Sorry Kris. I do not agree at all. Matrix LED are one of the biggest enhancements in car head lights. If you drive on dark roads with steady traffic like in Norway, Matrix LED are a very important safety improvement. Are they overpriced? Yes, they are. But I do not regret buying the Matrix LED (they were a bit less pricey earlier). Matrix LED should be standard, but Audi wants to test the after marked revenue streams. Should you rent them instead? I do not think you should rent safety feature. You should have them active all the time. Even in the summer it will get dark at night. I have Matrix LED on the e-Golf. After my first car with Matrix LED, I will not buy a car without it. The e-Golf have an activation speed of 60 km/h. The activation speed on the e-tron of 30 km/h is a large improvement. But Digital Matrix LED are really overpriced.... 55k is way way overpriced
It's the fact Audi are charging you 18k NOK for software, that's the scam - not the actual Matrix LED's which come with the car. Yes they should be standard, that's the whole point!
@@JamesJames-iv3nq ask Tesla for an answer to « how scam customers » ... seriously, nobody say you must buy this feature and be not naive, manufacturers who include matrix LED have included the good price with... nothing’s free, especially in car business!
You wrote you do not agree at all. Do you understand what you wrote? So you do not agree: - this is a scam - overpriced (btw you agreed) - there are better ones Think before do not agree at all
@@kezdotanulo9160 Scam definition is - a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation. There is nothing fraudulent or deceptive about selling Matrix LED as an option to the car. Matrix LED works as advertised. So there is NO scam her. You can argue if the price is right. And if you think that you only pay for hardware, you have to leave your 1990 mindset behind. Audi and VAG (and all other car brands) tries to car ownership a more continues revenue stream. They will earn less from maintenance, so they need to find new ways to compensate. To rent features is one way to do this. It is not a scam. Only another way for them to make money. If you do not want to rent the feature, buy the option. Is is to expensive, then do not buy the option? Do you want a car with Matrix LED as standard, buy another car... So I do not agree at all the Matrix LED are a scam. Stop whining about new business models. Vote with your wallet is what actually gives effect.
There is no swivel because there's no physical moving parts. In bi xenon you needed this system. But with LED you can just do max width all the time, which you mentioned. The reason why other manufacturers can do swivel with LED is because they narrow down the output to simulate swivel.
I think you're missing the point. If you're talking about safety, the length of high beam is not of interest, as long as you get enough time to react and stop. Go in on IIHS website and search the Volvo XC60 and E-tron. They not only test the length of the beam, but also the width. On low beam the Audi destroys the Volvo in both moderate and sharp curves. In high beam the Audi performs one level above the Volvo in all categories. I think the results speak for themselves.
@@norbertmayer7005 Pre US MY2019 don't have the same lights as we get in Europe (and the rest of the world) because adaptive light technology such as Matrix and other systems (like Volvos) has not been legal due to regulations. They lack both the output, lenght of cone and adaptive functionality. These have now been changed and it's with the headlights that Volvo have offered in their cars since 2015 that the IIHS now give them a good rating. That being said. I've owned thwo XC90's with a combined milage of near 150 000km in four years as well as probably covering another 50k in Volvo Press Cars. To be frank, I'm quite familiar with Volvos lights, and can with out a doubt say they are superior to the Matrix in the E-Tron. I will also have an XC40 P8 press car over the new year, so I can make a direct comparo for your guys :)
Test the new digital matrix light. Maybe that convinces you more. But I don’t agree with your point at all. If this is scam already, then you should never test an Tesla. :) More, I like the Concept, that you can test the function or only book for the darker Periode of the year. Driving now such systems since more then 6years from bmw and Audi and will Never take a car without anymore. The new digital Matrix light in the etron is fun ;)
First I want to clarify that I'm a huge fan! 🙂 But I think that the statement in the title is half right, half wrong. It is wrong because: The difference between MATRIX LED and LED as far as I know is definitely not the brightness. The difference is in the way they work. The MATRIX as you can guess by the name are a matrix of leds that have the ability to turn off some of them to prevent dazzling other cars. So it is no surprise that when you upgrade to MATRIX LED you don't get more powerful headlights. You just get that smart function of turning off part of the leds and this way you can drive almost all the time on country roads with high beams without dazzling anyone. This explain why you get the MATRIX LED only with software update. You have the hardware ( the matrix ) but it is working as a whole unit and adding the software you get the smart function. It is right beacuse: Even this way the cost of this software upgrade is too high. I will give an example to explain why I think that. I have a Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription MY2016. The car have all the hardware needed for the Pilot Assist function but the MY2016 doesn't come standard with it. The software that I had to get to activate this function costed me 1700 euros. And we are talking about much more sophisticated system adding much more complicated functions. So YES I think Audi charge too much ONLY for smart headlights. P.S. I'm really glad that you are BACK with regular videos on UA-cam. And I love the ones that you make with Bjorn. Keep up the good work and have a nice holidays!!!! 🎄
All LEDs are on a matrix, you don’t need to turn off the LEDs individually to achieve the light tunneling features. Those are also available in xenons. No led headlights sold today, or ever, are brighter than adaptive xenons from bmw
I don't see this as a scam at all. Online software upgrades of a car is definitely the future of how you bring the base price down and I would love Audi to have much more features on demand. The ability to buy for example the headlights just the months you need them Is genius.
What is ridiculous? The Led Matrix you can buy with the car is, on the Funcions on Demand shop, divided in two packs: Matrix and Light Function Package.
I have the Matrix LED's on my A5. The comments suggests that they only dip from high beam to low beam automatically, they do a lot more than that. The system turns off individual LED's when a light source is detected effectively providing a dark 'hole' that continually tracks and follows the position of the light source. I am afraid that I can not agree with the comments on the quality or brightness, mine are very bright indeed.
It is not a problem of all Audis that the lights dont swivel. Its even worse, because the High-Technology E-Tron is the only Audi SUV without Curving Headlights. A cheap Q5 is able to curve in the lights before the car actually turns, because it uses the navigation system. The E-Tron Headlights -even the completly overpriced Digital ones- can't do what all Audi Qs are capable of at all. For german Autobahn the light is good enough but on tight and windy roads I would hate it.
Hi Kris, I love your videos but I hope you don't mind but I'm afraid I can t agree with you on this one. I had LED Matrix Headlights on my last A6, as standard, and now on my ETron I have the HD version as standard on the 'vorsprung' model in UK. I know the specifications vary hugely for country to country and that they not be available in Norway. However, my main disagreement with you is the quality of the matrix beam. On UK motorways and multi lane roads with vehicles ahead in front and coming towards you in the other direction, the matrix headlights can handle multiple sectors to dim and illuminate giving the driver a 'full' beam except in those sectors which would dazzle another driver. It is far more complex than you imply, especially at 3:36 when you say that the lights 'beam down and then beam up again'. They didn't. They stayed on full beam the whole time but only dimmed those sectors which would have blinded the oncoming driver. In busy situations they are extremely valuable. For example I have been driving behind a vehicle in a multi lane road and the vehicle in the front has been driving in dipped headlights so as not to dazzle the driver that was in front of him. I had my full beam on and but I didn't dazzle the driver in front of me because some sectors of the beam were dimmed, but the remaining undimmed led sectors were powerful enough to illuminated the road on either side and far further than the car in front's dipped headlights. This is good for safety bout also helps when it will illuminate a road sign that would have been our of range of a dipped beam. With regard to the lights turning, Ive had cars that did that too but I find the standard full beam of the LED Matrix is far wider meaning having lights that moved as well would be superfluous. The HD version has 1m sectors per headlight, not just the 8 on the basic LED matrix, so the definition is better, Why not try the LED Matrix headlights in a motorway or higher speed multi lane situation with more traffic? Glad to see you have remained well during the pandemic, and keep up the good work. Best wishes John
I get the point you are making, but calling it a scam is completely off. "Scam" implies cheating or selling you something different than what you paid for, and that's far from the case. Software upgrades and changes to unlock more features have been around for ages (unlocking top speed on RS cars and ECU/EFI upgrades to yield more power are just two). The lights work as intended, so it's up to you of you want to pay for that or not. Nobody is forcing you to purchase them. Whether you pay for a software upgrade or getting actual different headlights is irrelevant, as long as you get what you paid for.
For once, I disagree with you. 🙂 I’m not saying that these regular (non Digital) LED Matrix lights are the best lights out there, but they are probably better than 90%. One of the good things with this car IMO. In open fields, wet autumn/winter weather and damp roads, everything looks weak. I think the good spread is also playing with your eyes. Lights that swivel and have sharp edges may look more impressive. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you see more.. BTW: The LED Matrix lights gets a “boost” at high speeds, above 110 kph (?) according to the owners manual. EDIT: And a feature called synthetic cornering light, I just found out. I think having the option to buy the Matrix lights up front, or not, or have them on demand- is a good thing. It’s actually quite common to sell hardware that needs to be software enabled for full functionality in many industries. Some EVs even have a software limited battery, where you carry around the same physical pack as the more expensive, long range model. Most manufacturers charge extra for matrix style lights. Right? 🙂 I can understand that think they should be standard, or disagree with the pricing. At the same time, I feel this colors your opinion on how they perform. Would be cool with a split screen video, where you compare the lights of different cars in the same conditions with the same camera settings. You could do it with Bjørn. 🙂 It’s also possible to place an object on a long straight and se how close you need to be to see it. And then there’s the Digital Matrix lights, that I still haven’t seen an independent test of.. 🙏 Keep up the good work!! 👍
What is the matter with you? He checked what he claimed. If you do not beleive that is fine. I do not think anybody needs to prove anything to you. Do your honework and say thanks. Do not question someone without prove.
@@kezdotanulo9160 Relax. 🙂 I’ve used these Matrix lights for two years and I just think this review gives the wrong impression; that they are not particularly good. Most people in the EV community and other journalists think they are pretty awesome. Even though, there might be lights out there that are even better. What’s your experience with these particular lights? And what’s your opinion on hardware that needs to be unlocked to get full functionality, in general? Is it a scam?
@@omelvold I agree with the review. I think it was fare and I would have been more critical. My experience: there are much better out there. Audi has no excuse as far as I know. They have not explained their sctions. For you: Did you do a survey? 'Most people in the EV community think...' - I hope you are not college educated. As far as journalist, do you really think that most of them objective and quality oriented? Wake up! Hardware being locked vs. unlocked: I do not have a general opinion for all cases. Nice try! :) I think it should be very clear that when I get an unlock it is not an improved hardware. Customer should know what he pays for, for example an enable command. New topic: I am not a lawyer. There is something about price and purchased item relationship. They have to correlate somehow. I can not explain, but this case I feel it is overpriced. See renting! I think the video made a good point.
