The only annoying (extremely!) xenons I´ve experienced are from the Lincoln Aviator. Both from upcoming traffic and riding behind me

I was amazed, I really though they had the high beams on. I think this was probably due to the SUVs high position. They aim directly at your eyes or your rearview mirror

I actually love to see other MINIs with xenons coming from behind or upcoming traffic. The light beam is so unique

 

I've had my MCS in 3 times to get the light adjusted up. They are still too low when on unlighted country roads (where I live). I use them with the fogs and have never been flashed. The worst lights out there are from the full size Ford pickups. They are incredibly bright and point in the mini at head height. Very annoying

 

Trippy, Xenons aren't just a bling thing. Granted they are trendy right now but they do give a brighter more natural light and make it easier to see, and be seen, at night. If they are aimed correctly they shouldn't be a problem for other drivers. And to say we've been driving fine without them for 50 years so why have them now is silly.

 

Man if I had the four rally lights in the front...I think I would leave them on all the time...

 

Trippy, you are a little crankier than usual, did you miss a round of your meds?

jc

 

One thing that no one's mentioned is that the Xenons are real cop magnets. I had a cop tell me "I could see you coming a mile away with those lights!" Friend of mine in an Audi had the same thing happen.

 

I sometimes drive with my fogs on and never knew it was bad. Is it really that big of a deal?

Seems to me they just light up the road directly in front of the vehicle and would not cause a problem to on coming traffic.

 

>>One thing that no one's mentioned is that the Xenons are real cop magnets.

Totally! Once I was driving in a truck with Xenon. It was a cloudy day, so I turned on the lights for safety reason because I was towing a huge trailer. While cruising under the speed limit in the slow lane, other cars were passing me in the fast lanes. The cop decided to clock me instead, even though I was in a truck with a trailer in the slow lane. All because I have Xenon on.


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04 IB/W JCW MCS

 

My MINI came with Xenons as I bought it off the showroom floor. If I would have ordered one, I probably would not have ordered Xenons, because I was also skeptical like Trippy .... but boy am I glad I have them.

I never got flashed in the 6 months I have the car and the visibility is so much an improvement over regular halogens. My friends 2002 Dodge Ram looks like it has house lights on when driving next to my Mini.

And like someone else said, if they are adjusted properly they are not blinding at all. It is the cheap imitation bulbs you can retrofit existing headlights with that are the real culprits.

You guys that are skeptical, must really try to drive with them. They are a huge improvement ...

 

While sitting at stoplights the first week I had my MINI, several cars facing me (also stopped) flashed me. I thought, maybe, my non-Xenon headlights were aimed too high. I checked, by parking with lights on, in front of my garage door and found them to be aimed low enough, so I left them as they were. A couple of nights later another car facing me at a stoplight flashed me so I blipped my high beams + rally lights. The other car flashed twice quickly and that was that. Maybe he just wanted to see the rally lights?

Since then, I just blip the high beams + rally lights once or twice and go on. Although, mostly I get flashed when sitting at lights.

 

I don't drive at night much, but the times I did, I already got flashed twice. Tonight, I had a chance to re-adjust the level of the lights downward. When I was checking the lights, the left light was aiming much higher than the right. No wonder it's blinding the oncoming traffic. :smile:

 

No flashes to this point. I love my Xenons

 

>>yes, and they must hate it when i give them the highbeams + the rally lights back $450... hummmmmmm