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Headlight-to-Headlight:  HIDs vs. Halogens

In the very early part of the 1990s, BMW decided to introduce HID headlights on its 7 Series lineup of vehicles.  In the two decades since, there has been a clear dividing line between those vehicles that utilize the new lighting technology, and those that stick to those tried-and-true halogen headlights.  If you’re struggling yourself between choosing basic halogen headlight replacements and High Intensity Discharge light upgrades, it isn’t as easy as just flipping a coin.  There are tremendous positives and negatives for both headlight types, and this article will attempt to help you decipher the differences so you can determine for yourself which light source type best suits your needs and the needs of your vehicle.

Longevity

If your main focus is how long your headlights will last before needing to change them out again, then give one point to HIDs.  HID headlights can last nearly 10x as long as traditional halogen-based headlight systems, and they have fewer internal parts in their bulbs that can possibly be damaged or broken as well.  If changing out your car’s headlights isn’t your idea of a good time, then HIDs are the way to go.

Installation

Chalk this one up to ease of completion, and halogens take the cake.  Even though you won’t have to change out the bulbs as often with HIDs, you can’t simply just put HID bulbs in place of where halogens were.  The headlight array has to be altered to adapt to HID bulbs, and that often requires the use of new HID ballasts and potentially even wire harness adaptors.

Performance

It’s hard to argue that HIDs don’t win in this category.  Not only are they longer lasting than halogens, they’re also substantially brighter as well, up to even 3x as bright.  HIDs also emit light that appears more natural to the human eye, provide for greater peripheral vision for driving in the dark, and their light also reflects better off of highway signs and road markers.  Sure, halogens do just fine, but they don’t perform as well as HIDs do.

Appearance

How the headlights look is nearly as important as how they perform.  If you just want headlights that are subtle and look like the mainstream pack, go with halogen headlights.  If you prefer headlights you can pick the color for and which are hard to miss on the road, then choose HID headlights.  The choice is fairly simple when you look at it that way; it all just depends on personal preference.

For more information, go to:  http://www.hidkit.com/

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Last updated: August 26, 2011.