@@kezdotanulo9160 I think we’re both wasting our time here. 🙂 I have driven the e-tron for nearly two years and would buy the Matrix lights again. Or lease. That seems like a better deal. All I’m saying is that they are very good. And not a scam.
@@omelvold actually, that is not all you said! That was my point. You say foolish things and later act like nothing was said. If all xou say is that you like it that is a subjective opinion. No point to argue. Who cares. But you did more snd now you lie about it. Do not waist your time with lies.
I agree totally Kris, it's a complete scam. No manufacturer would include any hardware in their vehicle which would mean it would be sold at a loss. As much as I don't like this practice, I'm afraid this is the direction the automotive industry is heading in. I think recently BMW announced that they would be charging a monthly fee for heated seats, but they got a lot of backlash and therefore took back their decision. We have to blame Tesla for this!!!!
I totally agree! That's why I made this video, because if we just sit here silent and accept this practice the manufactureres will just continue. But I want to say that I'm not against paying for software, but at this price it's a total scam. If it was half the price it would be fine.
@@KrisRifa Very true. Also looking at the way the build quality on the VAG vehicles, they're really starting to cut corners everywhere. Look at the interior of the new ID3, sure it looks more 'futuristic' but it's obvious to me that they're cutting costs. Same with Audi going all touch screen on their infotainment and climate controls (it's far cheaper to manufacture a screen than a module containing physical dials and buttons). I think this is all stemming from the dieselgate fines, they are trying to recover the cost of the fines that they had to pay out.
This doesnt have anything to do with tesla or the car industry. In fact, tesla pioneered the concept of giving car owners free software updates. VAG still charges you absurd fees for something as essential as updated maps. Using the same hardware for different trims is common where it makes financial sense. Audi would be paying more to make different headlight assemblies for those that dont want matrix headlights. The difference on the electronics BOM (bill of materials) is almost nothing, but the logistics and management of now having two different headlights is a huge expense. Now, the most customer friendly thing Audi could do is to just give everyone the matrix headlights without any options. But that way they would miss out on profits which in turn would lead to a more expensive base model price. Its not that simple. Besides all that, VAG is insanely profit driven regardless and they are cutting costs everywhere, trying to shove service down customers throats and produce less reliable cars every year. Its just not a very customer oriented company, they really only love their shareholders.
It may only be software but software costs a lot to produce. Think of computer games and the cost of creating and manufacturing those. The difference is that there will be a far higher % of buyers for such things in gaming, than there will be in car upgrades. It's like night vision, ridiculously expensive for what it is and very few buyers will option it. Same with Matix LED. If everybody wanted it, the price would go down. Because few will want it, the price is high to pay for development.
Interesting point. So you mean that every software upgrade, which it is, not an update, is a scam. So Autopilot on Tesla is a scam as well then. Navigationupgrades on every car, if possible, are scams. You know there are a lot of other upgrades (not updates) you can do that are looked upon as technology upgrades which cost money. Safetyequipment, lighting upgrades (inside outside car), enginesoftware upgrade (in ICE cars). Since so much is decided by software these days, they will charge you for software upgrades. This is not a scam, it's a pricing policy, and yes you have the option of renting, so why you even can call this a scam, when they already have a solution for doing this cheaper for people who don't need it in a daily basis, means you don't know what a scam is. By the way, this information was informed me when I bought the car, and I've been waiting for the update who could give me Matrix headlights on rent. They even told me that the lights was better without the Matrix lights solution, but you wouldn't have the usability and functionality of the matrix-lights if you don't order them. So I didn't order them. So the biggest scam in the motor/car business, really? Are we supposed to take you serious, or did you run out of videos to make?
I was very specific that the reason I think this is a scam is because you are paying 18000NOK for an upgrade that all the competitors offer with the headlights for free. Matrix LED's are at this point an old technology that is already developed, and is nothing near as complicated as Autoliot from Tesla. That is also something that is constantly under development. And furthermore it's the sheer cost of the upgrade with Matrix LED which was something like 4% of the cars base price before prices went up in April. I never said it was a scam to rent it, I even advise you to rent it. The scam is charging 18k for something that is essentially a software when the real cost it the actual headlight.
@@KrisRifa It's not a scam. It's price policy (and wellknown), and if you want you get good information from the car selling unit. Just take your time when you order/buy the car. I really like that you can order and buy the upgrades you want. You don't have to pay for things you don't want, like in a Kia or Hyundai (not that that's a bad solution but different). If you like packages like Mercedes and BMW offer, then buy those. With the ground clearance of the Mercedes you could then talk about the "SUV scam" of that car (a car almost just made for city and highwaydriving), which it isn't, but they choose to not mention the 9,5 cm GC on the car. Not even the carsales unit inform about that when you ask. And that's a mechanical feature. Therefore you should do the job of asking and investigate the cars before you choose. The price policy of the Audi car company is well known, and you know you have to pay for every choice you do. If they have something standard you sure will know about it in the ads. And in their car ads on TV, and on their site they list them as a bullettboard. If you look at the Mercedes info on the internet the list in their packages, equipments that are standard in their adon packages. They don't list if the functionality is upgraded, but you might think so. So how do you find out, you ask a sales rep and you find out. So where is the scam/fraud. How do Audi scam you, if it's all in the open. You choose, and if you do talk to the sales rep, they will guide you, as mine did. That is the difference of buying a car online and in a store. You can talk to the sales rep and get answers while you there. Easy, simple and straight forward. Not all carsales companies does that, but mine were very open about everything, I think.
@@renetvedtpedersen5048 he speciffically said (several times) that it was a scam in the car lightning sector. I tend to agree with you that calling it a scam is a stretch, but in my opinion you are totally wrong when saying that we as a customer should do the research to find out what we are paying for. Specially when its presented to be a big upgrade(wich it obviosly is not) at that high price.
@@youtubeonbudget3731 Who says it's a big upgrade? They are making a case of the digital matrix headlights is a big upgrade, not the regular matrix headlights. If the sales rep makes a big case of the regular matrix headlights, which mine didn't I agree, but they don't. The ads only talk about the digital matrix headlights, which is at an insane price. And if you buy a car at 60-90 k euros and don't research, well that tells something about the customer. And if you bother to read my comment. I was talking about his comment on the lightning, but you can compare that to other software upgrades to the car, which for other competitors are priced very high. A scam is a serious accusation, and are misleading to others wondering about buying the car. So if that's his intention, I will not foloow this channel anymore. He has been honest earlier, and informative, but this is truly not right.
@@renetvedtpedersen5048 I already said that calling it a scam is a stretch. Well if your opinion is that the customer should need to do research about a product thats fine with me. Informing people about a 20k softwareupdate that might do little or nothing for you(concidering the price) is not beeing honest and informative?
Very interesting.... Renting headlights... What will car companies come up to next? Rent seat? Wheels? This is absurd in my opinion. Yes it seems that Volvo indeed has some great headlights.
Its even more insane that you say here, because its also a safety system, that you cannot replace with another brand (unlike wheels). People crash and die every year from incorrect use of headlights (either blinding oncoming traffic or not using it correctly and missing deer/bends and more). The better analogy would be, that AUDI installs emergency braking but refuses to turn it on before you pay. So you litterally crash in an accident that could be avoided, with gear ALREADY installed in your car. Or that you cannot buckle your seatbelt unless you pay for it.
@@KrisRifa Welcome to the present and the future. It will be way more of this going forward. Almost every app support is only included for a few years even the hardware is there. At least Mercedes and VW do this. The Mercedes GLC from 4 years ago only had 3 year of app support included. So this is not a new thing.
For US market. Matrix headlights do automatic hi/low. That’s it. Like cars could do the 60s. All special matrix features are disabled. And will continue to be disabled for 2024. Though approved in 2018.
Thr Matrix algorithm in Audi turns on individual LEDs which results in bending the light to a different angle when you turn based on the steering angle and also traffic data in order to achieve curve illumination. Lower speed illumination in intersections or roundabouts is achieved by turning on the cornering lights.
I have to say that when there's traffic coming towards you, they are great. But when there's no traffic, then these are just worse, as you stated. The middle throw is just too weak. I have the 2019 A6 and coming from LEDs in Lexus, I can see the difference is night and day. Kinda wishing now that I had test-driven Volvo as you said that Volvo was the best in that regard.
Obvious to me that it is a scam. Another reason for audi to apologize. It is not clear, obvious that no hardware difference between matrix and the standard light.
På 2020 A6 allroad var det enda verre, vi betalte 24000 kr ekstra for HD Matrix lykter.... Men på A6 er det i alle fall forskjellige lykter avhengig av hvilke lys man velger, i motsetning til E-tron
Ja, og hadde det vært andre lykter på E-Tron hadde jeg forstått prisforskjellen. Men når det er samme lykt, så er det drøyt å betale 18k for annen programvare!
Funny... I remember joking to a friend about 40 years ago that we will probably come to a point in time at which every car will have air-conditioning, but the switch to turn it on will cost 2 grand...
the housing is the same but not the number of LEds behind the lenses. And yes to control the beem patern you need a dedicated controller and the software, which none of them are a small thing
@@KrisRifa On my 2020 A6 I have some technical papers that give some inside details for every headlight level, and none of them have the same number of LEDs
@@texfromro this is not an Audi A6, but the Audi E-Tron. I owned this car for a year and did both the trial period for Matrix and a 3 month subscription on them. This is part of Audi on demand functions, and they are the same headlight.
Kris, great 👍 content! and nice idea on renting as needed .. BTW note that many other automakers does similar things, the car comes with all the hardware but they don’t charge you for it until you want to use it, alike Tesla for example they charge you to upgrade your performance via software enabling features and even to enable rear seat heating etc.. so just remember they don’t charge you for the all the parts on your car depending on the trim etc.. until you want to enable that feature etc...
Thanks :) People keep mentioning Tesla which is fine, Tesla are Tesla and do things their own way. But not even Tesla charge you 18k for headlight software? :/ And I don't know any other make than Audi that do this...
@@KrisRifa no worries only because I own two of them model X and model 3, well we traded in my wife model X for the Audi etron about two months ago .. but yeah can’t wait to get my Mach E .. and forget all about Tesla lol 😂
I have signed a lease for the E-tron so for me the rental option is excellent. I do 80% of my driving on lit roads anyway so I could pay for the Matrix only during the 2-3 months per year when I actually need it. If I notice a difference, that is.
Are you sure that there is no hardware difference between the two lighting system? The optics may be the same, but is the same LED setup behind them? Has the same hardware installed which controls the LEDs? You know, if they can spare 2 dollars with mire simple electronics, they will install that in your car if you don't buy the extra parts. You may be right, I don't exclude totally that Audi can upgrade your software and boom, you have matrix high beam, but to decide this by purely look at how the headlight looks like is just wrong. Anyway, I have an Opel Astra with much worse Intellilux headlight, but I tell you, I would make matrix high beams mandatory. Maybe, even the top part of the low beam as well, because the LED low beams can be stupid bright. Not as bright I would like to have, but in a bumpy road it can bother the oncoming traffic very much.
