best choice of headlights

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 11:28
best choice of headlights - scot22

I have done a search and found no previous threads.

Like some people I do not enjoy driving at night, so having the most effective headlights are especially important. I am also aware of the need to consider the effects on other drivers.

The scientific description of the differences between xenon and halogen don't really mean much to me.

What are people's views on the best type of headlighst to have ? Very interested in the opinions of drivers who have used both.

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 12:36
best choice of headlights - gordonbennet

I've driven the new fangled xenon lights, but not the latest LED's.

Yes they're fine but apart from being brighter the sharp cut off beam puts what's outside the light spread into complete darkness, if anything the brighter the light the worse the contrast, though thats opnly my opinion.

By choice i'll have normal lights and if they're not quite good enough i invest in some Philips or Osram higher quality bright but legal same wattage bulbs, the improvements they make are good enough for me.

Cost and easy fix is part of my consideration, a pair of high quality headlight bulbs @ £20 every 5 years or so is about as much as i want to pay, and if they take longer than 5 minutes to fit the pair i've bought the wrong car.

My lorry is fitted with cornering lights (no not ones that turn fully with the steering like Citroen DS's of the 60's) and to be honest i thought them a gimmick at first, but that single extra light coming on to illuminate the dark spot you about to turn sharply onto are really quite useful.

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 12:47
best choice of headlights - slkfanboy

LED are the worst option has effect lighting light is high but well directed HIDs are the best but should factory fitted.

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 12:49
best choice of headlights - scot22

Thanks Gb. I will now be happy with halogen, but not ignore a car with xenon. This makes life a little simpler !

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 12:51
best choice of headlights - scot22

Sorry slkfanboy - you posted same time as I acknowled GB. Now know what not to have which is important, thanks.

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 13:32
best choice of headlights - scot22

Thanks. If someone worked for a company and finds them the best I think that's a good recommendation for the brand. You know behind the scenes. What I've read on searches does not concern about effects for other road users.

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 13:55
best choice of headlights - scot22

Just come back and reread. OOps ! should read 'does concern me about effects for other road users' my driving philiosophy has not changed.

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 16:01
best choice of headlights - Doc

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 16:53
best choice of headlights - concrete

I went from halogen lights in a Peugeot 406 to Xenon in a Renault Laguna back to halogen in a Toyota Avensis and now Xenon again in my Superb. I also did a reasonable amount of night driving. I would not like to live on the difference between them. All were sufficient for the job if you drive to the conditions. The price difference is amazing though and all the above cars came with the lights they had but I would not pay any extra for Xenon or LED if I was buying new. I just don't think it worth the candle(pardon the pun).

Cheers Concrete

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 19:39
best choice of headlights - scot22

Thanks for the additional posts.

Love the pun Concrete. Also yours is just the type of experience I'd been hoping for.

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Sat 4 Jul 2015 22:14
best choice of headlights - Smileyman

I'm vey interested in this thread, and the comments made here, but for the life of me just cannot understand the post made by 'slkfanboy' - it's not a typo that's the problem .. am I the only one?

I have Xenons on my current car, and am considering just how important they are for improved safety when driving at night, Skoda have a very interesting little feature about the difference on their international website - see link attached (scroll down the page) http://www.skoda-auto.com/en/models/rapid/safety

also an interesting feature in more detail about headlights on this page http://www.skoda-auto.com/en/models/new-octavia/safety/ (again scroll down the page)

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Sun 5 Jul 2015 15:16
best choice of headlights - brum

A lot of vag cars including skoda have "projector" headlights, which use a lens like a projector. A lot of these are fitted with a shutter system to provide high/low beam operation. The shutter simply cuts off the beam pattern for dip. This high tech nonsense means that 50% of the bulbs output is lost on dip, and the cutoff is sharp which as gb pointed out actually makes visibility worse. And as it uses one bulb only means that when it blows you dont have the option of using the other.

A lot of xenons use a similar shutter sytem I think.

Lights are much much better when they have two separate lights for low and high beams, ideally a with a well designed reflector in both cases. Maximum light on the job with a softer cutoff. Basically avoid cars using this shutter system.....

Unfortunately, fashion is leading to stupid tiny designs which cant match a larger one.

And on another note, the use of led drl strings in conjuction with headlights even at lower luminosity is a major road safety hazard.

Fashion over function, bah....

Edited by brum on 05/07/2015 at 15:27

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Sun 5 Jul 2015 16:44
best choice of headlights - scot22

Thanks both - forums can be very helpful, much appreciated.

Brum - I fully agree with your comments about modern designs. Of the thread but the poor visibility resulting from some designs should make them illegal ! cue : people disagreeing.

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