Not for me unfortunately.

No where near invaluable as ive proved this through 22 years of driving with only about 2 years of this behind xenons. No crashes attributed to headlights to date. I still cant get my head round people saying they dont see any advantage over their xenon lights when they switch full beams on. This is not my findings after owning two different cars with xenons. Xenons are brighter but when you flick the mains on you can see miles further. I think a lot of this can be attributed to fanboyism. Youve paid for them now so your not going to start slagging the off as it kind of makes you decision to pay £800 a silly one. I used to sing their praises when i first had mine and it wasnt untill i had experienced them extensively that i realised they didnt offer any real world advantge for the roads on which i drive. Plus speccing them for the moment when your car is cresting a hill just seems ridiculous.

Some of you must have defective halogen lights as mine seem fine. I have had the shogun sitting next to my octy and there is no discernalble range benefit from the shoguns xenons. Brighter yes but same range. I cant comment on anyone elses cars but in this direct comparison side by side they only lit the same distance up the missus's Dads access road to his house. I couldnt see any additional trees or pot holes or whatever, yes some where slightly more obvious but thats all and i could still see everything with my own halogens. I am comparing two different cars but TBH i doubt it would matter as the anti dazzle restrictions are the same for all cars.

I suppose its a personal choice as to whether £800 is a lot of money for brighter bulbs or not. If your in two minds just buy uprated bulbs for way less and pocket the rest.

Couldn't be bothered to read all that.

But In essence, I think you're wrong.

Anyone on standard bulbs as a minimum should switch to Osram Nightbreaker Plus (about £10) or Phillips X-Treme 100% (£20).

100% improvement over stock and a lot closer to Xenons/HIDs. I did it yesterday with the Philips and extremely pleased. I know they are not as good as HIDS/Xenons (I've had them before) but not far off.

I have yet to see a noticeable difference between normal (quality) bulbs and the best Philips / Osrams out there. I've tried them all, too. The biggest difference I've seen was with H4 followed by H1, but all H7 bulbs seem to be the same.

I haven't ever driven in the UK, but Finland is a depressingly dark place this time of year. Everything's wet, foggy, dirty and dark, and most rural roads are unlit. The road surface soaks up every ray of light you throw at it. Here's where xenons make a difference, even if their range for legal reasons can't be any better.

To me, it's a no-brainer to spec your car with xenons when you are buying new and get to select exactly what you want your car to have. I just wish the Octavia flipped up the low beams as well when you turn the high beam on, instead of relying on the feeble halogens to produce acceptable light. Which they don't and never will, regardless what kind of bulbs you fit in there.

Perc, I have upgraded bulbs in various BMWs, Audis and Golfs, all have made a noticeable difference.

No where near invaluable as ive proved this through 22 years of driving with only about 2 years of this behind xenons. No crashes attributed to headlights to date.

There are plenty of people who have been driving cars for years without ABS or ESP who have managed not to crash, but nobody claims that these systems are useless (except for the odd 'driving God' who thinks that they can cadence brake more effectively than an ABS system).

Our Octavia has xenons and they put out a consistent carpet of white light in front of the car and light up the nearside very effectively. Compared to the standard halogens on our Fabia (which have noticeable bright spots and darker patches in the beam) they are more relaxing to drive with and pick out pedestrians, animals and other potential hazards that lurk in the darkness on the nearside. We've just replaced the standard bulbs in the Fabia with some Philips 100% Brilliance bulbs and they are noticeably better than the standard bulbs, but still not as good as the xenons.

Then again, maybe we should have saved our money and just bought more carrots!!!

I have yet to see a noticeable difference between normal (quality) bulbs and the best Philips / Osrams out there. I've tried them all, too. The biggest difference I've seen was with H4 followed by H1, but all H7 bulbs seem to be the same.

+1 . I tried the Phillips Nightbreakers in my Scout too. To me, these upgraded H7s seemed to make no perceived differance to the OE bulbs either. I tried one of each for a while too just for curiousity. They only lasted a year as well.

