tc86

in my opinion, these three car manufacturers have the best headlights out there these days. Could someone tell me just what kind of lights they have? xenon, hid, etc.? I know the TSX has HIDs, but i've never realy known the difference between HIDs and xenons. And also, who do you think, out of these three, have the "best", or maybe just the brightest, headlights?

gilboman

best as in "nicest" looking...i would rate BMW,Audi, MB, Lexus,Nissan/Infiniti, Acura/Honda. Acura/Honda is the only one that hasn't figured out auto leveling though.:P

biker

And the first time auto-leveling breaks you wished it didn't have it.

bob shiftright

Consumer Reports has actually been TESTING headlights:

CLICK HERE

From their April, 2003 report:

"What we found. We compared 31 cars and trucks with halogen lights and 10 with HIDs, measuring their ability to light the road ahead and along the sides as well as checking them for glare (see Headlight testing).

Six out of 10 vehicles with HIDs and 9 out of 31 with halogens reached the 400-foot marker on our test course with low beams, compared with an average of 335 feet for all models tested.

The farthest so far: the inexpensive, halogen-equipped Mazda Protegé5. Its low beams illuminated our 600-foot marker without creating a glare problem.

Both types of lights produced our worst performers. The HID-equipped Audi TT’s low beams lit only to our 200-foot marker, while the halogen-equipped Chrysler Sebring and Pontiac Grand Prix provided weak, nonuniform light. "

The plain-old "classic" round e-code Halogen headlight seems to me to light as well as anything.

Kudos to the lighting engineers at both BMW and Porsche for not believing they could improve on optical physics with anything other than a spherical reflector!

93Kewl

Gotta chime in here.....

The 9-3's auto leveling bi-xenons are real good looking. They even look good when they are turned off!

I don't know if the TSX uses the same Xenons as my '01 CL-S did, but if they do, the 9-3's really "blow them away" (viewable distance-wise).

Not the best pic...but you get the drift...

gilboman

when a car breaks do you wish you didn't have it? nah, if the autoleveling breaks.....just pretend you're driving an Acura

gilboman

if i just wanted to see far down the road, i'll just turn on my high beams... i'll take a HID over the protege's halogen anyday... and at closer distances it's not as bright and the side light is not even close between a halogen and HID...besides..HID's are prudy

bob shiftright

The point of the CR quote was that a well-designed Halogen can illuminate better than a badly designed HID. Unless your goal is to blind the oncoming driver, not illuminate the roadway ahead. I don't know how many people live out where you do, but there's almost always some traffic in the opposite lane where I live, making the high beams pretty much useless.

My own point is that it's hard to beat the physics of 7" round headlights with today's popular amoebiform headlights. Which I don't think BMW or Porsche try to do.

DEVO

Xenon lights are HID lights, so there lies your confusion. To add to your confusion not all xenon label lights are really xenon. PIAA has plenty of halogen that mimic an HID looking light and add xenon to the mix just for kicks, it's all a marketing ploy to confuse people into thinking that they have HID lights when in fact they just have a glorified halogen light.

gilboman

illuminating further doesnt automatically mean good is my point... there's no point seeing 400ft down the road when what is directly in front of the car is not bright enough and i cant see jack on the side of the road as well.

tc86

wow, i feel like an idiot. thanks for notifying me of this fact so that i don't end up looking like an idiot in future conversations i might have with people about headlights.

ClutchPerformer

Yes.

That's why we buy Hondas.

1SICKLEX

Acura has yet to figure out self-leveling. Acura did figure out how to make em cheap and get hundreds of owners lights stolen in TL and CLs.
Lexus has been offering HID since 1998, with auto leveling. The new RX 330, LS 430, GS series (and all future Lexi) incorporates HIDs that turn in the direction of the steering wheel.

IMO, Acura HID is at the bottom. I think Benz or BMW brought HIDs to the market first. Seems the new Nissans copied the purplish tint from BMWs/Audi's (new Max/350Z).