Yes it is the same hardware, or else it would not be possible to just buy them through the app which I have done on a monthly basis. The sales person also told me this prior to purchasing the car
@@KrisRifa " else it would not be possible to just buy them through the app " Wait a moment! Audi has the option to order the "standard" LED-Matrix headlight when you already have the car? 😲 If you had shown this alongside the configuration page I would have not wrote the above comment. The part around 10:00 just simply flew away above my head.😱
I think you missunderstand the turning point. Working together with sat nav - before sharp turn or junction - they can put on corner light. No one ever said they will turn like bi xenons used to do.
Have you tested the Digital Matrix LED? Maybe you can do a comparison between the regular matrix and the digital matrix LED, to see if the digital are worth the 55k?
But have you rented the Light Function Package or only Matrix? When you buy Matrix in a new e-tron you get both Matrix and Light Function Package. This explains the price difference too, as the Light Function Package costs about 7000 nok if you order it for unlimited time from the app. It includes turning light and dynamic cornering lights, as well as welcome light etc. Please record a new test in the autumn, with both Matrix and Light Function Package installed. «Lysfunksjonspakken inkluderer følgende tilleggsfunksjoner: - visuelt oppgradert og utvidet kjørelys - blinklys og statiske veikrysslys (lyser opp ut mot siden ved kjøring inn og ut av veikryss) - motorveilys (økt lyslengde ved høyere hastigheter) - kurvelys (økt belysning i kurver) - manøvreringslys (belyser den fremre manøvreringsområde ved rygging) - dynamisk lyssekvens av coming home / leaving home-funksjon Innovativ og dynamisk. Også når bilen står i ro, viser de enestående lyktene seg frem med den nye og futuristiske, dynamiske lyssettingen for Coming- og Leaving-Home-funksjonen»
I really do not agree. The matrix lights on the E-tron are one of my favorite features. I don't like driving at night and these lights completely solve this issue for me. Maybe they updated the software since you posted your video.
I have physical headlights with no Matrix, and they work ok, like in days of yore. Beware that 'renting' Matrix on etron 55 is not available yet! And maybe never will... On behalf of Audi, having just one physical implementation of car components, but differing software based features, makes a whole lot of sense, simplified parts bin aso. Just not for the car owners who feel they lack a feature/have payed to much.
You could look at this from the opposite perspective: Audi, like all other manufacturers, set their pricing according to what they believe the market will pay (and they generally have a pretty good idea). And Audi has given us the opportunity to save 17 000 NOK if we don't want the matrix function. As you say, other manufacturers include this as standard, so they don't offer this opportunity. They make you pay for it anyway. Audi offers a discount of 17 000 NOK, almost 18 000 NOK for those who don't want this function. That being said, I do share your disappointment with regards to the functionality of these head lights, but Audi probably wants people to buy the digital matrix lights instead, at almost 3 times the price, 55 000 NOK. So they want to make sure there is another significant step up with regards to "vorsprung" and "technik".
Unless AUDI is selling the Matrix Headlights at a loss, and hoping to make some back from purchases, then they arent really allowing you to save anything. They still had the lights produced and installed in the car, wired and everything. I doubt they are like "lets not charge them for installing the headlights, but hope some will". No, they covered their costs, they just know that once people are happy about their car, upgrading basic features is more tempting. However, I cannot actually know this, but Im very much guessing they this isnt mean to save anyone money, its meant to make some people pay even more. And all that with a safety feature...
@@KrisRifa That said, I doubt I will use any of the extra features on them when my 2021 Audi e-tron 55 Vorsprung arrives... (Yes, I said that in your voice in my head lol)
You know they publicly mentioned this . In Belgium their subscription service is hightly promoted. Not sure if you want the option you don't take it. It is cheaper to manufacture 1 type than to customize however innovation costs money. There are many features on Audi like this. BMW and Mercedes do exactly the same for years...
@@KrisRifa I thought you are a car guy. While looking for a new car last year, I found similar formulas everywhere and they were promoting it as I was choosing options. They'd say "well if you don't want it right now you can always activate/subscribe for it later." And these are the only I know of, I'm pretty sure Tesla has this kind of scheme as well. Maybe it isn't specifically the lights but it is the same idea... BMW: July 2020 One feature allows BMW owners to subscribe to specific hardware features that may have already been installed in a vehicle but weren’t activated when the vehicle was purchased. Examples include heated seats or advanced driver assistance systems, said the report. For example, if the owner didn’t buy the heated steering wheel and seats, BMW may offer a 90-day free trial subscription for this feature. Mercedes - Currently only infotainment: The German automaker will use its Mercedes Me platform to offer infotainment upgrades to customers after they purchase or lease their vehicles.
@@WeffkeGaming and I thought you could read 🙈My statement is still true, BMW and Mercedes do not charge near 2000 euros for SW in headlights. Anything else you wanna talk about?
@@KrisRifa I've actually checked and I'm amazed that e-tron Matrix headlights are cheaper than A3 Matrix headlights lol, probably because they don't have led by default. I still don't see the issue, but I guess the difference is that you aren't in SW business and I am. It is the same when you buy a program with multiple options, in many you have the free, normal and platinum version, the software you install is the same with a different license and hence different functionalities. This is becoming the same in cars. They'll install the same thing, but each 'license' has different functionalities unlocked. This is my point of view. There is also a reasoning behind it. I really don't see that this is a "Scam". But hey opinions differ ;).
@@WeffkeGaming In Norway the Matrix LED on the A3 are 1000 Euros, while the Matrix LED on the E-Tron are 1800Euros, almost twice the price. In the A3 they are not the same hardware, but in the E-Tron they are. How does that make any sense? I don't mind paying more to get more, but paying 1800Euro for the Matrix functionality when the lights are the exact same is a scam no matter how you look at it. According to Audi for 1000Euro in the A3 you get both the hardware and the software, but for some reason the SW alone is almost twice the hardware and the SW in the A3. Imagine buying an iPhone 12, and for 100 euros more you get a second camera and portrait mode. Now image in the 12 Pro the phone is shipped with the camera, but to use it and get portrait mode you pay 200 euros. Get my point? It's not charging for the SW that is the scam it is when the SW prices makes no sense for what you are getting. It is like in a Ferrari Apple car play costs 5000 euros! Yes, you read that right. On what planet is Apple car play worth 5000Euros? Same goes here 😂
I have the 2019 Audi A6 premium plus with matrix headlights. I truly appreciate the auto high - low beam functionality. It is actually surprisingly very bright. This is coming from somebody who once made a mod of dual 6k HID on my headlights and fog lights.
If you're in the US, your matrix led isn't activated. The auto high beam on/off isn't the matrix led. US market hasn't gotten theirs activated because it was legal to do so yet, but as of last year, Biden's administration made it legal as of November 2021 I believe.
Check my '89 b3s squares with 55w halogen bulbs! Sometimes no one notices when I forget high beam on! Sometimes on dark roads with poor or no markings I really feel like cruising through the MATRIX!
I don’t doubt this. 🙂 But _way_ better? As I said in another comment, would be cool to see a split screen comparison of the two in the same conditions, with the same camera settings. Preferably in 4K. Just to see how they differ. Maybe you can team up? Would it also be possible, and make sense, to measure the Lux on different cars at different distances? I feel like the Polestar lights are faster and more high-res. More like Audis Digital Matrix? If the Polestar lights are brighter and have better spread than the regular Audi LED Matrix, I’m not sure.. Polestar light has sharper edges. (For more info on the e-tron lights, see vwgpaintandbody.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Audi-e-tron.pdf page 88. It has a Motorway mode (also mentioned in the owners manual), and supposedly synthetic cornering lights.)
An Audi Q5 was on my shortlist when I bought a car 9 years ago. As it is a large car, I wanted to have the possibility for the wing mirrors to automatically collapse when parking. It required a total of 7000 euro in options to get that functionality, mainly involving memory seats. I will now probably trade in my Range Rover Evoque for a Model Y. Having said that, the full autopilot option is also a bit of a scam as it will probably never achieve autonomous driving during the lifetime of the car. I guess it is slightly more value than this Audi upgrade.
It’s a scam because Tesla doesn’t add radars to their cheap cars anymore, no model y or 3 gets a radar anymore and those cars work terribly. Even with a radar their systems are bad
I drive the Etron as my daily driver, and I love the car. Best car I have ever had of any kind. BUT, I am angry at AUDI for being such dicks regarding the matrix lights. Almost all (if not all) Etrons in Denmark come with the matrix lights installed, yet you have to "unlock them" by paying either per day, month, half year, year or one full time purchase. This is a trend that started with Teslas self-drive, where you can either pay a bit when you need it (for holidays/roadtrips) or one big purchase for a lifetime on the car. AUDI copied this, but in the worst way possible. The big difference being, Tesla has an office full of coders sitting and working on self-drive making it better by the day. Its the best self-drive in the world, and you are constantly getting more and more features, better safety and easier driving. This is a constantly improving service, hence I can see why it can be a subscription. Furthermore, since the initial purchase is quite high, some might want to wait until self-drive is at the point they would like before committing, which is also OK. But with AUDI matrix headlights, the tech is there. They aren't really improving on it all that much, and the mechanical parts are litterally already installed. Furthermore, its a safety feature! There are litterally accidents every year from drivers either being blinded by others and crashing, or them not using high-beams and hitting a deer or what ever. The fact that AUDI withholds safety equipment behind a fake paywall infuriates me. They might aswell install the emergency brakes, but turn them off until you pay extra. Thats INSANE. A horrible business model. AUDI has already covered the cost off installing it, but want to milk their clients a little bit more. My next car (in some years), I will judge the company on their ethics and policies and not just the cars specs and price.
So very not true, my mothers VW got a headlight update last year, it downloads on its own to the car. Also one update added slowing down with navigation active. Audi is the same
Hey guys lemme save you 11 whole minutes , these lights work great & have cornering lights that turn on separately , and are good enough yes , matrix lights given by Bmw and Mercedes-Benz are better but this is no scam its also pretty useful
I just would much rather have these than a very very far up. It's the animals that jumps up to the road that I am much more scared of, I want to see much further into a field or forest, Most headlight are already good enough at light in front. any other manufacturer are significanly worse are projecting a light further into the side and upwards, like 4-5 meters up like these Matrix's does. at 5:18 I can see good enough head and to the sides but most cars lack lights towards the side.
