I can see how £450 for some uprated headlights is troubling some people.

If you don't want them, don't spec them...

However:

Pretty much everyone who has them once, won't go back to a car without them.

Well best thing I bought for my Octy, especially during the winter months soing the mileage I am doing, I can see one hell of a lot better with them plus also be seen better.

Was over in NI recently and drove from Belfast to Londonderry/Derry as I have done many times, driving back in the dark in a hire car with standard lights I noticed a massive difference. Driving with main beam on nearly cave me the coverage of my Xenons. Having said that the lights could of been badly adjusted, but the car was pretty new. The brightness and clarity with Xenons is far superior, even with my dodgy eyes

so your saying for that price your full beam is still standard bulbs???? is it just me or is that not advertised much on the site / broacheur (cant speel so leave me alone)

I find it's only on dipped that I'd want them - full beam is fine when you can (rarely) use it? I've also tried dipped beam but with the beam raised by the thumbwheel on the dash, but then you just get flashed [by other cars I mean !!!]

I think it's the same with LCD monitor. Once you try it you never wanna be back to crt.

Well I have never had ANY trouble seeing while driving in the dark so £450 for something thats certainly not necessary seems like a lot of money to me. Then again the third headrest seems like the most useless extra, as far as I am aware all it does is reduce your ability to see out the back window

Can i just ask for those that are actually moaning about the cost, and whether they are worth it - Have you actually driven a car with Xenons?

As until i bought my octy L&K i hadnt(and probably thought the same as some of you) and like said earlier i would never go back to standard bulbs if i had a choice now.

After seeing how good xenons were, I wasn't bothered about giving extra 890

I find it's only on dipped that I'd want them - full beam is fine when you can (rarely) use it? I've also tried dipped beam but with the beam raised by the thumbwheel on the dash, but then you just get flashed [by other cars I mean !!!]

Your headlights should be on the highest setting on the thumbwheel anyway, it's there so you can lower the beam if you have fat people or heavy luggage in the back, if your blinding people with it on the highest setting (and have no load in the rear of the car) your headlights need adjusting.

Thats why it 'clicks' into the - position and then can be lowere by 1,2or3 (no of people in rear)

Can i just ask for those that are actually moaning about the cost' date=' and whether they are worth it - Have you actually driven a car with Xenons?

As until i bought my octy L&K i hadnt(and probably thought the same as some of you) and like said earlier i would never go back to standard bulbs if i had a choice now.[/quote']

Well I have been blinded enough by people with xenons coming the other way to realise that I wouldnt want to spend

I think it's the same with LCD monitor. Once you try it you never wanna be back to crt.

I don’t want to be controversial but IMHO most LCDs and Plasma tellys look great until they are switched on, sadly it all goes a bit downhill after that. Good old fashioned CRTs still produce the best pictures, it’s just that they are HUGE physically and can’t produce really wide screens without irradiating half your neighbourhood in the process (only kidding, well slightly!) Broadcast monitors are still all CRTs where Grade A monitors are required. I know I’m being a wee bit pedantic, but I love my CRT telly and I don’t want the manufactures to stop making them just because they are not aesthetically pleasing to look at.

Think I’m in a grumpy mood. My dealer is starting to jerk me around a little, you know the usual…..’Your salesman has left’’ no phone call to let me know who is looking after my delivery. ‘I don’t think we’ll be able to lend you a car after all’ and that was after the sales manager had agreed previously to it etc, etc. anyway only 4 weeks to go till I get my Octy, with XENONS, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Well I have been blinded enough by people with xenons coming the other way to realise that I wouldnt want to spend

Xenon Gas Discharge HID Lights are leagues and leagues better than any "Xenon" or Halogen Bulbs you can buy.

That's about all I can say.

Agreed - wouldn't be without them

Is there really need to look those oncoming lights. When I was getting my license I was told to look to the roadside, not on oncoming cars headlights. Otherwise use

It's not like I stare into them. Just on country lanes where there are blind corners when a xenon'd up cars coming the other way it can dazzle you.:eek:

Doubt shades would be a good idea in the dark

Curse, you, Briskodians!

Having read the consensus view from those who actually have Xenons, I've rung the dealer and added them to the order - the last week I could do so without delay. Let's hope you're all right, or I'll be organising a whip-round to reimburse me. Build is week 11, which should see the new car arrive end March/early April. And I promise not to dazzle anyone...

Lady E, you are so right about CRTs vs flat screens. CRTs win every time for picture quality (ours is a 32" Philips) but lose out on size & weight (ours weighs 50kg!). But a Panasonic plasma showing HDTV beats the lot - I go in to John Lewis just to gawp at it.

However.... It's still wrong to drive around with your Xenons on full beam, as most of the 4x4 drivers of North London appear to!

Have to add as well that the xenons were very effective in thick fog last night

It still amazes me the amount of people that dont know the difference between Xenons and Halogens - the amount of people that get into my car and say "ooh you've got them blue lights - halogen aren't they?" I've got fed up of explaining to people that all normal cars have Halogen bulbs and have had for a considerable number of years and that my headlights are Xenon or HID (however you want to describe them.)

And that they aren't friggin blue either - their white! it's just that your used to looking at things with yellow headlights!!

And that they aren't friggin blue either - their white! it's just that your used to looking at things with yellow headlights!!

Something I

Dear Lady, I think you're seeing fake xenons - actually just ordinary halogens with a blue tint which only works in the dead-ahead position. True gas-discharge xenons look to me the same from all angles - white and all-too-often poorly set, if not actually left on full beam in broad daylight, as most London 4x4s seem to be. I excuse Skodas, of course, whose drivers would never do such a thing....

Dear Lady, I think you're seeing fake xenons - actually just ordinary halogens with a blue tint which only works in the dead-ahead position. True gas-discharge xenons look to me the same from all angles - white and all-too-often poorly set, if not actually left on full beam in broad daylight, as most London 4x4s seem to be. I excuse Skodas, of course, whose drivers would never do such a thing....

I don

The output is White. The different colours you sometimes see from them is due to the prismatic (aka projector) lens.

My Fabia (and Polo GTi for that matter) came with really badly adjusted Xenons... They were neither use nor ornament.

After having them adjusted at an MOT Center, they are absolutely fantastic, as stated in my previous posts.

To those who say that they're a waste of money, don't buy them. But I'll ensure that they're spec'd on every future car I purchase.

Oh, and the 3rd rear headrest on my Fabia is half size, so it doesn't obsucre my view out of the rear screen at all.

You'll find a certain series of Land Rover (Range Rover it may be, I dunno) has them and they're blinding at all times.

As for blinding people - dunno if you've ever had a car with ralley bulbs or illegal lights come round a bend, you'll find you're just as blinded then (IMHO of course :P )

Generally I try to avoid blinding people by dipping the headlights before I come round the bend, which tends to be remarkably easy if they have their proper lights on too

You'll find a certain series of Land Rover (Range Rover it may be, I dunno) has them and they're blinding at all times.

That is not a problem caused by Xenon headlights though, that is caused by the fact that Off roaders, Pickups and MPV's are so popular on the roads today and the headlights are physically higher up, often right in your eyeline so there's no way your not gonna get blinded!!

My goodness, I seem in a very confrontational mood today, you wouldn

I have driven a car with xenons in the past and it was somewhat unpleasant going back to standard halogens in my octy, xenons are like daylight generators and make night driving a whole lot easier IMO.

The halogens in my octy are pi$$ poor as well, roll on April as I have opted for xenons on the new'un.