Yep. I've some pretty heavy duty wiring running between the 2 lamps and that's the obvious stuff must be much more under the skin

Could someone please answer this question, if its not to much trouble.

If I was to change the complete headlight units from bog standard to Xenon's, would they work, IE plug and play without having to resort to fitting the leveling sensors or anything else, apart from getting them set on a beam setter

I doubt it but not for the "heavy duty wiring" reason.

Xenon run at 35w compared to the 55w of the H7 however there's an inrush on cold start which peaks up at 20amps (ish) and then drops down to 2/5ths of the halogen. The control is managed by the headlamp ballast which by nature has its HV control. The problem with this for the manufacturers is EMC so one of the common solutions is to give the ballast it's own earth which generally won't be in your loom.

The other issue you'll have is some xenons (and I can't answer for all manufacturers) are left in a down aim position, basically as you have no logic controlling the stepper motor inside the lamp you'll not be able to adjust the aim back to nominal. You may decide to crank the vertical adjuster to its max....which will also adjust horizontally at the same time but generally you'll run out of adjustment before the lamp is sufficiently aimed.

Sorry!

I think after 132 posts we are all agreed xenon headlights are brighter.

From where I am sat brighter lights are better. Simples.

Xenon headlights have four wires in the main connector, halogens have three.

Therefore it isn't as simple as plug and play.

Attempt to voice a balanced, informed opinion and...... tsk!

I wouldn't presume to comment on "fanboyism" & "justifying £800." In fact I held out for the used car with my precise spec requirements and paid precisely £000.00 as a premium for my xenons. That can hardly be described as silly can it.

I too "can't comment on anyone elses cars" so I don't. The xenon units on my Octy are WAY better than the other halfs standard, end of.

They're lights on the front of a car. Take a chill pill!

Xenon headlights have four wires in the main connector, halogens have three.

Therefore it isn't as simple as plug and play.

......is that plug and play around until you find it doesn't work?

As I mentioned before it could be an earth but suspect its logic as octy xenons also have cornering

......is that plug and play around until you find it doesn't work?

Yes, as I already pointed out in post #122.

You cant buy aftermarket D1S hid kits so what ever you buy will not be oem unless you get the kit from skoda (doubtful)

I've gone from halogens (civic) to hid's in my vrs and the difference is night and day. As for "halogens close to hid's" thats is complete rubbish. HID's are much brighter, far better beam pattern and much more useable light on the road than halogens

Aswell as having all the extra wiring etc the adjustment for the hids is attached to the suspension/control arms as hid's are auto leveling. Its a massive job to convert if you wanted to use the proper stuff, hence the big price for the option.

There are plenty of people who have been driving cars for years without ABS or ESP who have managed not to crash, but nobody claims that these systems are useless (except for the odd 'driving God' who thinks that they can cadence brake more effectively than an ABS system).:

Driving was much more hazardous 75 years ago, 7,343 people were killed on Great Britain’s roads when only 2.4 million vehicles were in use - in 2008, 2,538 people were killed with 26.5 million vehicles on the road.

On this basis I suggest we ban xenons and ABS and go back to the superior systems we had in the 40s......

Couldn't be bothered to read all that.

But In essence, I think you're wrong.

Keep up the quality input. Made for a riveting read and really threw a new perspecive into the mix with your compelling argument.

Attempt to voice a balanced, informed opinion and...... tsk!

I wouldn't presume to comment on "fanboyism" & "justifying £800." In fact I held out for the used car with my precise spec requirements and paid precisely £000.00 as a premium for my xenons. That can hardly be described as silly can it.

I too "can't comment on anyone elses cars" so I don't. The xenon units on my Octy are WAY better than the other halfs standard, end of.

They're lights on the front of a car. Take a chill pill!

As i said previously. Having them on a 2nd hand car is a bonus as you have not paid the premium for them, thanks for agreeing with me.