I do KNOW, when u go HID, you can't go back. HID is much brighter and IMO safer to drive with.

Junkster

Sicklex, you're right on the money about Lexus. They came late to the luxury game, but they came in with alot of their homework done. Their HIDs are probably right up there with the MB/BMW lights now, and now they are introducing this new directional lighting system that might now become the trend for all luxury lines.

Toyota is so damn good at playing leapfrog with their competitors.

Junkster, who wasn't so impressed with the Acura HIDs.

tc86

ok, maybe i was a little off on saying acura is top 3. all i know is, when i'm on the road at night, i can definitely tell when it's a BMW/Audi/Acura in the rearview mirror/coming towards me. i personaly didnt think benz lights were that great, but i guess i'm wrong on that as well. oh and i do admit, i think the IS300 has some nice lights too.

gilboman

I think the new gen of acura's ..new TL and TSX are a lot better than the old TL's already..those just looked pretty bad when you saw it in action... but the Audi's and Lexus and Nissan's always catch my eye when i drive though..the IS300 got some nice HID's

SPUDMTN

With ya...Lexus and BMW lead the way in lighting technology. The adaptive lighting systems are very nice and everyone WILL soon be following.

As for autoleveling--gimmicky? A little bit. Acura would be putting it on if it were necessary and actually improved the function of the headlights. But quite frankly, I don't see how functional the whole auto-level is. Does it react quick enough to road variations? I've had some experience w/ auto leveling and couldn't really tell the difference besides upon starting the vehicle--the lights do a nice little "scan"

1SICKLEX

With auto leveling, it really helps with load. As in an assload of people in your car or a bunch of luggage. The lights instead of aiming at the sky will adjust itself. Everytime u turn on a Lex with HIDs, the lights adjust. A cool gimmick.

You can't retrofit it. There are sensors behind all 4 wheels and they can't be added on.

I am glad to see HIDs on more and more cars as it really helps in the dark. All car factory HIDs are 4100k. Reflector HIDs (some Lexus, some Acura) don't give off that blue purplish hue. Projector HIDs (the newer Lexus and Acuras) do. All Germans almost are projector.

phile

It's hardly new. The Tucker Torpedo had it way back in the late 1940's. And without all the electronic sophistication of today, I bet it was pretty unreliable. Maybe that's why it never caught on.

Tucker Torpedo

Lung Fu Mo Shi

And before that they had it on 1920's era lluxury cars.

Buff-Daddy

Just an FYI - BMW already has "adaptive" Xenons as thier standard issue. This is their term for headlights that self-level and turn into corners with the wheel. They just haven't been advertising like Lexus has. Not really sure why Lexus wastes time advertising thier best selling vehicle? I never see anything except the RX330.

Junkster

Aw, did know that BMW had the adaptive feature for leveling, but didn't know about the turn-in lights.

Their best seller is that RX, for profit and volume probably. I think they just keep pushing this car because Toyota knows that they need to milk this model for all it's worth.

Junkster, who likes the gray color on the RXs.

Buff-Daddy

I know, that's what I was saying, I only see the RX330 on TV when they have been flying off the lots since the RX300 was introduced. Why don't they advertise their other SUV's that I never see on the roads?

Junkster

I don't think heavy advertisement can't help the sales of the other two SUVs in the Lexus lineup. I see a few here and there in Colorado, but I think most people would opt for the RX going to a Lexus dealer. The other two are way overpriced, aren't the best looking SUVs out there, and they drive like trucks, while other options of their size are either better daily rides (Volvo XC90, X5) or better full size SUVs (Yukon, Escalade, Tahoe).

Junkster, who likes BD's new avatar... how appropriate.

1SICKLEX

I've seen quite a few LS 430 ads. One with them explaining the CD of .25 and another explaining the smartkey.
I rarely have seen a GX 470 ad and never the LX 470. People that want a 70k SUV just go buy it, I don't think ads help. All 3 SUVs are why Lexus is the top seller.

Creaminz

TSX's headlight is way too bright!! I get nasty staring from people!!