Are xenon headlights worth it?
- Thread starter Rubber Ducky
- Start date
Re: not only are they brighter
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Rubber Ducky & E46,
E46: I just typed in 'BMW "Xenon headlights" ' and came up with several aftermarket products.
R/D: I have them on both of my new 3 series and wouldn't go without them.
Consider this... Based on halogen comparison.
- Less power consumption. - 3x the output
- Lasts 10x longer. - Improved down-road & peripheral vision
- Higher color temp.
Above All, IMO... other motorists are much less likely to pull out in front of you, from side streets, because of the 'intimidating effect' the higher illumination headlights have.
You just have to drive w/them at night to really appreciate them.
E46_Driver said:
they will keep your car looking newer longer. Most new cars in the 35K + category already have or will soon have Xenon's or similar high discharge beams. I do notice an appreciable difference. Anyone have suggestions on brand name to switch stock fog lamps for xenon's?![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]")
Rubber Ducky & E46,E46: I just typed in 'BMW "Xenon headlights" ' and came up with several aftermarket products.
R/D: I have them on both of my new 3 series and wouldn't go without them.
Consider this... Based on halogen comparison.
- Less power consumption. - 3x the output
- Lasts 10x longer. - Improved down-road & peripheral vision
- Higher color temp.
Above All, IMO... other motorists are much less likely to pull out in front of you, from side streets, because of the 'intimidating effect' the higher illumination headlights have.
You just have to drive w/them at night to really appreciate them.
I think you should definitely get it. For a sense of comparison, the best Halogen bulbs you can buy (European bulbs, non street legal in US, but you can get them shipped to you), have an output of about 1,500 lumens. The typical projector Xenon bulbs output 3,200 lumens. The light is brighter, a much wider beam pattern, a super sharp cut-off, and no "holes" in the lighting. I do A LOT of night time driving (I guess all youngens do because we like to be out at night), and I wouldn't even think twice about the option for Xenon headlights. The lighting is just sooo much better, it makes it so much easier to see at night, it can save your life, and if it's worth anything, it really looks so much cooler !! I honestly don't like seeing a 3-series without the projector Xenons...even during the day when the headlights are off, the shape of the projectors gives the car such a meaner and more purposeful appearance.
You have to get them. Everything MrEllusive said + the latest steering type BMW xenons have got to be the coolest (no pun intended) xenons around. You don't realize how much they improve your night vision until you step into a vehicle without them after having had them for awhile.
There is no comparison.
You can see them light up the road/reflectors/signs in front of the cars in front of you and beside you, over and above their headlights (unless they have xenons too). That's how bright they are.
If you don't get them I guarantee you will wish you had when you see other Bimmers pass by that have them. BMW xenons have a special look to them that is unmistakeable at night. I think the only other cars I have seen on a regular basis with the mag lens are Infinity FX and Nissan Murano? Most other car brand xenons are regular housings with xenon bulbs. Nice for sure but nothing like your bimmer will be.
MrE, does the G35 have a mag lens design?
And I will say it again, the steering function of the lights really works, makes a huge difference that becomes very evident when you have them and then step down to regular lights.
There is no comparison.
You can see them light up the road/reflectors/signs in front of the cars in front of you and beside you, over and above their headlights (unless they have xenons too). That's how bright they are.
If you don't get them I guarantee you will wish you had when you see other Bimmers pass by that have them. BMW xenons have a special look to them that is unmistakeable at night. I think the only other cars I have seen on a regular basis with the mag lens are Infinity FX and Nissan Murano? Most other car brand xenons are regular housings with xenon bulbs. Nice for sure but nothing like your bimmer will be.
MrE, does the G35 have a mag lens design?
And I will say it again, the steering function of the lights really works, makes a huge difference that becomes very evident when you have them and then step down to regular lights.
I wouldn't get a car without them. MUCH BETTER visibility compared to halogens. Less fatigue, especially on roads with no/poor lighting.
Anyone think the PIAA lights are worth it as an alternative to halogen? I think so as I have them on an old Intrigue that I drive in the snow. Even my wife's Lexus 03 RX's halogens don't seem so great. I don't understand why the relentless pursuit of perfection doesn't include Xenons throughout all the models.