Regarding chill pill, it only seems to be xenon owners getting worked up. I cant seem to find any context in my posts sugesting i was getting overly excited. But hey ho.

Fanboyism is a legit explanation as it suggests unbalanced and blinkered opinions of a said demographic. I merely put forward my opinions of xenons based on experience yet the responses seem to de disproportionately hostile or argumenattive. Such responses are common from "fanboys" as they staunchly refuse to accept criticism of the particular issue being discussed.

Some on here seem to rate uprated bulbs, some slate them. Some rate xenons, some dont albeit i have catergorically stated multiple times they are better just not £800 better.

What this proves is that we have all experienced different things and therefore have different opinions of them. Doesnt mean your or my opinion is more valid yet the xenon owners on this forum seem to love backing each other up with "+1" and other various ridiculous responses as if to gang together to drive your point home.

To reinforce this when people respond saying "i cant be bothered to read your posts, but your just wrong" and "everyone on here seems to think xenons are better" just goes to highlight typical fanboy behaviour as a simple read of the thread would clearly show that not everyone agrees and i havent stated anything that isnt either factual or clearly highlighted as my opinion, to date.

If not fanboyism then its selective post reading as there are a lot of responses agreeing with what i have already stated yet you seem to be trying to use it as an argument against me. Weird.

I enjoy having a discussion or a difference of opinion as thats what s forum is all about but lets try and keep it mature.

Driving was much more hazardous 75 years ago, 7,343 people were killed on Great Britain’s roads when only 2.4 million vehicles were in use - in 2008, 2,538 people were killed with 26.5 million vehicles on the road.

On this basis I suggest we ban xenons and ABS and go back to the superior systems we had in the 40s......

Are you suggesting xenons and ABS are responsible for this improvement? Rather than seatbelts and proper driver training and the like???

I think you will find xenons and ABS are relatively new aditions and therefore your statistics are kind of irrelevant. Would be great if you could find stats specifically relating to the topic i.e number of accidents attributed to halogens not being quite bright enough. If it could be proven beyond doubt that they saved hundreds of lives then they would be worth the money in my book. As its stands i would think the £800 would be better invested in curtain airbags if safety is the main consideration.

Edited 28 November, 201213 yr by Jockdooshbag

I enjoy having a discussion or a difference of opinion as thats what s forum is all about but lets try and keep it mature.

If you want to see lack of maturity, an inability to read posts and petty arguing for the sake of it I'd go to the riddiculous downhill neutral thread.

Are you suggesting xenons and ABS are responsible for this improvement? Rather than seatbelts and proper driver training and the like???

I think you will find xenons and ABS are relatively new aditions and therefore your statistics are kind of irrelevant. Would be great if you could find stats specifically relating to the topic i.e number of accidents attributed to halogens not being quite bright enough. If it could be proven beyond doubt that they saved hundreds of lives then they would be worth the money in my book. As its stands i would think the £800 would be better invested in curtain airbags if safety is the main consideration.

Of course I wasn't claiming those technologies were responsible for the lower KSI rates - in the context of the post I quoted it was agreement that the "I have been driving 20 years and haven't needed xenons so halogens must be fine" argument is a flawed.

For someone who isn't wound up you seem quite uptight. Essentially in this thread I believe I've stated on multiple occasions the same opinion as you - that xenons are better but that they may not be value at £800. The only difference is I've also been disputing the notion that they only offer a marginal improvement, or only extend to the existing footprint, as I see that argument as flawed.

Edited 28 November, 201213 yr by mr_awol

If you want to see lack of maturity, an inability to read posts and petty arguing for the sake of it I'd go to the riddiculous downhill neutral thread.

Of course I wasn't claiming those technologies were responsible for the lower KSI rates - in the context of the post I quoted it was agreement that the "I have been driving 20 years and haven't needed xenons so halogens must be fine" argument is a flawed.