Other automakers don't charge you for software updates, but they charge you for the lights.... Audi make it in different way, so if you would miss that equipment you can get it by software update for that price (18000nok) insted of going to service center and get them change with new lights for even more money, and ''throw'' away the old ones that you have payd for it also.. If its in the car its doesn't mean that you need to get it for free... Over all the Matrix led are very good lights, and work extremely well in the dark roads with still much traffic. Everything Cost, remember its audi. :) For some music haters it's can also be a scam to pay 14000nok for Bang and Olufsen.. Overall great videos Kris just start wonder that maybe you have buy a wrong car, but because of that Etron many of us are here..
The point is that the lights which are the majority of the cost are included and charging 18000nok for the software on top of something the competitors have as standard. That’s the scam. The Matrix LEDs are par for the course, nothing special and there several automakers who have superior lights and don’t charge extra for them. Imagine buying an iPhone with a camera, you having to pay a hefty premium for using the video recording function when the hardware is already there. That’s is in no benefit to the consumer, especially when every other phone on the market offer that exact same thing in the price of the product. The B&O sound system is one of the best sound systems at the price point. But imagine Audi included the B&O and only let you use half the speakers and charged you 14000nok for using the rest of them. Wouldn’t you feel scammed?
@@KrisRifa thanks for answer. I’m kind a agree with you that Audi charge a lot for extra, that other competitors have as a standard, but the question is are they really are better? Everyone have different opinion about things, for some stuff like that is a scam for some maybe not. Respect your opinion Kris.
@@KrisRifa Its not for the software Kris. Its just to enable the lights. The software is already there too, just waiting to be enabled. In UK you can get them as standard on certain etron variants. Re the iPhone, how about conjuring it with you buying a cheap iPhone, with not much tech, and then you decided you wanted the tech, you can do so without changing your phone.
Since 1 month I have the 2020 ETRON 55 Launch Edition and I am quite disappointed what is missing. I was driving an A3 Etron and that had way more functions than this 40% more expensive car. Automatic Highbeam - NO, reading Traffic Signs - NO, Matrix Headlight - NO; An adjustable arm-rest - NO; The stupid plastic box under the panel in the trunck?? - NO! so now I cut my hands while grabbing the charger cable and all kinds of wires hang free, as a Audi driver for 15 years this is really disappointing. PS. The car drives wonderfully and the full electric is superb. But what keeps buzzing is these stupid details that most are a tick in the software onboard. Audi Stop copying Tesla, please!!
Some manufacturers are worse than others , and Audi definitely charge for a lot of things like the other Germans. But I mean there should be a line, and it’s my responsibility not only to inform my viewers by voice my opinion when That line is crosses. And I think the line is crossed here.
@Kris Rifa Point of English: I think you want to say the the Audi pricing for the optional Matrix LED lights is a rip-off. That is: very bad value for money. A "scam" is more like actual fraud, a crime.
Was the navigation system on and set on route ? At launch(2013) the matrix would only corner the light if the navigation was on so i would try turning it on than see if it will bend the light before you turn the wheel. Maybe they kept this feature like this since ever.
The new Mercedes s class has similar matrix technology (with the 1.3 million pixels in each light) but they are tri beam (one low beam, one digital matrix high beam and one far range high beam) so for high beam range they should be very good
I’m sorry but this makes no sense. You’re saying “software” like you’re saying “shit”. Why is it so “insane” (you seem to like that word) that you’re paying for a feature that is software-driven? You realize that software costs A LOT of money to research & develop, right?….
Totally disagree. This is actual Clickbait. I think the matrix led's are perfect in not blinding other road users. width is amazing and I have never had anything like these.
You’re an idiot… you can at least watch the video before you comment.. obviously you can’t disagree when you don’t even know what I am calling an actual scam 🙈🙈😅
You do understand that software costs to develop and takes years to do it right? And NO the competitors dont have thm for free (bmw and mercedes ...those are the only big competitors) Tesla doesnt even have them at all. I tried them on some other cars (not bmw, merc and audi) and the difference in night and day.
If you actually saw the video you'd know I'd never said software should be free. But when the hardware is delivered with the car, there is no justification for the software costing this much, I mean 1800€ is insane. And if you don't understand that you sir have been duped. And yes the competitors have Matrix/Dynamic/Pixel-LED lights for free, EQC and EQE SUV they are standard and in BMW iX they are standard. I've tried them all and owned many cars with them, and Audi does not do it any better than the competitors. So paying 1800€ for SW that the competitors are offering for free is still a scam two years after I made this video!
I understand your POV is very subjective but cmon, Volvo has the best Matrix Lights? Haven't you ever sat in an S-Class? Holy smokes, turns night into day. And from a technical POV Mercedes is with it's new W223 way ahead of anyone. Test if out yourself
don't get why you're complaining. they are actually standard on the e-tron (expect on your market), they are the normal matrix-lights, not the HD-matrix-lights and not even the digitial-matrix-lights, it's their most basic system that they introduced in the A8 D4 facelift 8:39 - even more bs. there is no matrix system on the iX3. the only BMW with matrix lights is the G30 5-Series LCI and the iX. seriously make some better videos and not bs to spread lies and to get more clout.
@@dr-ok3sn yes I did, your comment makes little to no sense. I am not spreading any lies. Matrix is just a marketing term that some manufacturers use, but they work the same as BMW adaptive LED or Volvo active beam. They are all called different things but do the same thing. You might want to educate your self before commenting on more UA-cam videos.
@@KrisRifa my comment and not making any sense? you're obviously talking bs again, must be hard to do anything for clout. and you obviously have no idea how BMW adaptive LED works cause it's completely different to the Matrix lights from Audi. Matrix isn't just a "marketing term", BMW is moving their lights physically to blank out other cars, Matrix is turning off individual pixels to blank out other cars, it's completely different, the only thing that they have in common is that they are using LEDs, that's it. BMW didn't started using Matrix lights until the LCI G30 and the iX. it's like saying direct injection and a carburetor are the exact same thing, just different names. do some research before talking bs again. the only one who needs to educate themselves should be obviously you.
Really? just by comparing pictures instead of whats instead the headlights your saying its a scam. WOW. I wont like to see a comparison of LED vs Matrix LED for some proof to what your saying. Everyone got their 2 cents, but a side by side comparison would be solid proof.
You can literally rent or purchase the Matrix function with non Matrix head lights as I have done the E-Tron 55 I used to own. Also when I bought the car, the sales rep told be I would be able to purchase the Matrix function later on in the app… so yeah… RELLY… anyone who owns a 2020 E-Tron or newer can confirm this
@@KrisRifa but where is the comparison? There is not really any hard proof to what your saying other than Audi's website. As I stated everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
My man - you just explained why they are the best then contradicted ridiculous reasons (for example one moment you say that you love the fact that the light is so wide that it covers the sides, then a few seconds later complain that the lights don't swivel? Are you for real? Both your sides are already illuminated - what are you expecting them to do at this point?). Wasted many people's time watching this pointless bashing.
Lol 'in the video they are good, but in person they are bad' okay well maybe get a better set up. This just sounds like someone throwing a hissy fit from the start. Very odd video
and in this case it is called scamming people. But the EU and other government bodies are thankfully working on legislation that forbids manufacturer to charge owners for using hardware that is already installed in the vehicle. Several states in the US have already passed laws against this.
Volvo have a different technology they call active beam control that IMO works better than Audi’s Matrix LED. They are are called different things, but ultimately do pretty much the same thing which is maximizing the light beam without blinding oncoming traffic.
Volvo have a different technology they call active beam control that IMO works better than Audi’s Matrix LED. They are are called different things, but ultimately do pretty much the same thing which is maximizing the light beam without blinding oncoming traffic.
It's beyond understanding how naive and blind to simple marketing tricks some people are falling to. Advance threw technology. When people see Audi running LED turning signals they are so impressed. For them this is the cream of the crop highest tech possible. And they fall into the easy trap made by Audi for idiots. Underneath the car is so cheap. Interior made of cheap plastic and cheap Chinese tablets. I did test drive to Q4 E-Tron and I couldn't even take it to motorway. 200m and back. Horrible car. But people are impressed by big dash tablets and LED blinkers....
![Audi Q7/Q8: Laser Light with HD matrix LED + Night Vision. Review & Real-Life Test :: [1001cars]](/img/n.gif)
Sorry Kris. I do not agree at all. Matrix LED are one of the biggest enhancements in car head lights. If you drive on dark roads with steady traffic like in Norway, Matrix LED are a very important safety improvement.
Are they overpriced? Yes, they are. But I do not regret buying the Matrix LED (they were a bit less pricey earlier). Matrix LED should be standard, but Audi wants to test the after marked revenue streams.
Should you rent them instead? I do not think you should rent safety feature. You should have them active all the time. Even in the summer it will get dark at night.
I have Matrix LED on the e-Golf. After my first car with Matrix LED, I will not buy a car without it. The e-Golf have an activation speed of 60 km/h. The activation speed on the e-tron of 30 km/h is a large improvement.
But Digital Matrix LED are really overpriced.... 55k is way way overpriced
It's the fact Audi are charging you 18k NOK for software, that's the scam - not the actual Matrix LED's which come with the car. Yes they should be standard, that's the whole point!
@@JamesJames-iv3nq ask Tesla for an answer to « how scam customers » ... seriously, nobody say you must buy this feature and be not naive, manufacturers who include matrix LED have included the good price with... nothing’s free, especially in car business!
You wrote you do not agree at all. Do you understand what you wrote?
So you do not agree:
- this is a scam
- overpriced (btw you agreed)
- there are better ones
Think before do not agree at all
@@kezdotanulo9160 Scam definition is - a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation.
There is nothing fraudulent or deceptive about selling Matrix LED as an option to the car. Matrix LED works as advertised.
So there is NO scam her.
You can argue if the price is right. And if you think that you only pay for hardware, you have to leave your 1990 mindset behind.
Audi and VAG (and all other car brands) tries to car ownership a more continues revenue stream. They will earn less from maintenance, so they need to find new ways to compensate. To rent features is one way to do this. It is not a scam. Only another way for them to make money. If you do not want to rent the feature, buy the option. Is is to expensive, then do not buy the option? Do you want a car with Matrix LED as standard, buy another car...
So I do not agree at all the Matrix LED are a scam. Stop whining about new business models. Vote with your wallet is what actually gives effect.
@@JamesJames-iv3nq Lots of what you pay for is software. It is nothing fraudulent or deceptive about that, so no scam.
There is no swivel because there's no physical moving parts. In bi xenon you needed this system. But with LED you can just do max width all the time, which you mentioned. The reason why other manufacturers can do swivel with LED is because they narrow down the output to simulate swivel.
That may be true, but the effect of something like the Volvo headlights are that “swivel” are night and say from these 🤔
I think you're missing the point. If you're talking about safety, the length of high beam is not of interest, as long as you get enough time to react and stop. Go in on IIHS website and search the Volvo XC60 and E-tron. They not only test the length of the beam, but also the width. On low beam the Audi destroys the Volvo in both moderate and sharp curves. In high beam the Audi performs one level above the Volvo in all categories. I think the results speak for themselves.
