Bi-Xenon Vs LED Headlights

[kssquared]

I'm still trying to decide the options I will select within my budget and I'm looking for some view points on the headlights. In any case, I will not be able to select the LED matrix headlights, so I am wondering whether its worth upgrading the Bi-Xenons (standard) to the normal LED headlights for £1350 ? I could easily spend the £1350 on sport seats etc so any viewpoints would be great.

[robes401]

I have standard bi-xenon (2014 pre facelift s-line) and find the lights are excellent. Not ever found that I wanted anything brighter. However my other car (2007 Saab 9-3) has rubbish headlights (with osram nighbreaker h7 bulbs), and I have no experience of the A6 LED headlights.

[M1tchy]

I've got an A7 with standard LED headlights and they are incredible. They are much much brighter, whiter and clearer than xenons and even driving with xenons is now odd and it feels like a bulb is out. I would definitely select them again on future cars.


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[Rassi]

Clearly the LED will be better but if it is at the expense of something that you will actually enjoy every time you drive and is an integral part of driving comfort, namely sports seats, it would not be my choice.

Of course, if you spend the majority of your driving on unlit roads at night, it may be different, but the bi-xenons are certainly not of the "candlelight" variant.

[Spapro]

I'm still trying to decide the options I will select within my budget and I'm looking for some view points on the headlights. In any case, I will not be able to select the LED matrix headlights, so I am wondering whether its worth upgrading the Bi-Xenons (standard) to the normal LED headlights for £1350 ? I could easily spend the £1350 on sport seats etc so any viewpoints would be great.


If you are considering the LED headlights, may be worth considering the S-line as the MY17 now comes with LED headlights, plus sports seats with electric front seats with memory function on the drivers side and heated front seats as standard.

[kssquared]

If you are considering the LED headlights, may be worth considering the S-line as the MY17 now comes with LED headlights, plus sports seats with electric front seats with memory function on the drivers side and heated front seats as standard.

Unfortunately if I choose the S-line I exceed my budget when I choose the tech pack (with acc) and heated rear seats which are both important to me

[noscream]

@kssquared
(http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/member.php/237647-kssquared)
Today I went out @ 1500hrs, daylight, headlights not needed, sport seat enjoyed.

Point is LED headlights & Matrix LED headlights are great but are they £1400 more great than Bi-Xenon?
Tech pack is £1600 more great than no tech pack....

So you pick what you want but something you can use every trip is far better in my book than something you might use.......

[johnsimcox]

Last year I went from a pre-FL SE with Halogen to a FL SE with Xenon, via a FL S-Line with standard LED (dealer messed up the delivery of my FL SE so had the S-Line for 24 hours). To be honest I was a bit underwhelmed by the LED, especially coming from the SE with Halogen. They were clearly brighter than the halogens but somehow I had expected more. When I then got my own car with the Bi-Xenons I certainly did not feel I had been downgraded in the lighting so to noscream's point yes they are good but not £1400 better than the Bi-Xenon. Also with the LEDs you get main beam assist which many on here (and elsewhere with Audi and other brands) seem to have very mixed opinions on how good it actually is.

[whitter45]

its a fact that LED do not out perform Xexons apart from light colour

The higher K means less output and very directional light

The change to LED is because its cheaper now to manufactuer LED headlights with the lower power consumption for the wiring circuit etc not for performance gains

Matrix is a different argument

[Bar Shaker]

Matrix changes everything because you drive with full beam on all the time at night.

Not sure I would pay £1300 for the vanilla LED lights.

[EssexGonzo]

^^^^^^^Wot he said. Unless you can go for Matrix (which are absolutely worth it) stick with the xenons. They're more than enough for legal speeds and the standard LEDs don't really give you much over xenons. Most definitely not worth £1300.

[M1tchy]

I'd disagree with that, but then again I am on about a different model. I have standard LEDs and they are way better than xenons. Literally in every single way.


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[EssexGonzo]

I've had my matrix equipped car for about 8 months now (2016 MY RS6). In the past 6 weeks I've driven 2 dealer C7s when mine's been in for service / warranty work. An SE with xenons and an S Line with LEDs. The latter were, IMHO, inferior to the xenons in terms of brightness and spread and both were inferior to the matrix lights (but I'm bound to say that because I've got them!).

I remember driving an pre-FL (2012?) C7 with the first generation LEDs and seem to recall that they were far better than the latest standard LEDs - which I reckon might have been de-rated to below 2000 lumens to avoid the need for washers and self levelling (as is the case with LED-equipped Mercs nowadays). Whereas xenons all still seem to have washers and self levelling installed.

[kssquared]

Thanks all. I've decided to stick with the Xenons !

[A6ian]

The current LED's are better than the pre face lift xenons, definitely. but not £1300 better. As far as I'm aware, all the current LED's have washers and auto leveling, it's the xenons that don't

I would most certainly select something else with my £1300, as i only drive in the dark a small percentage of the time, even if i consider winter.

[Corb2000]

Thanks all. I've decided to stick with the Xenons !

I think you've made the right decision. I've got matrix led and can't get excited about them - other than their whiter light they are no more intense or effective than my previous beemer's adaptive xenons with high beam assist.
I always spec up headlights and the matrix LEDs were std on my BE A7 - I'd be disappointed if I'd had to chose them at the expense of another option.


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