No. Up and down only.

 

The vertical motion is controlled by the rear suspension. It is designed to adjust for changes in load such as people in the rear seats or an anvil in the boot. They do not adjust for going up or down hills.

 

I have xenons and I wish they did adjust going up and down hill (but they don't). Are they good lights, yes. Are they worth $500 more than halogens, I have my doubts. My wife's halogens in her Mazda3 are excellent IMO. The xenons do impart a very sharp line in the illumination ahead of you, bright below, dark above, that's obvious to me. I don't think I'd buy them again for $500.

 

As someone who sat on this fence for some time to anyone who's on the fence considering this option, my MA encouraged me to stop in at night and try 'em out.

'As the wheel turns' the day I was to do so, my MINI went into production. So don't wait 'til the last minute to give 'em a try. (I actually was pretty convinced I DIDN'T want them. Hopefully, I won't regret my decision / default option.)

 

The Xenons are a technological leap forward beyond the halogens. Overall they are well worth the extra expense, as they throw a much more intense beam of visible light. The only downside of the Xenons is that (as Robin has pointed out) the lowbeam cutoff is so sharply defined that it is rather difficult to see beyond the beam cutoff line, particularly since the driver's eyes are adjusted to the uber-bright low beam. This effect can be mitigated, however, by careful adjustment of the Xenon aim point (using the adjustment screws on the light assembly), so that the lowbeam cutoff point is sufficiently distant from the car. My car was delivered with the cutoff too low.

 

And mine was delivered with them aimed too high from the factory which I found out fast by blinding all on coming traffic when driving at night.I could see this look on their faces--->

My Xenon headlights were promptly realigned when I brought Scrappy in for service the next day.Not a problem since.

 

My Xenons (an option I regret) are aimed fairly low, but as I go up and down the hills of Carmel Valley Road I still blind people occasionally.

 

I would recommend xenons. They last much longer than halogen and look awesome. You won't be sorry, believe me. Xenons forever!

 

I didn't order Xenons due to my "do unto others..." philosophy. I have been driving in too many situations where some person is behind me with these horribly bright lights that 1) make me uncomfortable and 2) make me more dangerous, because I can't see the road in front of me unless I redirect ALL my rear-view mirrors so I can no longer see them behind me.

For your fellow motorists, please do not get the xenon headlights!

 

I know 15 will getcha 20 but now I'm starting to think I should've had my rotors drilled too...

 

I insisted on the xenons when I got my 08. No regrets. I need all the light I can get on the rural roads around here at night.

 

Since having them in my Acura CL I cannot drive without them. A MUST have.

 

I go with xenon too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKjz9_BguVM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LIZOGhByQk

 

IImbz, I just watched some of your first video, and it occured to me that you don't want to have "daylight" colors at night. In human night vision, we're using the rods of the eye and not the cones. When you have a light this bright, your eyes switch back to rods... making you less able to use the "night" part of your vision - which explains the 'cut off' problem with the Xenon = not only is the light too bright, but the light is so bright it is causing your eye to use the inappropriate tools to see at night, making your vision less senstive then it needs to be in the dark. Therefore, anything that is not illuminated by your headlights will be much more difficult to see then with halogen bulbs.

I'd be interested to know if use of xenon lights correlated with sleep problems. It follows that if someone is using their cones at night, their brain might not be producting melatonin, interupting the diunral sleep pattern. Anyone have trouble sleeping after getting the xenon lights and using them?

 

no but I cant sleep well after talking at length on my cell phone just before bedtime

 

If that's really an issue, then I'd rather have Xenons so I don't fall asleep while driving!

 

ITS THE RADIATIONNNNN!

 

It may have been said already but the main selling point for me was the long bulb life. I hate it when my lights go out. I spent at least $250 over 8 years on my previous car on bulbs.

 

Don't flash your lights at other MINIs, then. The things that wear out on Xenons are the igniters. They are stressed whenever the Xenons are fired up, and very expensive to replace. I don't use the daylight running lights for this reason. I don't want them firing up on errands with lots of stops. If you only make long drives, the Xenons may be economical. If you make short trips, they may not be so economical.

In 19 years of owning an Acura Integra I have replaced the halogen headlights twice. Bulb cost was not significant.

 

I've used xenons for about 5 years and I still fall asleep about 30 seconds after going to bed. Then again, I have never been bothered by xenons of oncoming traffic either and have never understood the complaints of others on the topic. Yes, they are brighter, but they are not aimed directly into my face like people who leave high beams on. Maybe my eyes are just funny, who knows.

 

I just ordered 2009 Cooper JCW. I always go with Xenons, I have gotten very use to them with other cars I owned. I believe they DO NOT turn and redirct as in other cars..... IF they did, this is yet another feature I have gotten used to and like from other cars.

 

I've no problem seeing beyond the cutoff in my wife's mother's Mercedes-Benz ML350. But then again... I eat a lot of carrots... night vision is a must for my job!

 

I live in deer country and want ever advantage I can get......I won't own a car without xenons --- they make all the difference in the world.

 

Also good for gold bars.

 

I drive rural roads both dusk and night in Central Texas 3 or 4 times per week Many, many deer.
Any opinions as to the merits of the Xenons alone versus Halogens plus Driving Lights?