Anyone think the PIAA lights are worth it as an alternative to halogen? I think so as I have them on an old Intrigue that I drive in the snow. Even my wife's Lexus 03 RX's halogens don't seem so great. I don't understand why the relentless pursuit of perfection doesn't include Xenons throughout all the models.
bmwrocks, Xenon headlights are standard on all G35 models (Coupe and Sedan), but unfortunately, they are reflector Xenons. This isn't necessarily bad, but due to the design of the headlamp housing (ya know the way the whole front of the car is a really weird/unique shape), it affects the performance of the Xenons. I mean, they are still Xenons and they still do a great job that is superior to any Halogen lighting setup, but as far as Xenon performance goes, they are noticeably worse than BMW's projector Xenons.
drkeng, we have a 2003 Lexus RX300 with Xenons headlights. They are reflector Xenons and their performance is quite satisfying. Did you not opt for them? Lexus' options for their vehicles usually work in "packages", which eliminates the need for "ordering" a car as the option packages are based on popular demand. Our RX300 came fully loaded under a certain package name (I forgot the name), which consisted of DVD navigation, Xenon headlights, and this other crap.
Actually, this is quite interesting: Lexus' bigger and more expensive SUV's, the GX470 and LX470, do not have Xenon headlights...you just cannot get them! The reason is, the GX470 and the LX470 are very tall vehicles and their front ends are so damn high, that Xenon headlights are not allowed to be utilized. Due to their height, no matter what kind of auto-leveling setup Lexus can provide, the Xenon bulbs would just create way too much glare (you may notice this issue with the New Range Rover...I am just curious at how Land Rover/BMW got away the projector Bi-Xenons in such a tall vehicle!). Of course, rest assured that the GX470's and LX470's projector Halogen headlights illuminate the road so damn well, owners do not feel the need for Xenons...even though they should STILL be there for $45K+ SUV's.![[:)]](/images/smilies/smile.png "Smile [:)]")
drkeng, we have a 2003 Lexus RX300 with Xenons headlights. They are reflector Xenons and their performance is quite satisfying. Did you not opt for them? Lexus' options for their vehicles usually work in "packages", which eliminates the need for "ordering" a car as the option packages are based on popular demand. Our RX300 came fully loaded under a certain package name (I forgot the name), which consisted of DVD navigation, Xenon headlights, and this other crap.
Actually, this is quite interesting: Lexus' bigger and more expensive SUV's, the GX470 and LX470, do not have Xenon headlights...you just cannot get them! The reason is, the GX470 and the LX470 are very tall vehicles and their front ends are so damn high, that Xenon headlights are not allowed to be utilized. Due to their height, no matter what kind of auto-leveling setup Lexus can provide, the Xenon bulbs would just create way too much glare (you may notice this issue with the New Range Rover...I am just curious at how Land Rover/BMW got away the projector Bi-Xenons in such a tall vehicle!). Of course, rest assured that the GX470's and LX470's projector Halogen headlights illuminate the road so damn well, owners do not feel the need for Xenons...even though they should STILL be there for $45K+ SUV's.
i still remember the first time i saw how much brighter the xenons were; i was driving w/ my light on when a car behind me pulled up besides me then passed me. they had the xenons and right before the pass and during, the xenons completely absorbed my halogens. after he passed me, i was left back my light, along w/ the feeling that my lights were somehow way dimmer than they were just few seconds earlier. interestingly enough, it was a bimmer..
from then on i vowed to have xenons if offered. i got it as $700 option on my car, and if i had to do it all over again, i'd give up all other options before axing the xenons. well maybe not hte cold weather package.. the leather does get pretty dang cold up here..
from then on i vowed to have xenons if offered. i got it as $700 option on my car, and if i had to do it all over again, i'd give up all other options before axing the xenons. well maybe not hte cold weather package.. the leather does get pretty dang cold up here..
When I was ordering my vehicle (2003 330Ci) I was really torn about getting xenons. So I decided to create a list of pros and cons, which aided my decision:
Xenon Cons:
1) They cost $700
2) They are a lure for thieves looking to rip them out, and resell.
3) They are mechanical (they physically move and reset each time the vehicle is started) which is just another thing that could break later on.
4) While bulb burnouts are rare, replacement xenon bulbs are very expensive.
5) With xenons there is a sharper cutoff in the lighted area ahead of the vehicle, which can cause you to 'overdrive' your lights on dark back roads without street lamps.
Xenon Pros:
1) I would say for some appearance from the outside of the vehicle might fit here, but I literally stood in the dealer parking lot for 30 minutes looking at a 330Ci with xenons, and one without xenons, and though they looked 'different', I didn't think one looked 'better'.