For someone who isn't wound up you seem quite uptight. Essentially in this thread I believe I've stated on multiple occasions the same opinion as you - that xenons are better but that they may not be value at £800. The only difference is I've also been disputing the notion that they only offer a marginal improvement, or only extend to the existing footprint, as I see that argument as flawed.

Fair enough. Im not uptight but i can see your point. I agree they are better but "invaluable"???? Thats debatable. Hence the discussion.

Its the "xenons are better, end of" type of comments that annoy me. Kind of suggets that they must be better as they cost £800. Not saying you made these type of comments but they do pop up frequently.

Maybe if xenons were £100-£200 then i would consider them better value but it just seems so much money for not a lot i.e its not an additional option merely an improved one that you already had. £800 for curtain airbags is pure additional optiions as is sunroof, sat nav, DSG, parking sensors etc etc. I know these are not all £800 but you hopefully get my gist.

Regaring driving safety and xenons i can honestly say i have never encountered a situation whereby i thought that my headlight performance could potentially be a factor. In situations of poor visibility, pure darkness wasnt the issue it was things like heavy rain, fog, snow etc that was the mian issue

Keep up the quality input. Made for a riveting read and really threw a new perspecive into the mix with your compelling argument.

Yes.....I wish I could say that about the pages and pages of complete drivel you have written on what is essentially, a pointless argument.

Here's a summary of the issue:-

Xenon's are better than Halogen.

The End.

Yes.....I wish I could say that about the pages and pages of complete drivel you have written on what is essentially, a pointless argument.

Here's a summary of the issue:-

Xenon's are better than Halogen.

The End.

Classic.

Pointless argument??? The fact i have to explain this one to you means you shouldnt be on a public forum. Of course its pointless.....its only a forum. Adults discuss their opinions an experiences on a given topic but none of it really matters in reality.

What a complete and utter typical example of a fanboy response. You slate my valid comments based on my experiences then state one is better than the other with no back up comments or shared experiences then state "the end".

Absolute classic tosh of the highest order. No wonder you paid £800 for your lights.

Let you Mum or Dad back on the computer now please before their Briskoda profile is tarnished by your nonsense.

_{All this over some lights... god help us if it was something serious :wonder:}

_{I think we should just all agree that we have our own opinion and that we arent going to agree with each other on this one. ;-)}

_{All this over some lights... god help us if it was something serious :wonder:}

_{I think we should just all agree that we have our own opinion and that we arent going to agree with each other on this one. ;-)}

Some of us are. Others unfortunately arent able to.

If you want a hull-a-baloo over nothing check out the "baby on board" thread. How some people can have an issue with cars touting this sticker beggars belief.

On topic though i do think xenons are better and the topic was " has anyone gone back to halogens after having xenons" which i have done, so if im not permitted to contribute then who is????

Some of us are. Others unfortunately arent able to.

If you want a hull-a-baloo over nothing check out the "baby on board" thread. How some people can have an issue with cars touting this sticker beggars belief.

On topic though i do think xenons are better and the topic was " has anyone gone back to halogens after having xenons" which i have done, so if im not permitted to contribute then who is????

Im not suggesting someones not permitted to contribute to the topic, im suggesting perhaps it sounds like its getting a little personal and threads like this usually ends up being locked, not benefitting anyone.

Im not suggesting someones not permitted to contribute to the topic, im suggesting perhaps it sounds like its getting a little personal and threads like this usually ends up being locked, not benefitting anyone.

How do you propose we resond to the numpty comments like - "the end"?? I suppose we could ignore them but i cant help myself and they deserve to be told. Having a difference of opinion and discussing it on this thread is enjoyable. I respect someone elses opinion on xenons as long as they are sensible and factual but when idiots try and sway the argument one way or another with nonsense posts then thats what ruins it not people debating or even arguing over a topic. Arguing is ok except when its taken too far. I have avtually learned a lot about xenons from this thread but i still maintain my opinion over certain types of them. Why does this warrant the numpty comments??