@@Becausefamilycar congratulations then it's on the same level as the audi. Mind you its optional.
@@Becausefamilycar how about you read your own link?
@@norbertmayer7005 Pre US MY2019 don't have the same lights as we get in Europe (and the rest of the world) because adaptive light technology such as Matrix and other systems (like Volvos) has not been legal due to regulations. They lack both the output, lenght of cone and adaptive functionality. These have now been changed and it's with the headlights that Volvo have offered in their cars since 2015 that the IIHS now give them a good rating. That being said. I've owned thwo XC90's with a combined milage of near 150 000km in four years as well as probably covering another 50k in Volvo Press Cars. To be frank, I'm quite familiar with Volvos lights, and can with out a doubt say they are superior to the Matrix in the E-Tron. I will also have an XC40 P8 press car over the new year, so I can make a direct comparo for your guys :)
Test the new digital matrix light. Maybe that convinces you more.
But I don’t agree with your point at all. If this is scam already, then you should never test an Tesla. :) More, I like the Concept, that you can test the function or only book for the darker Periode of the year.
Driving now such systems since more then 6years from bmw and Audi and will Never take a car without anymore. The new digital Matrix light in the etron is fun ;)
First I want to clarify that I'm a huge fan! 🙂 But I think that the statement in the title is half right, half wrong.
It is wrong because:
The difference between MATRIX LED and LED as far as I know is definitely not the brightness. The difference is in the way they work. The MATRIX as you can guess by the name are a matrix of leds that have the ability to turn off some of them to prevent dazzling other cars. So it is no surprise that when you upgrade to MATRIX LED you don't get more powerful headlights. You just get that smart function of turning off part of the leds and this way you can drive almost all the time on country roads with high beams without dazzling anyone. This explain why you get the MATRIX LED only with software update. You have the hardware ( the matrix ) but it is working as a whole unit and adding the software you get the smart function.
It is right beacuse:
Even this way the cost of this software upgrade is too high. I will give an example to explain why I think that. I have a Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription MY2016. The car have all the hardware needed for the Pilot Assist function but the MY2016 doesn't come standard with it. The software that I had to get to activate this function costed me 1700 euros. And we are talking about much more sophisticated system adding much more complicated functions. So YES I think Audi charge too much ONLY for smart headlights.
P.S.
I'm really glad that you are BACK with regular videos on UA-cam. And I love the ones that you make with Bjorn.
Keep up the good work and have a nice holidays!!!! 🎄
All LEDs are on a matrix, you don’t need to turn off the LEDs individually to achieve the light tunneling features. Those are also available in xenons.
No led headlights sold today, or ever, are brighter than adaptive xenons from bmw
I don't see this as a scam at all. Online software upgrades of a car is definitely the future of how you bring the base price down and I would love Audi to have much more features on demand. The ability to buy for example the headlights just the months you need them Is genius.
Tesla also charges money to enable rear seat heating, although all models have heaters integrated. It will be more and more of this in the future.
Du u see how much light it throws into the curve?? These light does not need to turn into the curve anymore.
Well other manufacturers do it better where they illuminate the road better into curves than just full high beam.
You have to rent/order the Light Function Package too, not only Matrix, if you want turning and dynamic cornering lights.
@@larap7524 ridiculous
What is ridiculous? The Led Matrix you can buy with the car is, on the Funcions on Demand shop, divided in two packs: Matrix and Light Function Package.
@@larap7524 that’s ridiculous
I have the Matrix LED's on my A5. The comments suggests that they only dip from high beam to low beam automatically, they do a lot more than that. The system turns off individual LED's when a light source is detected effectively providing a dark 'hole' that continually tracks and follows the position of the light source. I am afraid that I can not agree with the comments on the quality or brightness, mine are very bright indeed.
Now go try the digital matrix led. why are they more than three times the price of the matrix led? Will they let you see into the future?
It is not a problem of all Audis that the lights dont swivel. Its even worse, because the High-Technology E-Tron is the only Audi SUV without Curving Headlights. A cheap Q5 is able to curve in the lights before the car actually turns, because it uses the navigation system. The E-Tron Headlights -even the completly overpriced Digital ones- can't do what all Audi Qs are capable of at all. For german Autobahn the light is good enough but on tight and windy roads I would hate it.
Hi Kris, I love your videos but I hope you don't mind but I'm afraid I can t agree with you on this one. I had LED Matrix Headlights on my last A6, as standard, and now on my ETron I have the HD version as standard on the 'vorsprung' model in UK. I know the specifications vary hugely for country to country and that they not be available in Norway. However, my main disagreement with you is the quality of the matrix beam. On UK motorways and multi lane roads with vehicles ahead in front and coming towards you in the other direction, the matrix headlights can handle multiple sectors to dim and illuminate giving the driver a 'full' beam except in those sectors which would dazzle another driver. It is far more complex than you imply, especially at 3:36 when you say that the lights 'beam down and then beam up again'. They didn't. They stayed on full beam the whole time but only dimmed those sectors which would have blinded the oncoming driver. In busy situations they are extremely valuable.
For example I have been driving behind a vehicle in a multi lane road and the vehicle in the front has been driving in dipped headlights so as not to dazzle the driver that was in front of him. I had my full beam on and but I didn't dazzle the driver in front of me because some sectors of the beam were dimmed, but the remaining undimmed led sectors were powerful enough to illuminated the road on either side and far further than the car in front's dipped headlights. This is good for safety bout also helps when it will illuminate a road sign that would have been our of range of a dipped beam. With regard to the lights turning, Ive had cars that did that too but I find the standard full beam of the LED Matrix is far wider meaning having lights that moved as well would be superfluous.
The HD version has 1m sectors per headlight, not just the 8 on the basic LED matrix, so the definition is better,
Why not try the LED Matrix headlights in a motorway or higher speed multi lane situation with more traffic?
Glad to see you have remained well during the pandemic, and keep up the good work.
Best wishes
John
@@kezdotanulo9160 "ot many accidents caused because for example someone blinded a driver in front of him/her/."
Dont know much do you?
I get the point you are making, but calling it a scam is completely off. "Scam" implies cheating or selling you something different than what you paid for, and that's far from the case.
Software upgrades and changes to unlock more features have been around for ages (unlocking top speed on RS cars and ECU/EFI upgrades to yield more power are just two).
The lights work as intended, so it's up to you of you want to pay for that or not. Nobody is forcing you to purchase them. Whether you pay for a software upgrade or getting actual different headlights is irrelevant, as long as you get what you paid for.
He was probably paid to bash Audi. He's just awful at it because you can clearly see the bias and you can tell he's advertising for someone else.
It looks like that this "functions on demand" becomes an extra cash bonus for high class cars. hopefully other manufacurers don't jump on this train.
You should do a side by side comparison, I wouldn’t say these are a scam.
So dam. True
For once, I disagree with you. 🙂 I’m not saying that these regular (non Digital) LED Matrix lights are the best lights out there, but they are probably better than 90%. One of the good things with this car IMO. In open fields, wet autumn/winter weather and damp roads, everything looks weak. I think the good spread is also playing with your eyes. Lights that swivel and have sharp edges may look more impressive. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you see more.. BTW: The LED Matrix lights gets a “boost” at high speeds, above 110 kph (?) according to the owners manual. EDIT: And a feature called synthetic cornering light, I just found out.
I think having the option to buy the Matrix lights up front, or not, or have them on demand- is a good thing. It’s actually quite common to sell hardware that needs to be software enabled for full functionality in many industries. Some EVs even have a software limited battery, where you carry around the same physical pack as the more expensive, long range model. Most manufacturers charge extra for matrix style lights. Right? 🙂 I can understand that think they should be standard, or disagree with the pricing. At the same time, I feel this colors your opinion on how they perform.
Would be cool with a split screen video, where you compare the lights of different cars in the same conditions with the same camera settings. You could do it with Bjørn. 🙂 It’s also possible to place an object on a long straight and se how close you need to be to see it. And then there’s the Digital Matrix lights, that I still haven’t seen an independent test of.. 🙏
Keep up the good work!! 👍
What is the matter with you? He checked what he claimed. If you do not beleive that is fine. I do not think anybody needs to prove anything to you. Do your honework and say thanks. Do not question someone without prove.
@@kezdotanulo9160 Relax. 🙂 I’ve used these Matrix lights for two years and I just think this review gives the wrong impression; that they are not particularly good. Most people in the EV community and other journalists think they are pretty awesome. Even though, there might be lights out there that are even better.
What’s your experience with these particular lights? And what’s your opinion on hardware that needs to be unlocked to get full functionality, in general? Is it a scam?
@@omelvold I agree with the review. I think it was fare and I would have been more critical.
My experience: there are much better out there. Audi has no excuse as far as I know.
They have not explained their sctions.
For you: Did you do a survey? 'Most people in the EV community think...'
- I hope you are not college educated.
As far as journalist, do you really think that most of them objective and quality oriented? Wake up!
Hardware being locked vs. unlocked: I do not have a general opinion for all cases. Nice try! :)
I think it should be very clear that when I get an unlock it is not an improved hardware. Customer should know what he pays for, for example an enable command.
New topic: I am not a lawyer. There is something about price and purchased item relationship. They have to correlate somehow. I can not explain, but this case I feel it is overpriced. See renting! I think the video made a good point.
@@kezdotanulo9160 I think we’re both wasting our time here. 🙂 I have driven the e-tron for nearly two years and would buy the Matrix lights again. Or lease. That seems like a better deal. All I’m saying is that they are very good. And not a scam.
@@omelvold actually, that is not all you said! That was my point. You say foolish things and later act like nothing was said. If all xou say is that you like it that is a subjective opinion. No point to argue. Who cares. But you did more snd now you lie about it. Do not waist your time with lies.
I agree totally Kris, it's a complete scam. No manufacturer would include any hardware in their vehicle which would mean it would be sold at a loss. As much as I don't like this practice, I'm afraid this is the direction the automotive industry is heading in. I think recently BMW announced that they would be charging a monthly fee for heated seats, but they got a lot of backlash and therefore took back their decision. We have to blame Tesla for this!!!!
I totally agree! That's why I made this video, because if we just sit here silent and accept this practice the manufactureres will just continue. But I want to say that I'm not against paying for software, but at this price it's a total scam. If it was half the price it would be fine.
@@KrisRifa Very true. Also looking at the way the build quality on the VAG vehicles, they're really starting to cut corners everywhere. Look at the interior of the new ID3, sure it looks more 'futuristic' but it's obvious to me that they're cutting costs. Same with Audi going all touch screen on their infotainment and climate controls (it's far cheaper to manufacture a screen than a module containing physical dials and buttons). I think this is all stemming from the dieselgate fines, they are trying to recover the cost of the fines that they had to pay out.
