bright lights, but these illuminate more than I've ever seen.

I must say I dislike seeing those blue (or green) headlights coming at me.

I hate the blue lights coming at me also, but, I had them on my Lexus that turned on curves, loved them!

Some of those blue-white headlights with a sharp cut-off at the top are plasma lights, a new technology that is appearing on a few upscale models. Supposedly, these lamps have a long lifetime and are expensive to replace. Those are driven with high voltage and thus require a power supply.

I find them annoying (distracting) as on coming in traffic, our Fords don't have them.

A few years ago they came installed on the new audi a friend of mine drove, and she got pulled over one night for illegal and distracting headlamps. She had to convince the trooper they came factory standard, which they did.

I haven't used them from the other side of the wheel, nothing I've driven has the blue/white lights.

One reason I can't drive at night is those lights. They blind me when I meet them.

Susan, I've been meaning to post to find out how you like your new vehicle. Have you driven the AWD in snow yet? I've driven mine in some snow, but not enough to judge whether or not it's as good as my 4X4 was. I doubt it will be as good, but I hope it's at least close. That Tracker was like a snow plow, I felt very secure driving it, the few times I had to drive in really bad weather.

I love it, Mare! There was a bit of a learning curve mastering the art of driving with a Continuous Variable Transmission, but I'm used to it now. So far I've missed the 8 cylinders and mega-horsepower only once, and it was just yesterday. In the middle of passing someone on an uphill grade, with the passing lane soon to end, I suddenly remembered that I was no longer driving a powerhouse. LOL

But no, I haven't driven it in snow yet. We had a couple of inches Christmas Eve, and I stayed home. Glad I did, as numerous accidents were reported in the area. Very slick surfaces under the snow.

I hope your AWD pleasantly surprises you. A lot of people swear by it. My son has urged me to get studded snow tires next year because ice is so often a problem here, but I haven't decided. It would be expensive, and a nuisance twice a year, and now that I'm not working I can usually avoid hazardous driving conditions.