I like how the non-xenon 330Ci has the dual lamp look on each side (with the daytime running lights), which may look less high-tech, but I think it looks more aggressive.
Standing in the lot comparing the two really helped me finalize my decision. I felt there were more disadvantages, and the appearance of either one looked great.
So, I saved the $700, and have no regrets. If the xenons were $200 more, I probably would have gotten them anyway. But paying $700 for headlights on a car that already has excellent headlights, seemed a bit ridiculous.
Hope this helps.
Xenon Cons:
1) They cost $700
2) They are a lure for thieves looking to rip them out, and resell.
3) They are mechanical (they physically move and reset each time the vehicle is started) which is just another thing that could break later on.
4) While bulb burnouts are rare, replacement xenon bulbs are very expensive.
5) With xenons there is a sharper cutoff in the lighted area ahead of the vehicle, which can cause you to 'overdrive' your lights on dark back roads without street lamps.
Xenon Pros:
1) I would say for some appearance from the outside of the vehicle might fit here, but I literally stood in the dealer parking lot for 30 minutes looking at a 330Ci with xenons, and one without xenons, and though they looked 'different', I didn't think one looked 'better'.
I like how the non-xenon 330Ci has the dual lamp look on each side (with the daytime running lights), which may look less high-tech, but I think it looks more aggressive.
Standing in the lot comparing the two really helped me finalize my decision. I felt there were more disadvantages, and the appearance of either one looked great.
So, I saved the $700, and have no regrets. If the xenons were $200 more, I probably would have gotten them anyway. But paying $700 for headlights on a car that already has excellent headlights, seemed a bit ridiculous.
Hope this helps.
Not so. I've had my car for a year and 21,000+ miles, a lot driven at night and have NEVER been flashed. Properly aimed HID headlights actually have less glare than halogens because there is a sharp delineation line where they are focused. If you are not in the beam, they are not bright at all. What screws it all up is the guys that install aftermarket HIDs in mostly stock halogen housings and blind everybody. ![[mad]](/images/smilies/mad.png "Mad [mad]")
Get them. I had my reservations as well, but now cannot stop thanking myself for not opting out. Much brighter than any aftermarket bulb I used on earlier cars (projector or reflector style).
I just wish the older style single beam Xenons were still availalbe (and for less $$). The new Bi-Xenons are not as bright and have a slight greenish glow. The older style are more like the 5-series or X5 blue/purple which I think have the best beams on the road (also add Audi's).
I just wish the older style single beam Xenons were still availalbe (and for less $$). The new Bi-Xenons are not as bright and have a slight greenish glow. The older style are more like the 5-series or X5 blue/purple which I think have the best beams on the road (also add Audi's).
As for the glare issue, I think it really just depends on the angle of the roads and the style of the headlamps. Reflector Xenons produce more glare than projector Xenons, but I find when a BMW (projector Xenons) is coming at me and the angle of the road is bad, the glare destroys me. My car has reflector xenons and mine cause a lot of glare (again due to the poor housing design of the reflectors, because of the "form over function" concept) for on-coming drivers because pretty often when driving at night, people "flash" me as if I have my high-beams on, so I just flash them back to show them I'm just driving with my low-beams.
Also, Xenon bulbs are expensive, but economically, they are not much different from Halogens. You will have to replace Halogen bulbs 5 times over before you have to replace Xenons...so that easily makes up for the added cost of the bulbs.
I can honestly say that I will never get another car again without getting Xenon headlights (because a lot of my driving is at night). Even my parents feel the exact same way...Xenons are a must...we consider it a safety issue.
Also, Xenon bulbs are expensive, but economically, they are not much different from Halogens. You will have to replace Halogen bulbs 5 times over before you have to replace Xenons...so that easily makes up for the added cost of the bulbs.
I can honestly say that I will never get another car again without getting Xenon headlights (because a lot of my driving is at night). Even my parents feel the exact same way...Xenons are a must...we consider it a safety issue.
I've never been flashed. The cutoff of the beam has never risen to window level of any car I've seen. They were a must have option for me. The visibility difference, especially on a deserted road with no street lamps (like on a road trip thru the middle of nowhere) was totally better with xenons. From now on, if a car has it as an option, I'm getting it. I don't think they should be on SUVs, but on cars, it's totally awesome.