This doesnt have anything to do with tesla or the car industry. In fact, tesla pioneered the concept of giving car owners free software updates. VAG still charges you absurd fees for something as essential as updated maps. Using the same hardware for different trims is common where it makes financial sense. Audi would be paying more to make different headlight assemblies for those that dont want matrix headlights. The difference on the electronics BOM (bill of materials) is almost nothing, but the logistics and management of now having two different headlights is a huge expense.
Now, the most customer friendly thing Audi could do is to just give everyone the matrix headlights without any options. But that way they would miss out on profits which in turn would lead to a more expensive base model price. Its not that simple.
Besides all that, VAG is insanely profit driven regardless and they are cutting costs everywhere, trying to shove service down customers throats and produce less reliable cars every year. Its just not a very customer oriented company, they really only love their shareholders.
there are quite a few manufacturers that do this. Mercedes, BMW, Audi, VW, Tesla and the others are simply not there yet.
It may only be software but software costs a lot to produce. Think of computer games and the cost of creating and manufacturing those. The difference is that there will be a far higher % of buyers for such things in gaming, than there will be in car upgrades. It's like night vision, ridiculously expensive for what it is and very few buyers will option it. Same with Matix LED. If everybody wanted it, the price would go down. Because few will want it, the price is high to pay for development.
Interesting point. So you mean that every software upgrade, which it is, not an update, is a scam. So Autopilot on Tesla is a scam as well then. Navigationupgrades on every car, if possible, are scams. You know there are a lot of other upgrades (not updates) you can do that are looked upon as technology upgrades which cost money. Safetyequipment, lighting upgrades (inside outside car), enginesoftware upgrade (in ICE cars). Since so much is decided by software these days, they will charge you for software upgrades. This is not a scam, it's a pricing policy, and yes you have the option of renting, so why you even can call this a scam, when they already have a solution for doing this cheaper for people who don't need it in a daily basis, means you don't know what a scam is. By the way, this information was informed me when I bought the car, and I've been waiting for the update who could give me Matrix headlights on rent. They even told me that the lights was better without the Matrix lights solution, but you wouldn't have the usability and functionality of the matrix-lights if you don't order them. So I didn't order them. So the biggest scam in the motor/car business, really? Are we supposed to take you serious, or did you run out of videos to make?
I was very specific that the reason I think this is a scam is because you are paying 18000NOK for an upgrade that all the competitors offer with the headlights for free. Matrix LED's are at this point an old technology that is already developed, and is nothing near as complicated as Autoliot from Tesla. That is also something that is constantly under development. And furthermore it's the sheer cost of the upgrade with Matrix LED which was something like 4% of the cars base price before prices went up in April. I never said it was a scam to rent it, I even advise you to rent it. The scam is charging 18k for something that is essentially a software when the real cost it the actual headlight.
@@KrisRifa It's not a scam. It's price policy (and wellknown), and if you want you get good information from the car selling unit. Just take your time when you order/buy the car. I really like that you can order and buy the upgrades you want. You don't have to pay for things you don't want, like in a Kia or Hyundai (not that that's a bad solution but different). If you like packages like Mercedes and BMW offer, then buy those. With the ground clearance of the Mercedes you could then talk about the "SUV scam" of that car (a car almost just made for city and highwaydriving), which it isn't, but they choose to not mention the 9,5 cm GC on the car. Not even the carsales unit inform about that when you ask. And that's a mechanical feature. Therefore you should do the job of asking and investigate the cars before you choose. The price policy of the Audi car company is well known, and you know you have to pay for every choice you do. If they have something standard you sure will know about it in the ads. And in their car ads on TV, and on their site they list them as a bullettboard. If you look at the Mercedes info on the internet the list in their packages, equipments that are standard in their adon packages. They don't list if the functionality is upgraded, but you might think so. So how do you find out, you ask a sales rep and you find out. So where is the scam/fraud. How do Audi scam you, if it's all in the open. You choose, and if you do talk to the sales rep, they will guide you, as mine did. That is the difference of buying a car online and in a store. You can talk to the sales rep and get answers while you there. Easy, simple and straight forward. Not all carsales companies does that, but mine were very open about everything, I think.
@@renetvedtpedersen5048 he speciffically said (several times) that it was a scam in the car lightning sector. I tend to agree with you that calling it a scam is a stretch, but in my opinion you are totally wrong when saying that we as a customer should do the research to find out what we are paying for. Specially when its presented to be a big upgrade(wich it obviosly is not) at that high price.
@@youtubeonbudget3731 Who says it's a big upgrade? They are making a case of the digital matrix headlights is a big upgrade, not the regular matrix headlights. If the sales rep makes a big case of the regular matrix headlights, which mine didn't I agree, but they don't. The ads only talk about the digital matrix headlights, which is at an insane price. And if you buy a car at 60-90 k euros and don't research, well that tells something about the customer. And if you bother to read my comment. I was talking about his comment on the lightning, but you can compare that to other software upgrades to the car, which for other competitors are priced very high. A scam is a serious accusation, and are misleading to others wondering about buying the car. So if that's his intention, I will not foloow this channel anymore. He has been honest earlier, and informative, but this is truly not right.
@@renetvedtpedersen5048 I already said that calling it a scam is a stretch.
Well if your opinion is that the customer should need to do research about a product thats fine with me.
Informing people about a 20k softwareupdate that might do little or nothing for you(concidering the price) is not beeing honest and informative?
I have not tried the Etron but Q2 with matrix is the best and brightest lighting on a car I have ever experienced.
Very interesting.... Renting headlights... What will car companies come up to next? Rent seat? Wheels? This is absurd in my opinion. Yes it seems that Volvo indeed has some great headlights.
Its even more insane that you say here, because its also a safety system, that you cannot replace with another brand (unlike wheels). People crash and die every year from incorrect use of headlights (either blinding oncoming traffic or not using it correctly and missing deer/bends and more).
The better analogy would be, that AUDI installs emergency braking but refuses to turn it on before you pay. So you litterally crash in an accident that could be avoided, with gear ALREADY installed in your car. Or that you cannot buckle your seatbelt unless you pay for it.
I have an E tron S line, from 2021...how do I know if the headlights are matrix or standard Led headlights?
You are paying for the development of the software for the matrix headlights. Car manufacturers have done like that for years.
What other make other than Audi give you the hardware for the lights, but charge you a huge amount for the software? Name one please? :)
@@KrisRifa Welcome to the present and the future. It will be way more of this going forward. Almost every app support is only included for a few years even the hardware is there. At least Mercedes and VW do this. The Mercedes GLC from 4 years ago only had 3 year of app support included. So this is not a new thing.
For US market. Matrix headlights do automatic hi/low. That’s it. Like cars could do the 60s. All special matrix features are disabled. And will continue to be disabled for 2024. Though approved in 2018.
Thr Matrix algorithm in Audi turns on individual LEDs which results in bending the light to a different angle when you turn based on the steering angle and also traffic data in order to achieve curve illumination. Lower speed illumination in intersections or roundabouts is achieved by turning on the cornering lights.
I have to say that when there's traffic coming towards you, they are great. But when there's no traffic, then these are just worse, as you stated. The middle throw is just too weak. I have the 2019 A6 and coming from LEDs in Lexus, I can see the difference is night and day.
Kinda wishing now that I had test-driven Volvo as you said that Volvo was the best in that regard.
Obvious to me that it is a scam. Another reason for audi to apologize. It is not clear, obvious that no hardware difference between matrix and the standard light.
På 2020 A6 allroad var det enda verre, vi betalte 24000 kr ekstra for HD Matrix lykter.... Men på A6 er det i alle fall forskjellige lykter avhengig av hvilke lys man velger, i motsetning til E-tron
Ja, og hadde det vært andre lykter på E-Tron hadde jeg forstått prisforskjellen. Men når det er samme lykt, så er det drøyt å betale 18k for annen programvare!
Funny... I remember joking to a friend about 40 years ago that we will probably come to a point in time at which every car will have air-conditioning, but the switch to turn it on will cost 2 grand...
the housing is the same but not the number of LEds behind the lenses. And yes to control the beem patern you need a dedicated controller and the software, which none of them are a small thing
@@texfromro you’re wrong. It’s the same light, hence why you can upgrade to matrix through the app.
@@KrisRifa On my 2020 A6 I have some technical papers that give some inside details for every headlight level, and none of them have the same number of LEDs
@@texfromro this is not an Audi A6, but the Audi E-Tron. I owned this car for a year and did both the trial period for Matrix and a 3 month subscription on them. This is part of Audi on demand functions, and they are the same headlight.
Kris, great 👍 content! and nice idea on renting as needed ..
BTW note that many other automakers does similar things, the car comes with all the hardware but they don’t charge you for it until you want to use it, alike Tesla for example they charge you to upgrade your performance via software enabling features and even to enable rear seat heating etc.. so just remember they don’t charge you for the all the parts on your car depending on the trim etc.. until you want to enable that feature etc...
Thanks :)
People keep mentioning Tesla which is fine, Tesla are Tesla and do things their own way. But not even Tesla charge you 18k for headlight software? :/ And I don't know any other make than Audi that do this...
@@KrisRifa no worries only because I own two of them model X and model 3, well we traded in my wife model X for the Audi etron about two months ago .. but yeah can’t wait to get my Mach E .. and forget all about Tesla lol 😂
I have signed a lease for the E-tron so for me the rental option is excellent. I do 80% of my driving on lit roads anyway so I could pay for the Matrix only during the 2-3 months per year when I actually need it. If I notice a difference, that is.
Are you sure that there is no hardware difference between the two lighting system? The optics may be the same, but is the same LED setup behind them? Has the same hardware installed which controls the LEDs? You know, if they can spare 2 dollars with mire simple electronics, they will install that in your car if you don't buy the extra parts.
You may be right, I don't exclude totally that Audi can upgrade your software and boom, you have matrix high beam, but to decide this by purely look at how the headlight looks like is just wrong.
Anyway, I have an Opel Astra with much worse Intellilux headlight, but I tell you, I would make matrix high beams mandatory. Maybe, even the top part of the low beam as well, because the LED low beams can be stupid bright. Not as bright I would like to have, but in a bumpy road it can bother the oncoming traffic very much.
Yes it is the same hardware, or else it would not be possible to just buy them through the app which I have done on a monthly basis. The sales person also told me this prior to purchasing the car
@@KrisRifa " else it would not be possible to just buy them through the app "
Wait a moment! Audi has the option to order the "standard" LED-Matrix headlight when you already have the car? 😲
If you had shown this alongside the configuration page I would have not wrote the above comment. The part around 10:00 just simply flew away above my head.😱
I think you missunderstand the turning point. Working together with sat nav - before sharp turn or junction - they can put on corner light. No one ever said they will turn like bi xenons used to do.
