Raising the low beams

One of the worst things about the V60 has been the headlights. Consumer Reports actually gave the V60 headlights their worst possible rating, which I agree with. They are worse than both of my previous cars, the Ford Focus ST and Honda Fit. Even driving on a darkened road at 40 mph makes me feel uneasy - it would be hard to spot a sudden obstacle such as deer or severe potholes with these lights.

IIHS also gave the S60 and V60 halogens their worst rating. The halogens received a rating of "Poor", while the xenons received "Acceptable." Their scale runs from Poor -> Marginal -> Acceptable -> Good. Here are their comments about the halogen lamps:

Low beams: On the straightaway, visibility was inadequate on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests. 

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams: On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

It's interesting to note that many of the V60 and S60's peers also receive subpar ratings. For the Mercedes C300, for example, both the base halogen and upgraded LED headlights receive "Poor" ratings. The BMW 3-series halogens and mid-level LEDs both receive a "Poor" rating, while the highest trim Lighting Package LEDs receive a "Acceptable" rating. The 2017 Audi A4 does better, earning "Marginal" and "Acceptable" ratings on their base and upgraded models, respectively.

I began researching ways to improve the situation soon after discovering this limitation. Sylvania and several other companies produce higher performance halogen bulbs that are reportedly whiter, although I've read mixed things about whether they actually improve illumination distance.

The V60 headlights are tuned oddly from the factory. They point more downward than most cars, perhaps to avoid blinding other road-users. Luckily, Volvo has made it extremely easy to adjust the level of the beam.

Here are the low beams at stock setting:

Notice how at around 15 feet, the beams are already starting to hit the ground.

To adjust the beams, you need to pop the hood and locate the small plastic white nut on top of the headlamp unit:

The hole above the headlamp just allows a 6 mm socket to fit through. Turning the nut counter-clockwise raises the beam, and clockwise lowers it. My initial adjustment turned out to be too high:

I went for a brief drive and it felt like the beams were shining off into the woods, rather than onto the road. Another quick adjustment later, and...

Much improved! The brightness of the lamps remains a little unsatisfying, but driving at night feels far safer. I tested my usual roads at my usual speed of 40 mph and felt comfortable driving on low beams. They don't seem to be high enough to cause issues for oncoming drivers but I can certainly adjust them downward if people flash at me. Later on I might still consider upgrading the bulbs, but for now this seems to be a good solution.