My 2013 Countryman S uses an H13 headlight bulb. The stock lights just don't do the job for me at night. So what exactly are the pros and cons of using PIAAs extreme white bulbs versus Sylvanias Silverstar Ultra bulbs? I've heard the PIAA lamps generate lots of heat. Could that melt something within the headlight assembly. And these babies aren't cheap.

I don't see well at night or early morning dark time. I am on interstate during these drive times.

Thoughts.

 

Good post, as I'd like to know this as well. I have the SS Ultras. They are definitely better than stock, but still...meh. I drive with my fogs on at nite so I have some chance of seeing the pot holes. I have the PIAA yellow fogs, which look cool, but I'm not sure they are that much improvement either.

Edit: there's this:

 

I have used them both and frankly if you get the same wattages, you won’t be able to see the difference in either brightness or color.

As opposed to cheap imports. With those your mileage will vary.

///Rich

 

I have used on another vehicle and they did not melt anything (yet some web sites discuss melted wires and/or melted headlights lens). In my head I believed they were brighter since I paid a lot of money for them. It may have been simply a whiter color light but not a huge difference. Also I am not sure what the "65/55w = 85/75w XTRA" means on the PIAA web site. Does that mean it will produce a 75 watt like experience from only 55 watts? Or is it 75 watts which would certainly produce more heat than the standard 55 watts.


Have you considered the new Mini fog lights which are not sold yet directly from US dealers but are sold in Europe Mini dealers and available now from some of the NAM sponsors. Check out the "Official MINI DRLs Fitted" forum

 

Never used these on my MINIs, but have used them in the past on my other cars. They produced a lot of heat and ended up with a "foggy" headlamp over time that needed an annual restoration. They looked good, but didn't really produce any better lighting than stock. Also, the life of the bulbs were short constantly needed to replace one or the other. Stocks lasted much much longer. That's my 2 cents.

 

I have the Silverstars in my 2012 Countryman. Definitely a whiter light, but I'm not sure if they're brighter. I've heard they have a somewhat short life, but I've already gotten 11 months from them with no problems. I'm waiting and hoping that MINI will release a 25W Xenon upgrade kit for the Countryman/Paceman like the one for the other models (word on the street is that it's supposed to be coming out, although I haven't heard when).

 

I had Silverstars in my Acura Integra and couldn't tell a difference. That and they didn't last very long at all. I won't buy those again. I put the PIAA's in my MINI and I really like them. I feel like they are a good bit brighter and very white. I can't comment on how long they will last as I have only had them a few months...

 

The Clubman headlights are worse than the Countryman's. I was pleased with the CTM until I drove SWMBO's Fiesta.

I had installed the Silverstar Ultra in the Clubman and felt there was an improvement. I had put regular Silverstars in a motorcycle and know there was. I have no experience with PIAAs, having been scared off by the price tag.

The next "step up," the Silverstar ZXE seem to be less well received: Higher cost, no more illumination, just a bluer color.

That's all I got.

 

I had the same experience as two250, couldn't see the difference with silverstar and the piaa's was a notable upgrade.

They seem to last about two years.

 

I've used the Silverstar's in other vehicles and while i think they look brighter, i wasn't convinced that there was any more light output than the stock halogens. And i think that the longest i ever got out of a Silverstar bulb was a little over a year or so. I dont think the price of the PIAA's justify using them for what seems at most, a small gain.

 

Used both.

For WIW, the PIAA's all seems to last longer than the Original Silver Stars. Never had
issues of parts melting....

 

/I have tried both. What I noticed was the PIAAs were whiter light but I could see farther with the Silver stars. I now upgraded to the xenons and can see fine.

 

Yeah. Like I said, I'm waiting for the 25W xenon upgrade kit. It's too complicated to do without (at least I've heard it is).

 

I had cataract surgery and artificial lens implanted. I now have no problems seeing at night.

 

This topic exists a lot in NAM. Are you after more light or whiter light as both can independent if each other. Higher watts can mean more light but they generate more heat and can either melt the lens or the wire harness. On the other hand lumens create yellow to blue light with white being the brightest to light up the road and that comes around 5000 lumens which is close to daylight. A whiter light can brighten the road with the same watts as OEM and not create any issues in our car. See the attached chart. PIAA and Silverstar are on the lower end and generate much more light or whiteness than standard bulbs. They are costly and burn out faster. There are XD bulbs on the shelf that generate more light, last longer and don't cost much more than standard bulbs.

 

I've tried silverstar ultra and I need to buff the top of the housing every 2 days.

 

XD bulbs?

You know, I've thought about this post since you made it...what are you describing? Cleaning the inside of the lens? The top outside of the lens? What?

 

I need to buff the outside top part of the headlamp as its always goes bad, didnt have the problem with philips crystalvision tho.

 

The lamp itself? As in the Silverstar bulb?

 

i mean the top of the plastic headlamp housing. The bulb itself was fine except it produced quite a lot of heat.