Have you tested the Digital Matrix LED? Maybe you can do a comparison between the regular matrix and the digital matrix LED, to see if the digital are worth the 55k?
Nope, not yet! But I really want to test them 😊 They are a bit pricey, but they also see m next level 😊
What if I bought a used 2021 with matrix headlights, 16K miles for $40K *US), would you think they are worth it then?
But have you rented the Light Function Package or only Matrix? When you buy Matrix in a new e-tron you get both Matrix and Light Function Package. This explains the price difference too, as the Light Function Package costs about 7000 nok if you order it for unlimited time from the app. It includes turning light and dynamic cornering lights, as well as welcome light etc. Please record a new test in the autumn, with both Matrix and Light Function Package installed.
«Lysfunksjonspakken inkluderer følgende tilleggsfunksjoner: - visuelt oppgradert og utvidet kjørelys - blinklys og statiske veikrysslys (lyser opp ut mot siden ved kjøring inn og ut av veikryss) - motorveilys (økt lyslengde ved høyere hastigheter) - kurvelys (økt belysning i kurver) - manøvreringslys (belyser den fremre manøvreringsområde ved rygging) - dynamisk lyssekvens av coming home / leaving home-funksjon Innovativ og dynamisk. Også når bilen står i ro, viser de enestående lyktene seg frem med den nye og futuristiske, dynamiske lyssettingen for Coming- og Leaving-Home-funksjonen»
I really do not agree. The matrix lights on the E-tron are one of my favorite features. I don't like driving at night and these lights completely solve this issue for me. Maybe they updated the software since you posted your video.
I have physical headlights with no Matrix, and they work ok, like in days of yore. Beware that 'renting' Matrix on etron 55 is not available yet! And maybe never will...
On behalf of Audi, having just one physical implementation of car components, but differing software based features, makes a whole lot of sense, simplified parts bin aso.
Just not for the car owners who feel they lack a feature/have payed to much.
You could look at this from the opposite perspective: Audi, like all other manufacturers, set their pricing according to what they believe the market will pay (and they generally have a pretty good idea). And Audi has given us the opportunity to save 17 000 NOK if we don't want the matrix function. As you say, other manufacturers include this as standard, so they don't offer this opportunity. They make you pay for it anyway. Audi offers a discount of 17 000 NOK, almost 18 000 NOK for those who don't want this function.
That being said, I do share your disappointment with regards to the functionality of these head lights, but Audi probably wants people to buy the digital matrix lights instead, at almost 3 times the price, 55 000 NOK. So they want to make sure there is another significant step up with regards to "vorsprung" and "technik".
Unless AUDI is selling the Matrix Headlights at a loss, and hoping to make some back from purchases, then they arent really allowing you to save anything.
They still had the lights produced and installed in the car, wired and everything. I doubt they are like "lets not charge them for installing the headlights, but hope some will". No, they covered their costs, they just know that once people are happy about their car, upgrading basic features is more tempting.
However, I cannot actually know this, but Im very much guessing they this isnt mean to save anyone money, its meant to make some people pay even more.
And all that with a safety feature...
Sounds like how Tesla scams people 😂
Hi. What are the difference between the matrix (17.800kr) and the digital matrix (55.000kr)?
It's not a scam as long as customers are willing to pay the premium for them.
So true! And that’s why I made this video!
@@KrisRifa That said, I doubt I will use any of the extra features on them when my 2021 Audi e-tron 55 Vorsprung arrives... (Yes, I said that in your voice in my head lol)
Do you think the light extras in the plus pack on the Polestar 2 are also just a software thing?
You know they publicly mentioned this . In Belgium their subscription service is hightly promoted. Not sure if you want the option you don't take it. It is cheaper to manufacture 1 type than to customize however innovation costs money. There are many features on Audi like this. BMW and Mercedes do exactly the same for years...
BMW and Mercedes do not do this, Audi are the only one I know of who give you the lighting hardware but charge you a massive sum for the sw
@@KrisRifa I thought you are a car guy. While looking for a new car last year, I found similar formulas everywhere and they were promoting it as I was choosing options. They'd say "well if you don't want it right now you can always activate/subscribe for it later."
And these are the only I know of, I'm pretty sure Tesla has this kind of scheme as well.
Maybe it isn't specifically the lights but it is the same idea...
BMW: July 2020
One feature allows BMW owners to subscribe to specific hardware features that may have already been installed in a vehicle but weren’t activated when the vehicle was purchased. Examples include heated seats or advanced driver assistance systems, said the report.
For example, if the owner didn’t buy the heated steering wheel and seats, BMW may offer a 90-day free trial subscription for this feature.
Mercedes - Currently only infotainment:
The German automaker will use its Mercedes Me platform to offer infotainment upgrades to customers after they purchase or lease their vehicles.
@@WeffkeGaming and I thought you could read 🙈My statement is still true, BMW and Mercedes do not charge near 2000 euros for SW in headlights. Anything else you wanna talk about?
@@KrisRifa I've actually checked and I'm amazed that e-tron Matrix headlights are cheaper than A3 Matrix headlights lol, probably because they don't have led by default.
I still don't see the issue, but I guess the difference is that you aren't in SW business and I am.
It is the same when you buy a program with multiple options, in many you have the free, normal and platinum version, the software you install is the same with a different license and hence different functionalities.
This is becoming the same in cars. They'll install the same thing, but each 'license' has different functionalities unlocked.
This is my point of view. There is also a reasoning behind it.
I really don't see that this is a "Scam". But hey opinions differ ;).
@@WeffkeGaming In Norway the Matrix LED on the A3 are 1000 Euros, while the Matrix LED on the E-Tron are 1800Euros, almost twice the price. In the A3 they are not the same hardware, but in the E-Tron they are. How does that make any sense? I don't mind paying more to get more, but paying 1800Euro for the Matrix functionality when the lights are the exact same is a scam no matter how you look at it. According to Audi for 1000Euro in the A3 you get both the hardware and the software, but for some reason the SW alone is almost twice the hardware and the SW in the A3.
Imagine buying an iPhone 12, and for 100 euros more you get a second camera and portrait mode. Now image in the 12 Pro the phone is shipped with the camera, but to use it and get portrait mode you pay 200 euros. Get my point? It's not charging for the SW that is the scam it is when the SW prices makes no sense for what you are getting. It is like in a Ferrari Apple car play costs 5000 euros! Yes, you read that right. On what planet is Apple car play worth 5000Euros? Same goes here 😂
the light doesnt turn, but i noticed on mine... there is a separate light that is directed in the direction I am turning into.
I have the 2019 Audi A6 premium plus with matrix headlights. I truly appreciate the auto high - low beam functionality. It is actually surprisingly very bright. This is coming from somebody who once made a mod of dual 6k HID on my headlights and fog lights.
If you're in the US, your matrix led isn't activated. The auto high beam on/off isn't the matrix led. US market hasn't gotten theirs activated because it was legal to do so yet, but as of last year, Biden's administration made it legal as of November 2021 I believe.
Check my '89 b3s squares with 55w halogen bulbs! Sometimes no one notices when I forget high beam on! Sometimes on dark roads with poor or no markings I really feel like cruising through the MATRIX!
Polestar 2 has way better headlights.
That I can believe!
I don’t doubt this. 🙂 But _way_ better? As I said in another comment, would be cool to see a split screen comparison of the two in the same conditions, with the same camera settings. Preferably in 4K. Just to see how they differ. Maybe you can team up? Would it also be possible, and make sense, to measure the Lux on different cars at different distances?
I feel like the Polestar lights are faster and more high-res. More like Audis Digital Matrix? If the Polestar lights are brighter and have better spread than the regular Audi LED Matrix, I’m not sure.. Polestar light has sharper edges. (For more info on the e-tron lights, see vwgpaintandbody.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Audi-e-tron.pdf page 88. It has a Motorway mode (also mentioned in the owners manual), and supposedly synthetic cornering lights.)
NA, Audi number one in the light game they created LED DRL trend 2008 R8, 2008 A5, 2009 A4 etc
An Audi Q5 was on my shortlist when I bought a car 9 years ago. As it is a large car, I wanted to have the possibility for the wing mirrors to automatically collapse when parking. It required a total of 7000 euro in options to get that functionality, mainly involving memory seats. I will now probably trade in my Range Rover Evoque for a Model Y. Having said that, the full autopilot option is also a bit of a scam as it will probably never achieve autonomous driving during the lifetime of the car. I guess it is slightly more value than this Audi upgrade.
It’s a scam because Tesla doesn’t add radars to their cheap cars anymore, no model y or 3 gets a radar anymore and those cars work terribly.
Even with a radar their systems are bad
I drive the Etron as my daily driver, and I love the car. Best car I have ever had of any kind.
BUT, I am angry at AUDI for being such dicks regarding the matrix lights. Almost all (if not all) Etrons in Denmark come with the matrix lights installed, yet you have to "unlock them" by paying either per day, month, half year, year or one full time purchase.
This is a trend that started with Teslas self-drive, where you can either pay a bit when you need it (for holidays/roadtrips) or one big purchase for a lifetime on the car.
AUDI copied this, but in the worst way possible. The big difference being, Tesla has an office full of coders sitting and working on self-drive making it better by the day. Its the best self-drive in the world, and you are constantly getting more and more features, better safety and easier driving. This is a constantly improving service, hence I can see why it can be a subscription. Furthermore, since the initial purchase is quite high, some might want to wait until self-drive is at the point they would like before committing, which is also OK.
But with AUDI matrix headlights, the tech is there. They aren't really improving on it all that much, and the mechanical parts are litterally already installed. Furthermore, its a safety feature! There are litterally accidents every year from drivers either being blinded by others and crashing, or them not using high-beams and hitting a deer or what ever.
The fact that AUDI withholds safety equipment behind a fake paywall infuriates me. They might aswell install the emergency brakes, but turn them off until you pay extra. Thats INSANE. A horrible business model. AUDI has already covered the cost off installing it, but want to milk their clients a little bit more.
My next car (in some years), I will judge the company on their ethics and policies and not just the cars specs and price.
So very not true, my mothers VW got a headlight update last year, it downloads on its own to the car. Also one update added slowing down with navigation active.
Audi is the same
Hey guys lemme save you 11 whole minutes , these lights work great & have cornering lights that turn on separately , and are good enough yes , matrix lights given by Bmw and Mercedes-Benz are better but this is no scam its also pretty useful
I just would much rather have these than a very very far up. It's the animals that jumps up to the road that I am much more scared of, I want to see much further into a field or forest, Most headlight are already good enough at light in front. any other manufacturer are significanly worse are projecting a light further into the side and upwards, like 4-5 meters up like these Matrix's does.
at 5:18 I can see good enough head and to the sides but most cars lack lights towards the side.
Unfortunately here in the United States, the best features of the matrix headlights are turned off. So for U.S. buyers don't bother.
