[bcl0328]

Ever since I got my car and started posting here there has been a debate about halogens vs. xenons. The majority here seemed to think halogens were cheap looking and took away from the BMW brand name.

Now we have the LED headlights, which look (to me) just like the halogen housing, with a bar of LEDs across them instead of a halogen bulb.

Do you still think xenons look better? How do the LED headlights compare?



Edit: I'm talking about when the car is off, headlights aren't on.

[Sedan_Clan]

Not good/different enough for me to pay extra for them. It's like paying more for an iPhone 5s over a 5. They are toooooo similar to justify the cost. The corona xenons look damn good.

[OC40]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Not good/different enough for me to pay extra for them. It's like paying more for an iPhone 5s over a 5. They are toooooo similar to justify the cost. The corona xenons look damn good.

Well, unless you upgraded from a 4S!

Agree, not worth the upgrade to LED. However, xenon is worth the upgrade from halogen.

I am happy bmw did not add LED taillights. I cringe every time I see them. I think I am alone on this camp.

[Tuce]

I think LEDs look slighly less attractive than the xenons, and there's no real functional advantage. Xenons might actually be brighter from what I've read. I love BMW adaptive xenons and see no reason to pay extra except to have the latest tech with questionable functionality.

BMW taillights are LED tubes, but the brake lights and turn signals are incandescent.

[DrivenByE30]

Halogen = 4S
Xenon = 5
LED = 5S

When off, the LED looks like the eyes of a dead fish...
I am saying this because partially its too expensive for me and i cannot afford them.

I prefer the xenon still.

Now if we can combine this: the technology (efficiency) of the LED, the look of Xenon, and the price and simplicity of the halogen, then we will no longer have the can of worms.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Tuce

I think LEDs look slighly less attractive than the xenons, and there's no real functional advantage. Xenons might actually be brighter from what I've read. I love BMW adaptive xenons and see no reason to pay extra except to have the latest tech with questionable functionality.

BMW taillights are LED tubes, but the brake lights and turn signals are incandescent.

To some degree I like the incandescent bulbs because I can go buy a bulb when it burns out. When the LED's start going out on taillights, you need an entirely new assembly.

[Rasengan]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

To some degree I like the incandescent bulbs because I can go buy a bulb when it burns out. When the LED's start going out on taillights, you need an entirely new assembly.

if you used the lights on the car for 8 hours a day (which no one really does), those LEDs would last you 17 years...that is 50 times longer than an incandescent which requires more energy to operate and produces more heat and waste...oftentimes, they are also very yellow in OEM form...if you want the brighter white or a shade of bluish tint you end up sacrificing visibility for it...LEDs are just bright white light

even a lot of the HIDs they have on cars have a yellowish tint...i have the LEDs and i can thankfully say i don't need to shop around for bulbs that have no hint of yellow in them

[Rasengan]

PS - i am, in no way, arguing the necessity nor the price of the LEDs...no, i definitely do not think they are necessary and i definitely don't think they are worth a 2k upgrade price...but would i get them again? you bet, they are absolutely beautiful to look at...the halogens are pretty, the LEDs are beautiful

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Rasengan

if you used the lights on the car for 8 hours a day (which no one really does), those LEDs would last you 17 years...that is 50 times longer than an incandescent which requires more energy to operate and produces more heat and waste...oftentimes, they are also very yellow in OEM form...if you want the brighter white or a shade of bluish tint you end up sacrificing visibility for it...LEDs are just bright white light

even a lot of the HIDs they have on cars have a yellowish tint...i have the LEDs and i can thankfully say i don't need to shop around for bulbs that have no hint of yellow in them

You obviously haven't seen a lot of E46 and E9X's with LED's burnt out in their tail lights have you (..which was the focus of my comment; I have no experience with LED headlights)? That's what I'm referring to. It was an eyesore and replacing the entire assembly gets costly out of warranty.

[Rasengan]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

You obviously haven't seen a lot of E46 and E9X's with LED's burnt out in their tail lights have you (..which was the focus of my comment; I have no experience with LED headlights)? That's what I'm referring to. It was an eyesore and replacing the entire assembly gets costly out of warranty.

i was taking your comment in context...you replace your vehicles every year, sometimes twice a year...me every 2-3 years so why would either of us care about changing bulbs or being out of warranty?

[NosceTeIpsum]

Halogen is the best tribute to older bmws like the legendary e30 m3



*puts flame suit on, and sits in a corner*

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Rasengan

i was taking your comment in context...you replace your vehicles every year, sometimes twice a year...me every 2-3 years so why would either of us care about changing bulbs or being out of warranty?

Good point! I will shut up now. LOL!


...although I'm in counseling to try and break the habit. <kidding>

[Rasengan]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Good point! I will shut up now. LOL!


...although I'm in counseling to try and break the habit. <kidding>

don't gotta do that, lol

going back to your point about burnt out LED taillights, nope, i haven't really seen anything like that...this is my first BMW and didn't really participate in the forum until recently...i can only assume that's because LEDs are still a fairly new technology (not really in most applications but to cars they sort of are) which i guess would also explain their relatively high costs

[newbie4]

has anyone seen the LED and xenon on a 4 series side by side? i agree that the price for the full LED option is outrageous but gotta say I love the LED and HUD on this car!

[snowghost]

Originally Posted by bcl0328

Ever since I got my car and started posting here there has been a debate about halogens vs. xenons. The majority here seemed to think halogens were cheap looking and took away from the BMW brand name.

Now we have the LED headlights, which look (to me) just like the halogen housing, with a bar of LEDs across them instead of a halogen bulb.

Do you still think xenons look better? How do the LED headlights compare?



Edit: I'm talking about when the car is off, headlights aren't on.

How do they compare with Xenons for brightness etc.?

[BDWonder]

Originally Posted by bcl0328

Ever since I got my car and started posting here there has been a debate about halogens vs. xenons. The majority here seemed to think halogens were cheap looking and took away from the BMW brand name.

Now we have the LED headlights, which look (to me) just like the halogen housing, with a bar of LEDs across them instead of a halogen bulb.

Do you still think xenons look better? How do the LED headlights compare?



Edit: I'm talking about when the car is off, headlights aren't on.

I completely agree. The led inner shell reminds me exactly of the halogen lights. I seen these in dealerships and cars parked near my apartment. I prefer much more the xenons. Xenons look so much more elagant and polished. Look like expensive high end photo lenses. I do prefer the elumination of the leds, simply not the looks.

[rayg]

I think the LEDs look better, but not $1900 better.

[f30er]

Originally Posted by Rasengan

don't gotta do that, lol

going back to your point about burnt out LED taillights, nope, i haven't really seen anything like that...this is my first BMW and didn't really participate in the forum until recently...i can only assume that's because LEDs are still a fairly new technology (not really in most applications but to cars they sort of are) which i guess would also explain their relatively high costs

Had my LED tails on my E92 burn out a few months ago. Thats when I learned that it's not a normal $3 bulb from Autozone but that you have to take out and replace the entire unit for one stupid light. $120 on ebay...

[Bjornizz]

The only thing I see as an adventage with the LED lights on the F30 is that the foglights also is LED. I hate the guy that had the brilliant idea of putting halogen in the foglights even on the car with xenons... It would look SO much better if they were more similar in color

[reprod]

Does the f30 now have the option for led headlights?

[HFW003]

Originally Posted by reprod

Does the f30 now have the option for led headlights?

Not as standard.

[reprod]

Checked on BMWUSA.com and I couldn't find the option in the configuration wizard. Are these available during configuration?