I don’t have the matrix lights unfortunately, but from everything I’ve read they should do the job ok. There’s no point having them if you have to keep turning them off.

 

Never had them but agree, surely it defeats the purpose if there was to be manual intervention to switch then off.

If you have access to another vehicle, perhaps get someone else in the ID.3 to follow you so you can experience what it’s like from the perspective of the car in front.

 

They do an amazing job.
The only time you may need to intervene is if there is a central reservation, it can then struggle to see oncoming vehicles headlights

 

I've not had a car follow me which has matrix lights, but looking at what my own lights are doing when there's a car in front I would say they just work - push the stalk forward and drive your car.

As mentioned above by E-Gizmo, oncoming vehicles on dual-carriageways or motorways (not single carriageway roads) are the only time you might need to override.

 

I've noticed when following cars on fairly quiet country roads that the detection of red taillights in front seems to be very sensitive and fast - even when the car in front is tiny in the far distance.

Not an issue when following other cars, but the only minor concern I've had with the matrix lights in general is that the car's headlights settings revert to "driving on the right" every time the car restarts - and I suspect that the couple of times I've been flashed by oncoming cars might have been due to that. So now, when getting ready to drive off at night, I've been going into "Vehicle" to reset the lights for "driving on the left", and since doing that I've not been flashed again. Hopefully that's something that will be sorted by the imminent software updates (I'm currently on 0792).

 

I've noticed when following cars on fairly quiet country roads that the detection of red taillights in front seems to be very sensitive and fast - even when the car in front is tiny in the far distance.

Not an issue when following other cars, but the only minor concern I've had with the matrix lights in general is that the car's headlights settings revert to "driving on the right" every time the car restarts - and I suspect that the couple of times I've been flashed by oncoming cars might have been due to that. So now, when getting ready to drive off at night, I've been going into "Vehicle" to reset the lights for "driving on the left", and since doing that I've not been flashed again. Hopefully that's something that will be sorted by the imminent software updates (I'm currently on 0792).

I’m wondering if the driving on the left or right thing is a redundant option with the matrix headlights. I’ve parked mine against a wall and watched to see if they move when selecting left or right, and they don’t?

There’s no kick up to the left or right on the matrix lights, and they should just blank off around any oncoming light source wherever it is, and whatever side of the road you’re on.

They certainly work very well anyway, but like all automated systems/driver aids im always ready to intervene if they do something stupid that would be to the detriment of other road users.

 

I have them on my 1st Edition. I live a very rural area. They are amazing, They are fine on the narrow twisty lanes. The ability of them to follow the turns is really helpful on these types of road.

The only time I have had to manually dip them was on a trunk road with a contraflow. The reflective signs and bands on the cones caused so much feedback that the active matrix lights were confused.

 

From a non-user perspective I question whether they are as good as you think. On roads with regular changes of level I am increasingly finding that Audis are briefly dazzling me as they approach over the crests before quickly "dipping" their headlights - it is impossible to know whether they are matrix headlights reacting too late (perhaps with the system only reacting to my headlamps which are visible after the roof/windscreen of my car as they approach over the crests) or whether they are conventional headlamps poorly operated by the drivers.

 

As someone with a Life (standard LEDs) and a Family (Matrix), I've not noticed much of a difference between the 2 cars at night on our well lit roads. If you never venture down unlit country roads, I might question paying big bucks for them separately (if you.could). Not something I regret not having on the Life (although I do slightly lament the fact that 3 weeks after the Life I was able to source a Family for just £834 more! I would've bought 2 Family's in hindsight!).

 

Thanks all, this is good to know! Reason I asked is that I was following a slow, ancient Nissan Micra for ages last night with the matrix headlights on. I was keeping a safe distance, and then eventually overtook it in a safe place. After I went by it flashed me so I wondered whether that was an expression of annoyance at being dazzled by headlights in the time I was following it. But maybe it was just an expression of annoyance at being overtaken!

 

I've been flashed more by oncoming traffic when I've had just normal headlights on than I have with the full beams set to auto. LED lights are brighter in general & I think sometimes when going over bumps or slight inclines they do tend to dazzle a bit and can look like full beam is on when it's not.

I also live in a rural area & use the full beams often. As others have said, they can't work on a dual carriageway with any kind of barrier as they can't see the oncoming headlights properly. Not such an issue for cars coming the other way but I turn them off as a courtesy to van & truck drivers with a higher seating position.

The other issue is with anyone at a side junction turning on to the road you're on. The car obviously doesn't react as it can't see their headlights, so they get dazzled.

 

I don’t have an ID but on the Corsa-e the excellent LED Matrix headlights only activate high beam when above ~26mph and they do not activate in high beam if driving in an urban (street lights) area. However, I leave them on auto all the time and the rural driving I mostly do does not seem to bother other drivers and you can see the segments activating and deactivating as required.

Does the active matrix in the ID have the functionality to automatically dip the high beam element when below ~26mph or when driving on lit roads?

 

Does the active matrix in the ID have the functionality to automatically dip the high beam element when below ~26mph or when driving on lit roads?

Yes, it does that. The high beam only activates when there aren't streetlights nearby. Not sure about whether it switches off at low speed though if there are no other lights around. The high beam is implemented as a high directed "curtain" of light projected above the dipped beam pattern that's on all the time, with individual vertical segments of the high beam curtain blanking out as vehicle lights are detected in those areas.

 

In our area, we have a section of single carriageway A road, 60mph, which is very straight and level with the merest of kinks. About 1.5 miles long.

Cars at the far end appear like a slightly shimmery candle, rather than 2 distinct headlights.

Last time I decided to leave it on auto to see what happens, I found the matrix would identify the car very early, and darken in the centre. Then change its mind back and forth a number of times, giving a second-long burst of main beam each time. But the car was still a long way off, so hard to tell whether it would be attributed to my main beam, or my going over a small rise.

I definitely got treated to a main beam flash when it was close, so they obviously weren't that impressed.

Generally, I find following cars is much better. And coping with height changes works as well as the turns on twisty roads - reacting about as well as I would manually.

In the words of a well-known YouTube ID driver, "So cooool". But, like ACC, I still find my fingers hovering to take over ... just in case.

 

I find the system a fraction too slow and not quite quite intelligent enough. The worst situation I find is against oncoming traffic which is either round a slight bend or over a hump, I can see quite clearly a car is coming but the system waits until it sees the headlights rather than the light from them before changing, if I leave the system to itself I've had a few flashes that way.