To pay 17" NOK for software update is not any strange. Tesla does the same. But I agree that they should swivel.
Other automakers don't charge you for software updates, but they charge you for the lights.... Audi make it in different way, so if you would miss that equipment you can get it by software update for that price (18000nok) insted of going to service center and get them change with new lights for even more money, and ''throw'' away the old ones that you have payd for it also.. If its in the car its doesn't mean that you need to get it for free... Over all the Matrix led are very good lights, and work extremely well in the dark roads with still much traffic. Everything Cost, remember its audi. :) For some music haters it's can also be a scam to pay 14000nok for Bang and Olufsen.. Overall great videos Kris just start wonder that maybe you have buy a wrong car, but because of that Etron many of us are here..
The point is that the lights which are the majority of the cost are included and charging 18000nok for the software on top of something the competitors have as standard. That’s the scam. The Matrix LEDs are par for the course, nothing special and there several automakers who have superior lights and don’t charge extra for them. Imagine buying an iPhone with a camera, you having to pay a hefty premium for using the video recording function when the hardware is already there. That’s is in no benefit to the consumer, especially when every other phone on the market offer that exact same thing in the price of the product. The B&O sound system is one of the best sound systems at the price point. But imagine Audi included the B&O and only let you use half the speakers and charged you 14000nok for using the rest of them. Wouldn’t you feel scammed?
@@KrisRifa thanks for answer. I’m kind a agree with you that Audi charge a lot for extra, that other competitors have as a standard, but the question is are they really are better? Everyone have different opinion about things, for some stuff like that is a scam for some maybe not. Respect your opinion Kris.
@@KrisRifa Its not for the software Kris. Its just to enable the lights. The software is already there too, just waiting to be enabled. In UK you can get them as standard on certain etron variants. Re the iPhone, how about conjuring it with you buying a cheap iPhone, with not much tech, and then you decided you wanted the tech, you can do so without changing your phone.
I did not know they did not show around the corner. That’s very poor considering that function was on cars 50 or more years ago
Since 1 month I have the 2020 ETRON 55 Launch Edition and I am quite disappointed what is missing. I was driving an A3 Etron and that had way more functions than this 40% more expensive car. Automatic Highbeam - NO, reading Traffic Signs - NO, Matrix Headlight - NO; An adjustable arm-rest - NO; The stupid plastic box under the panel in the trunck?? - NO! so now I cut my hands while grabbing the charger cable and all kinds of wires hang free, as a Audi driver for 15 years this is really disappointing. PS. The car drives wonderfully and the full electric is superb. But what keeps buzzing is these stupid details that most are a tick in the software onboard. Audi Stop copying Tesla, please!!
What? No sign reading? Crazy.
I think this is not just related to the headlights. The whole Audi sales concept is a scam. Everything costs extra, every detail is an extra.
Some manufacturers are worse than others , and Audi definitely charge for a lot of things like the other Germans. But I mean there should be a line, and it’s my responsibility not only to inform my viewers by voice my opinion when That line is crosses. And I think the line is crossed here.
@Kris Rifa
Point of English: I think you want to say the the Audi pricing for the optional Matrix LED lights is a rip-off.
That is: very bad value for money.
A "scam" is more like actual fraud, a crime.
Was the navigation system on and set on route ? At launch(2013) the matrix would only corner the light if the navigation was on so i would try turning it on than see if it will bend the light before you turn the wheel. Maybe they kept this feature like this since ever.
Who remembers sealed beam headlight upgrades to halogen? cost about €40 a pair and could be fitted yourself :)
Those were great.
Can u test out audi’s laserlights?
Good video and a great point raised
The new Mercedes s class has similar matrix technology (with the 1.3 million pixels in each light) but they are tri beam (one low beam, one digital matrix high beam and one far range high beam) so for high beam range they should be very good
That’s not entirely true, it’s not all software, you are required to have some further hardware I believe.
Nope, it’s 100% sw. This why you can upgrade to Matrix in the app 😬
Renting car options doesn't make any sense , i would simply avoid these car brands.
In Tesla you are payiing just for sofrtwear unlocking and it is not called SCAM.
Is that dry roads? Havnt seen dry roads in 3 weeks...
Hahaha! 😂😂 Party dry, this was in Stavanger where the weather actually wasn’t too bad 😊
Not all scam. Even if the harware They did still have make software for it. And not many car maker matrix as standard. Name two?
Why are you crying about this? This looks magical compared to normal headlights!
I’m sorry but this makes no sense. You’re saying “software” like you’re saying “shit”. Why is it so “insane” (you seem to like that word) that you’re paying for a feature that is software-driven? You realize that software costs A LOT of money to research & develop, right?….
Totally disagree. This is actual Clickbait.
I think the matrix led's are perfect in not blinding other road users. width is amazing and I have never had anything like these.
You’re an idiot… you can at least watch the video before you comment.. obviously you can’t disagree when you don’t even know what I am calling an actual scam 🙈🙈😅
LED’s are nice but I’m an HID kinda guy. Hand me some bi xenon projectors and some Phillips xv2’s and im happy
I agree with you so much.
God you just like complaining don't you. I've got it on my A3 Edition One, and they're absolutely perfect.
You do understand that software costs to develop and takes years to do it right?
And NO the competitors dont have thm for free (bmw and mercedes ...those are the only big competitors)
Tesla doesnt even have them at all.
I tried them on some other cars (not bmw, merc and audi) and the difference in night and day.
If you actually saw the video you'd know I'd never said software should be free. But when the hardware is delivered with the car, there is no justification for the software costing this much, I mean 1800€ is insane. And if you don't understand that you sir have been duped. And yes the competitors have Matrix/Dynamic/Pixel-LED lights for free, EQC and EQE SUV they are standard and in BMW iX they are standard. I've tried them all and owned many cars with them, and Audi does not do it any better than the competitors. So paying 1800€ for SW that the competitors are offering for free is still a scam two years after I made this video!
What about pedestrians walking.
I understand your POV is very subjective but cmon, Volvo has the best Matrix Lights? Haven't you ever sat in an S-Class? Holy smokes, turns night into day. And from a technical POV Mercedes is with it's new W223 way ahead of anyone. Test if out yourself
don't get why you're complaining. they are actually standard on the e-tron (expect on your market), they are the normal matrix-lights, not the HD-matrix-lights and not even the digitial-matrix-lights, it's their most basic system that they introduced in the A8 D4 facelift
8:39 - even more bs. there is no matrix system on the iX3. the only BMW with matrix lights is the G30 5-Series LCI and the iX.
seriously make some better videos and not bs to spread lies and to get more clout.
They are not standard, even though the car comes with the hardware. That is the whole point, you have to pay for the sw for matrix function
@@KrisRifa looks like you didn’t really read my comment - fail
@@dr-ok3sn yes I did, your comment makes little to no sense. I am not spreading any lies. Matrix is just a marketing term that some manufacturers use, but they work the same as BMW adaptive LED or Volvo active beam. They are all called different things but do the same thing. You might want to educate your self before commenting on more UA-cam videos.
@@KrisRifa my comment and not making any sense? you're obviously talking bs again, must be hard to do anything for clout. and you obviously have no idea how BMW adaptive LED works cause it's completely different to the Matrix lights from Audi. Matrix isn't just a "marketing term", BMW is moving their lights physically to blank out other cars, Matrix is turning off individual pixels to blank out other cars, it's completely different, the only thing that they have in common is that they are using LEDs, that's it. BMW didn't started using Matrix lights until the LCI G30 and the iX. it's like saying direct injection and a carburetor are the exact same thing, just different names. do some research before talking bs again. the only one who needs to educate themselves should be obviously you.
thank you i had this question and you answered it
Kris, the lights are good, but their marketing is great. ;)
Mazda rowniez posiada swiatla matrycowe dynamiczne a kosztuja 500€ a wcale gorzej nie swieca
It's a ripoff, not a scam.
Really? just by comparing pictures instead of whats instead the headlights your saying its a scam. WOW. I wont like to see a comparison of LED vs Matrix LED for some proof to what your saying. Everyone got their 2 cents, but a side by side comparison would be solid proof.
You can literally rent or purchase the Matrix function with non Matrix head lights as I have done the E-Tron 55 I used to own. Also when I bought the car, the sales rep told be I would be able to purchase the Matrix function later on in the app… so yeah… RELLY… anyone who owns a 2020 E-Tron or newer can confirm this
@@KrisRifa but where is the comparison? There is not really any hard proof to what your saying other than Audi's website. As I stated everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
My man - you just explained why they are the best then contradicted ridiculous reasons (for example one moment you say that you love the fact that the light is so wide that it covers the sides, then a few seconds later complain that the lights don't swivel? Are you for real? Both your sides are already illuminated - what are you expecting them to do at this point?). Wasted many people's time watching this pointless bashing.
I love my a5 and has the best lights ever
Vote with your wallets, folks. If you do not approve of a company's practices, do not give them your money.
What’s the point of this video it’s not a scam
Yes it is, and that is the point of the video. Not hard to understand
Lol 'in the video they are good, but in person they are bad' okay well maybe get a better set up. This just sounds like someone throwing a hissy fit from the start. Very odd video
Jesus christ some people are just soo delusional... how can someone tell so much trash and still look desd serious lol...
its called function-on-demand, calm down.
and in this case it is called scamming people. But the EU and other government bodies are thankfully working on legislation that forbids manufacturer to charge owners for using hardware that is already installed in the vehicle. Several states in the US have already passed laws against this.
Audi is best
Disagree! Works great!
If you disagree, you didn’t watch the video 🙈🙈
Der Typ hier hat den Unterschied nicht verstanden 😂😂
Volvo XC40 P8 does not have Matrix function
Volvo have a different technology they call active beam control that IMO works better than Audi’s Matrix LED. They are are called different things, but ultimately do pretty much the same thing which is maximizing the light beam without blinding oncoming traffic.
Volvo have a different technology they call active beam control that IMO works better than Audi’s Matrix LED. They are are called different things, but ultimately do pretty much the same thing which is maximizing the light beam without blinding oncoming traffic.
scam? you`re delusional buddy.
CLICKBAIT
Only Scam i can see here is this guy….
that doesn't even make any sense.....
Neither the bs you talk about in your Video…
You don't know anything about cars.
So true! 😂🙈🙈
It's beyond understanding how naive and blind to simple marketing tricks some people are falling to. Advance threw technology. When people see Audi running LED turning signals they are so impressed. For them this is the cream of the crop highest tech possible. And they fall into the easy trap made by Audi for idiots. Underneath the car is so cheap. Interior made of cheap plastic and cheap Chinese tablets. I did test drive to Q4 E-Tron and I couldn't even take it to motorway. 200m and back. Horrible car. But people are impressed by big dash tablets and LED blinkers....