I did not order the xenons for my new Clubman but now wonder if I should have. I had them on my s2000 and was annoyed by the drivers side one being aimed down. My 328i didn't have them, and nighttime visibility was terrible--wished it had them. My non xenon hondas have suited me fine. How is night driving with the standard lights on the Clubman? I did get the fog lights.

 

I have no issues with the non xenons that are on my clubman. They are bright and do well even way out in the boonies where I live. I do drive with the driving lights on all the time too. WHere in SC are you? I am in Ridgeway, just North of Columbia....

 

That's the answer I was hoping for. I'm in greenville

 

The only reason I regret not ordering the Xenons is that if I had, I could have gotten the blacked out headlight housings which I really wanted. I just didn't want them like $800 worth.

 

I agree that the blackout headlight housings look good but not at 800...... the regular ones do well and I leave the lights on, since they don't stay on when the car is turned off...... and then I have made it a habit to always turning on the fog lamps and that works great

 

Thanks guys. I feel good about not getting them now.

 

I feel like every mini should have Xenons, they make lighting so much better than halogens. I could never go back after owning my mk5 gti and mini cooper s with them. night and day difference.

 

+1 with the Xenons

 

I never experienced xenon headlights before I bought my 2006 R52. I ordered the xenons on a whim even though I don't need them (most of our driving is on lit streets and roads). I'll admit that I was attracted by the styling of the headlamp assembly and curious about the hype involving xenons.

So I ventured into it blindly and not knowing what to expect. Well, I can tell you now that it would be hard for me to go back to halogens. They just seem so feeble in comparison. For all of my future cars, I will get xenons if the option is available.

 

I had halogens in my '09. They were pretty good. I have Xenons in my '11. Holy guacamole...the difference is absolutely AMAZING. So glad I have them in my current vehicle.

 

Over at MextroPlex MINI, we're just starting to put together a Group Buy for some for the clubman. The Spyder lights that fit the Justa don't fit the Clubman. :( But there's a company who makes halo lights, so we're going to contact them about making lights for the clubman.

I'm working on a big conference for this coming weekend, and my car isn't even here yet. Once he gets here, I'll be working on this group buy a bit more.

 

Couldn't agree more. +1 for Xenons!

 

Down here in the lower part of SC where we're blessed with numerous deer, the Xenons are worth their weight in gold!

 

I have never had a car with xenon until now and they are AWESOME!! alot more intense light on the road. the only draw back i can possibly see is the abrupt cut off of light at the edges of the beams, The halogen light edges seem to fade away to dark more. Another minor problem is all the other lights on the front of the car appear yellow compared to the headlights, i'm working on changing that now with xenon matching bulbs that sould come standard with the xenon upgrade from mini. the xenon with the adaptive headlights take driving at night to the next level of comfort and safety. the best options i added!!!

 

The xenons are a must have. The only downside of most xenons (besides cost of replacement) are the sharp cut off of light. It could extend a little further down the road in my opinion, but the bright whiteness of the light makes up for it.

 

The only people I've found that think the halogens are OK are those who didn't buy Zenons!

We've had them on our 2003 Cooper S, our 2004 Audi Allroad and 2009 Clubman. We won't have another car without them, the difference for us *ahem* night vision challenged folks is that great.

$500 for good headlights makes more sense than spending the money on stripes or window tint!

 

Not enough light ever! i put on four lamps two driving and two fog looks awsome and it daylight at 1/4 mile!

 

Having the option to order Xenons for my 2011 Clubman S was great!

I had to spend 2k and import a set for my 2002 VW Jetta.

Once you have xenons you will never go back!

~Steven

 

Fog lights are for -- wait for it -- FOG. If you have them on in clear conditions, you're just annoying oncoming drivers. OK, you get a little extra light shining immediately in front of you along the side (the better to see potholes?), but they do nothing to improve you visibility further ahead.

And I repeat: they annoy oncoming drivers. They create a lot of axtra glare: a bit like driving with your high beams on.

<descending from soapbox> I bought the regular halogens, having been happy with halogens -- a big step up from sealbeams!! -- on my earlier vehicles.

I regret not going for the xenons. I find the low beams do *not* throw far enough ahead to feel safe driving at more than 50mph. I dislike them enough that I will be talking to the parts people when the car goes in for service next, about the cost and practicality of replacing the haolgens with xenons. I hope there isn't much more to it than replacing the headlight housing, but I fear that I might need a bunch of other gear installed as well to account for the self-levelling function.

Note to self: do a test drive at night next time to see how good the lights are -- especially when there are upgraded lights as an option.

--
Darryl

 

I have HID's on my SUV but, did not get them on my Mini. However, I did replace by OEM bulbs with Phillips Extreems which almost double the output at the same voltage for around $50. The difference is considerable and, other than impressing neighbors and blinding oncoming drivers, I feel my visible range is the same as HIDs. IMHO

 

I love my xenons, can't go back

 

This.

Xenons=

 

for city driving, xenons may not be necessary. however, if you drive often in dimly lit route, xenons show a wider and longer range of view. $500 upgrade is not expensive for xenons, especially since they last longer than halogens.

 

I agree they are overkill for city driving....

But on the mountain roads we mini drivers love that are priceless!

My only regret about my clubbie is that I wasn't able to get the adaptive lights (black housings)...

Other than that I its a perfect setup.

~Steven

 

I lLOVE the Xenons!!! The first time I turned they came on it was "WOW". Plus I also love the adaptive control that turns the light into the next corner!!!

Yes, they are extra $ and are not necessary but so are most of the things we have in this life. Once you have them, there is no going back.