Are the Xenon Lights worth the $550? I would love to hear some opinions before I order my MINI.

As for the power wash on the Xenon lights, it seems to kind of unnecessary. At least in SoCal where it doesn't snow.

Opinions please...

 

Search xenon lights in the forums. There's been a bunch of posts. I can't answer "Are they worht it because I don't know what $500 means to you. But, I wouldn't drive a vehicle without them.

 

Worth it to me, but dont really use the Mini at night

 

If you drive at night, get them. They are bright, crisp, and have a wide angle of view.
Worth it.

 

Absolutly worth it. I can see so much better at night with them. My wife says we will never have another car without them.

 

Compared to traditional headlights, I think they're totally worth it. This is the first car I've ever owned with them and I think they're outstanding.

 

We have and LOVE them on our Volvo XC90 and if they are ever an option on ANY vehicle we buy, then we opt for them.
To us, WELL WORTH IT for the added lighted safety they add at night.

 

I have trads. and I am very happy with them. I dont do any long distance driving.

 

I have them on my 2k5 MCS - absolutely love them, but, I am not really sure that they are worth $500 to everyone - to me, yes they are, but your values may be different.....

 

Once you have had them, there is no way going back to conventional lighting.

 

I love the look, plus I've never had Xenons, so it was a no brainer for me

 

I had Xenons on the ole Volvo. I hated them. If there is any fog at all, they were blinding to drive with. I stuck with standards and so far, I really do not have any issues with them.

 

I have standards, too, and I think they're perfectly fine. I motor on fairly well-lit streets and find them more offensive when coming in the other direction than anything else, so I won't have them on my car.

That said, I can understand that some owners consider them essential and useful. Around here...not so much.

 

I have the standards; I also do a ton of night time backwoods driving. I regularly encounter deer, raccon, fox, cats,dogs andvarious otheranimals and critters on the roads I drive. My solution was to add a yellow film to the standards (not legal in all areas, but is premissible in my state) and added some Hella 500 driving lamps.

This setup currently provides me with ample light to see anything beit debris or animal with plenty of warning. When there is still other traffic thelow yellows are plenty and make it much easier to distingush animals and movement just off the side of the road, and allow my eyes to dilate a little moe in the darker sectionsof roadway, not to mention on foggy nights the cut right through the thickest stuff. I also rgulay supplement these with the yellow high beams inthe fog without issue.

On the clearer nights I'm able to turn on the Hellas allowing me in excess of 1.3 miles of beam down the roadway (I'm yet to find a strech of road longer to tst their full reach) and they really do make day into night.

I plan on adding some matching Hella 500 fogs for a little wider pattern at night and to help out in theworst of the foggy situations.

The yellow film runs $40
The Hellas run ~$70 per pair ( I mounted direct to bonnet grill so no additional cost there)

I have driven a few MINIs with the Xenons, I always found them plenty bright up close but ALWAYS felt I was out driving their reach (and that I whould have to squint to see beyond the close brightness when on concrete roads), nd issue I never have with the standards since a little inital aiming adjustment.

I think Xenons have merit as function headlamps butthey aren't myfirst choice,and for me they werent worth $500, esp when there are additional supplementing options availible.

 

BUY THE XENON!

 

I hate them. Got them with a package and regret it.

The high beams are great, and low beams may be fine for over-illuminated cities. I live in the country and drive on unlit winding roads. There is enough oncoming traffic to either require constant switching high and low, or keeping lows on most of the time.

The problem is that the low beams are too bright and cut off abruptly. So, they destroy your night vision -- leaving you blind to what is beyond their limit.

 

Love them. Love the way the look too! Wouldn't have gone without them, no regrets!

Of course, I live in an over-illuminated city... but then again, I haven't noticed any negative vision on the very dark roads in the hills by my house yet....

 

Absolutely worth every penny.

 

I thought about xenons, but I think i'm going to get standard lights and some powerful hellas. I like the look of the aux lights, and that way I can flip a switch and pretend it's daytime . I figure as long as I orient them correctly, I should be able to drive with them on the highway.

 

I had HID driving lights on my civic, and i loved them, but i opted for the standard headlights on the mini b/c i do not like the washer feature, something else to break....

 

I have standard lights. I've had my car for about 7 weeks - last weekend was the first time out of the city on dark country roads in Georgia. I was very disapointed in the lights. I've been unhappy with the short distance and abrupt cut off of dimmed lights. This past weekend I realized that the brights do not shine out far enough to drive at a reasonable speed. Maybe they need to be adjusted - will check on that.

Have been thinking about the installation of additional driving lights. As I understand the way Mini installs them they only go on when the brights are engaged and are about $725 installed. Is this something that is advisable for the cost? Or is self installation a better choice and how difficult is that?

Would be greatful for any guidance...thanks

 

Xenons.....

Donna

 

Xenons...be prepared to deal with plenty of cars around you who think you have your high beams on though...

Anyone know how to adjust this for '07? I have done plenty of searching within NAM and I only find results referring to previous model.

 

I saw a thread a couple weeks ago saying there is an adjustment screw on the back of the lens housing. Should be a small nylon screw or gear-type apparatus.

 

Xenons are definitely difficult for other drivers--which is itself dangerous. I know I'm usually annoyed when I'm confronted with them.

I guess I think they're unnecessary and therefore a bit selfish. Sort of like driving an SUV and parking in a compact spot. What makes it ok to blind other drivers?

(I know I'll ruffle some feathers with these statements, but I honestly think xenons are unsafe and should be outlawed. It's like drinking and driving with your seatbelt on--it may be safer for you as the one with the xenons, but it isn't safe for anyone else. I'm stepping off the soapbox now...)