To Mr GTD, there seems to be a lot in inconsistency when it comes to auto lights coming on. I sometimes wonder if heading north your headlights are more likely to come on, as opposed to facing south at the same time of day, due to the light sensor being at the front.
I was driving in bright, low evening sunshine back in the summer (last year

) with the sun behind me. My headlights came on. On the way back home minutes later, driving towards the sun, the lights had turned off. I did wonder if the rear mirror sensor and the front light sensor had worked out that the sun was behind me, so turned the lights on as is suggested in the Police driver training handbook. Surely it can't be that clever?