Any - Xenon headlights

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 13:45
Any - Xenon headlights - Ethan Edwards

We just bought a old model run out Qashqai and it comes with Xenon headlights. Due to the A12 being closed off the other night I found myself on the narrow windy B1022 in the wifes Qashqai. Dark as a very dark thing it was, rain etc. Thats when I noticed the utterly superb amount of light produced by these Xenon headlights. Brilliant doesn't begin to describe it.

Conversely although I had them properly dipped it was very clear they irritate the bejebus out of other road users. I am certain the alignment is spot on as well and they are dialed down correctly for load. I myself, when driving my non Xenon equipped Yaris HSD , find other vehicles who do have Xenons really irritating but boy now I can see why you people love them.

Like WMD's I think either we all should have them or none of us should have them.

Whaddya think peeps?

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 14:23
Any - Xenon headlights - red_ross

I never thought I would see headlights being compared to weapons of mass destruction, but there you go!

Personally having only ever been on the receiving end of the battle I find them quite annoying. But my wife and I are looking to get an Audi Q3 soon which does have them (see here http://www.audi.co.uk/new-cars/q3/q3/styling-features/led-technology.html). So fairly soon I might be on the love rather than hate end of the spectrum.

Looking foward to seeing what others think!

Ross.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 14:29
Any - Xenon headlights - csgmart

Whaddya think peeps?

I think you've summed it up nicely. Good if you're driving the car equipped with xenons, rubbish if you're on the receiving end...

Do you now have honorary membership of the "see and be seen" club? :-)

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 14:52
Any - Xenon headlights - Bromptonaut

I've seen the term 'arms race' applied to lights previously, either here or in other forums.

Neither of our cars, current and previous model Berlingos have Xenons. The standard halogens are good enough for the two miles of unlit bendy lane between here and nearest main roads. I find other cars Xenon (or whatever other hi/brite tech is in use) dazzling and also that they have an irritaing tendency to 'bobble' at times. Whether that's due dipping, level adjustnent or just beam definition from my perspective I do not know.

I've also ocasionally found the blue tinged light seen through central res posts to look like an emergency vehicle.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 15:09
Any - Xenon headlights - unthrottled

I gave up fighting the dazzling effect of overly intense oncoming lights (the LEDs can be worse than xenons in this respect). If I find myself being dazzled by oncoming lights, I now switch to full beam. It seems to reduce the dazzle effect from my perspective and gives the offender a dose of their own medicine.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 16:35
Any - Xenon headlights - Andrew-T

It's obvious to the meanest intelligence that a car with several times the light output of one approaching it will help its driver to see, while making it harder for anyone else. It should also be obvious that on busy roads it's not really a good idea to have a lot of half-blinded drivers, especially from the viewpoint of dimly-lit things like pedestrians. However, as usual, someone - buyer or maker - oversteps the commonsense point at which to stop increasing the brightness.

We have had threads on this topic before. The argument often raises the mantra of Brighter Lights Make Me More Visible. Trouble is, they make almost everything else less visible. Not sure what any of us can do about it though.

Edited by Andrew-T on 07/02/2014 at 16:36

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 17:23
Any - Xenon headlights - xtrailman

Give me full beam and i'll give you full beam xenons. Now on my second car with them i wouldnt have anything else.

I am probably going to LED lights next if they are better.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 18:08
Any - Xenon headlights - unthrottled

Give me full beam and i'll give you full beam xenons.

There seems to be little difference between some cars' dipped and main beam lights. It's not a case of sour grapes: not all prestige marques have the headlight problem-it's a deliberate (and selfish) choice on the behalf of the original buyer.

Obviously, main beam can be as bright as you want so it's not as if anyone loses out in illumination on rural roads.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 21:07
Any - Xenon headlights - xtrailman

I have no control over the lights, no level adjustment.

The xtrail beam appeared higher to me than my Mazda cx-5, which is lower than i like. But with both cars i don't get flashed. The Mazda ones turn while cornering, and some models auto dip.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 17:14
Any - Xenon headlights - artill

I am on my second car with Xenons. I am not a fan.

Yes the light is bright, and you can see in the area they are pointing, but there is a definite cut off at the edge of the beam and thing just outside are hard to see, whereas with conventional lights the off beam area is a progressive shading.

Of course this is just a sample of 2 cars, others might be a lot better

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 17:29
Any - Xenon headlights - jamie745

My Jag S-Type has xenons and they are impressive. When toodling round town in the evening though I do only have sidelights on because they're simply too bright.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 19:31
Any - Xenon headlights - Chris79
Just out of interest will people be quite so keen when / if they have to pay to replace them? Are they not rather expensive?

I ve never driven a car with xenons, but find it quite irritating being blinded by them.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 22:56
Any - Xenon headlights - Andrew-T
I ve never driven a car with xenons, but find it quite irritating being blinded by them.

And on wet roads - like now - their blinding effect is two or three times worse.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 19:56
Any - Xenon headlights - Cyd

Being in automotive R&D I have driven quite a few cars with xenon headlights. I've always thought they were good and have wanted a car with them for a long time.

Now I have a car with bi-xenons (Saab 9-3), I simply would not have anything else now.

They need to be properly adjusted for sure and I agree that the area outside the light fall is dark, but halogens are like candles in comparrison. At last I've got a powerful car that has lights that are up to the job at night.

There does seem to be some variability in effectiveness from make to make though.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 22:18
Any - Xenon headlights - Scottie Boy

to be honest fella I have just got shot of a KIA Sportage KX3 which was fitted with these headlights and I did not see any big difference with them compared to normal headlights but then that Sportage was a garbage car so maybe that is why lol

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 22:34
Any - Xenon headlights - Smileyman

Absolutely superb. Driving home on unlit country roads being able to see well is an essentail requirement and the Xenons on my Primera are superb. Even helps me spot the flooded sections of road earlier.

The only problem is Nissan do not make these a buyer option, one either takes the lights and leather upholstery and oversized wheels etc or nothing .... and only certain models in the range too - that's two reasons why my next car probably won't be a Nissan

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 22:53
Any - Xenon headlights - RicardoB

My car has Xenon headlights, and I would like to apologise to oncoming drivers, and those driving in front, who are dazzled by me. I didn't choose to have them - they were with the car as standard. When following cars at night, I make sure that my "dip" is far behind the car in front to try to minimise distraction and discomfort for the occupants of the car in front.

They are adjusted correctly but I know that every dip and bump in the road causes distraction/danger for others. Unlike normal headlights, you can't driver-adjust the angle down a bit, as you would if you had a heavy load, and they are allegedly self adjusting.

I find no benefit from them in lighting the way ahead, compared to normal halogens. In fact, I genuinely believe they are not as good.

I'm not looking foward to the cost of repairing/replacing them if and when that day comes.

As far as I an concerned, they are more of a fashion/status item originally fitted to "high end" cars to stand out from the masses, but as we know, are now fitted to more reachable everyday cars.

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Sat 8 Feb 2014 11:58
Any - Xenon headlights - xtrailman

I don't believe you.

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Fri 7 Feb 2014 22:56
Any - Xenon headlights - Scottie Boy

Funnily enough my wife has a beautiful Mazda MX5 that is fitted with these headlights and she once asked me to check the lights were all working on the car as other motorists kept flashing at her so maybe that is why. Never gave it a moments thought at the time.

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