Hi,

One part I cannot decide on for my MCS order is the headlights. I am going to add the driving light for the 'bling' factor.

For those who have the Xenons, would you say it is a marked improvement in night time driving? Is it worth the extra $, or do you think it is overkill with the driving lights?

I live in the SE where I do not see much fog. I also do the majority of my driving during the day.

Thanks!

 

I love mine! I also have fogs and driving lights, so when everything is on, it is like that scene from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

 

They're not for "bling". And yes, they are worth it for proper lighting IMO. I've been thinking of locating a set from Germany. Having driven quite a few "Europe only" vehicles in my past, I can tell you that lamps over there are much more powerful and have very precise cut-off. You can see the line where the beam stops down the road...not fade off like US models.

 

The Xenons were important to me 'cause I do a lot of night driving. To my knowledge the driving lights operate with the high beams, and the high beams are not Xenon.

 

The highbeams are not Xenons because they require instant on-off ability. Xenons need to warm up and their life span is limited by the frequency of cycling on and off.

 

Right, so the decision on whether or not to get Xenons would be made independent of one getting the driving lights, since they wouldn't operate together anyway.

 

If you mean auxiliary driving lamps, not necessarily. You can wire the auxiliary lamps to operate with the highbeams.

 

If the choice comes down to either/or, I'd take the Xenons any day of the week. As a factory option they will also work out much cheaper than dealer-installed driving lights.

If you do a lot of nightime driving in rural areas at night I think the driving lights would be useful (though the Xenons are plenty bright enough). However, I think the DLs are wired to work only with the high-beams illuminated as a safety/coutesy feature (not sure if there's a separate on/off switch) so their utility is somewhat limited.

Since you do the vast majority of your driving during the daytime, the Xenons can actually be a very useful safety feature in my mind; the driving lamps wouldn't.

 

My understanding is that the driving lamps are meant to be operated with the high beams, just as you said, and as I thought I said.

When using the driving lamps with the high beams, you won't be using Xenon anyway, therefore, no overkill.

I drive a lot at night, on highways where I can't always use my high beams 'cause of other cars, and certainly wouldn't be able to use driving lights (if I had them) so I chose the Xenons.

 

here's another take on this subject: When I spec'd out my car ,my MA asked me,"you'll want xenon's ,right?" "do you have them ?" I asked ?"yeah!" he said."Can you hear me shouting swearwords at you as we pass head on?"I really hate all those beemers and Audi's out there that have headlights that melt the windscreens of on-coming cars.I, for one , don't want to be one of those people who impose too bright headlights on the rest of the world in the name of "boy can I see better" mentality.JMHO Jock

 

Your xenons are still on when the highbeams are on,continuing to light the road as per normal,lighting with a wider beam so you can see the shoulders,the high beams punch down the road,focused higher,with a long narrower beam.
I motor alot in the dark,and I really like the zenons,good bright light,good spread off to the sides,almost 180 degrees,important for seeing critters lurking in the ditches waiting to run out in front of you.It took a little while to get used to the hard line between light and dark right out in front of the car,but that hard shutter cut is why such a bright light does not blind on-coming traffic.
Go to a really dark place with no other lights around,get out of the car with the zenons turned on,stand about 20-25 feet in front of the car and you will be lit to about waist height,then nothing above that.
They do tend to light up falling snow a bit,but thats when I turn on the fogs to light up right in front of the car,as you should be going slower because of the conditions,whats going on way down the road is not as important than whats right in front of you.

 

Is that how it works? I learn so much coming to this board!

 

Like I said,I drive in the dark alot,and I never get flashed at,and have even asked folks I know if my lights bother them when we pass each other,and they say no.Now the poorly aimed after market lamps that some get put on their cars are a pain.

 

The other thing I'd say is the Xenons give way better illumination in rainy conditions.

Really cut through the rain, and allow you too see standing water on the road.

1st time I drove in rainy conditions with them, I was sold

Chris.

 

I agree, if you have xenon's and other drivers are flashing at you, take your car in to have the headlights properly adjusted. I love my xenon's and I've never had another driver flash his lights at me.

I think a lot of the same folks that hang soup cans on their pipes, put bright, or 'blue,' bulbs in their head lamps for the 'bling.' They're the folks that blind most of the other drivers. Those other drivers don't know this, and xenon's take the blame.

 

Opinions??? I don't like them...overkill. Save your $$$s.

 

How can better visibility in difficult conditions be overkill

It's a safety upgrade for sure - self leveling, auto washing, better illumination

How is that overkill

Worth every $$$, and I specified them on my MCS #2 after having them on my 02 dealer specified #1 MCS.

Chris.

 

[font=Verdana]I believe that the Xenons have come a long way in the last few years. The days of the blinding purple lights are over. Modern Xenons are a bright white color, and feature self-levelers so they never get into the opposing driver's eyes. They are superior to halogens, but lets face it, they are not $800 better. I bought mine as part of a package that brought the cost in line. I would never have paid $800 for them as a separate option. I own cars with Halogen lights, like my Land Rover, that seem just as good as the Mini with Xenons. Its really a "bling bling thing." More status than reality. More perceived value and snob appeal than reality. Sure, they are better, but $800 better I doubt.[/font]

 

i picked up my 05 in september, and i didn't get the xenons. i spent a month kicking myself, because i really have trouble seeing at night.

but, they are a very expensive option, and now that i've started paying for the car i don't regret it as much. i've moved on to wishing i had ordered the rain sensing wipers, another (cheaper) option that i didn't get.

if you're driving mostly during the day, i'd say skip them, but if you're thinkng about spending money on driving lights, i would say get the xenons instead.

 

Don't mind me...I've just never felt my visability was in any way compromised by standard lighting. I've never thought, "Gee, wish I could see better." I've thought, "Gee I wish my wipers would bo faster" during a downpour or "Gee, I wish I had more traction", but lighting?...it's never registered.

If someone wants Xenons and feels safer with them, go for it...no problem.


(...just please, please keep them out of my eyes!)

 

You'll regret it later if you didn't get one. trust me

 

I think the standard halogen low beams are excellent. Just upgrade the bulbs for $40 or so if you need a few more photons. Xenons are expensive, heavy and overly complicated, imho.

 

i dont see the big deal with the minis xenon lights if you check youll find that the mini uses a much warmer kalvin color temp than that of the audi and bmw, ive been driving with the mini and ive seen others driveing and the light was never that bright in my opinion, now if the automatic ajuster is broke or the lights are not leveled correcley youll have problems with others!!!!!


but thats the old style xenon, i have to check on the new "projector" bulb
i was thinking of converting!!!!!

 

Up here in Canada you get the xenons,or you don't buy a MINI,period.

 

Hey is that outside the new theatre in L.A.? Great pic.