This work focuses on the latest automotive high dynamic range (HDR) image sensors with LED flicker mitigation (LFM) and on their characteristics impacting sensing for ADAS and AV systems. A comparative study of latest 2.1 µm and 3 µm automotive imaging sensors highlights their object sensing capabilities. Through the use cases covering typical scenarios across automotive temperatures and lighting conditions we showcase best imaging solutions. We highlight that image sharpness and resolution in combination with total signal-to-noise ratios in low light and in transitions are important considerations for high safety autonomous designs, especially in corner cases. Additionally we study limitations of basic HDR pixel architectures in relation to detecting colors and features in automotive space.