I was thinking that I really liked xenon, but I'm second guessing myself as I have discovered that almost none of the dealer's stock comes equipped with xenon headlights in the Cooper.
I'm about to order a new car, rather than buy dealer stock, because cars with xenon don't exist?
Can anyone confirm that getting xenon is worth the cost and the wait as opposed to the standard halogen headlights?
Opinions welcome!

 

There are lots of threads on this. Search for "xenon"

 

I've seen some cancel orders because they left out xenon's like not having them is the end of the world, others wish they didn't have them, and some fine with the haolgens.

Me, I'm in the later category. Do a search in this forum and you'll find lots of discussion about the pros and cons. Basically you get great near field illumination, but a dramatic cutoff beyond a point with xenon's whereas the halogens tend to be a little more diffuse and better far field illumination. If there is a car you like on the lot without xenon's but configured exactly like you want otherwise, I wouldn't wait and order just to get them.

 

We'd be fairly split on this as some like them (and it is worth it to them) and some do not (and it isn't worth it to them). It's that way with a lot of MINI options. If you are used to Xenons want them I think you'll find they are well worth getting, so go for it!!!. I personally find the standard lighting package more to my liking.

 

Thanks for the replies.
I think it may be that people who buy a Cooper are saving some money, trying to be more economical, and would rather not spend the $500 for that option.
That is the way I'm looking at the dual sunroof this time, save the money, I don't really want or use it.
In terms of driving experience, the xenons on my last MINI 06S, once adjusted properly, were great for driving IMO. Of course, the highbeams were halogen in that car, but both low and high beam are xenon in the R56 as I understand it.
I wonder if anyone has driven two R56s, one with xenon and the other with halogen headlights and can offer their opinion?

 

Haven't driven a MINI with halogens, but have an MCS with Xenons. My last car (1990 Acura Integra) had halogens. I don't like Xenons for driving country roads with low beams. My area is dark, has winding roads, and enough traffic that low beam is the norm.

The problem is that Xenon low beams are the same as high beam, but with a mask that cuts off the top. Since it is a projection system, they can do that with a clean cut-off and little scatter. What you get is very brightly lit area, that closes down your iris, and a very dark area beyond it. So, your eyes are adapted for the bright areas and can't see well into the distant black.

The high beams are nice, but brighter than they need to be. If you are only driving country roads with high beams (no traffic), don't see well in the dark, Xenons are for you. If you live in a brightly lit city, you don't need them, except to impress people -- or blind them with your high beams.

One man's opinion:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...dvantages.html

 

I love my xenons and now that I have them I'll never go without.

 

I have a new MCS with Xenons. They are great. Much brighter than any car that I have ever owned. I see the cutoff in low beam but I have no issue with it. The high beams are awesome. I thought about going with the driving lights but no real need with these awesome Xenons!

Try to drive them both (if you can) and see what you prefer.

I think the upgrade was well worth the $500 cost.

 

I love my Xenons. If you can't find a lot car with Xenons and you really want them, then I think it would be a good idea to order the car, that way you can add what you want in the car.

 

Thanks Robin, I did search and read your previous posts as well as information from the Daniel Stern website. I feel I do understand the point you and russr are trying to make regarding reality and perception.

I've already decided I liked the xenons on the 06, and I was planning on ordering them for the R56 until my salesman pointed out that he never sees a Cooper as a dealership stock with xenons. That just made me wonder if the halogens were so great on the R56 that nobody really would want xenons, or maybe the new xenons stunk. I think neither of those statements is true.
Beyond that, I do understand it all comes down to opinion and I appreciate everyone's input.
BTW I run Phillips H4 bulbs in my 92 MR2 turbo. They are way better than standard, IMO. They are halogen. They have an European design with dramatic cutoff angling up to the right to illuminate road signs. I like that.
I bought them from Daniel Stern's.

 

When I placed the order for my MC I told my MA no then thought about it over the weekend and called her back and told her to add them. I would have been pissed if I hadn't gotten them. They are awesome and I found that they are more than adequate. Plus they look great.

 

I've found that almost every MINI, R53 and R56, comes from the factory with the low-beams pointed too low. Get yourself a level piece of pavement and a wall and readjust them so they're about 3" down at 20'. Too low and you'll find what Robin found out; too sharp of a cut-off from the driver seat and you're basically overdriving your lights all the time. Adjust them too high and you'll be scattering your light farther than the lights have the power for and your overall visibility will go down, not to mention most of your light will end up in peoples' eyes!

 

Thanks for the clue about these being aimed too low. I knew about the R53's because I really didn't care for the xenon headlights until I adjusted them appropriately, then it was a difference of night and day (pun intended)
I'm ordering tomorrow.
Thanks everybody.

 

drive both and I promise you will get the xenons.

 

Thanks for the tip about adjustment. I'll check mine this weekend.

As for how they are now, I like the Xenons and I drive dark country roads. The hi beams are great and allow me to move faster. When there is significant oncoming traffic, I don't want the speed hi beams offer and the lo beams work for me.

That said, I've learned enough to respect Robin Casady's opinions. My recommendation is to take a couple of night test drives for a comparison.
Some dealer out there must have a set of Xenons available.

 

Here's one vote for not bothering to go for Xenons. I've had it on my last 4 cars (3 BMWs and a MCSC) and honestly I am not planning on adding it to my next MINI. Like some people have pointed out, the cut off is too dramatic. I've driven down roads where my daylight running lights extended twice as far as the Xenons. Yes, it wasn't as bright, but I could see well enough.

And be careful with the aim. I get blinded by too many "properly" adjusted Xenon lights. So many people don't know what they are doing when they adjust headlights. That's another reasoown not to get them: even when properly aimed, they annoy other people. Is it worth it really? Are there any statistics to show that they have decreased accidents in some way?

Xenons are like getting 18" or 19" wheels, or (in some cases) getting front or rear fog lights - the choice is mostly for looks. And there is certainly nothing wrong with that, as long as you don't blind oncoming traffic with your choice of bling.

 

Most of the MINI dealerships in my area have the bi-xenon headlights on their inventory cars to load up the MSRP along with other options but I wanted them and haven't regretted it once.

 

Save your cash; don't get Xenons.
Buy THESE in the H13 size; see better.

 

I've driven and r56 with both halogen and xenon (mine are xenon). With the halogen, the highbeams are worthless (I rarely used them as the lowbeams showed most of the road), the low beams are much worse (especially in the rain) than the xenons. I can live with the cut-off just to be able to see the road at night (it isn't that bad anyway). If you drive in barely lit areas at night, you need the xenons.

 

Yep. I live in the country.
I'm ordering now, thanks for the rec, e30r56!

 

I love mine too. Since they're bi-xenons, the high beams are hid as well as the low beams.

 

every time i see the daniel stern lighting link, i always click on it.

it's one of those examples on the internet where clearly an intelligent person took the time to write something thoughtful --but it is equally true that there is a bias (1), and that the person has come to understand the beginnings of a subject more so than is an expert on the subject (2).

which always returns us to square one: see for yourself which lighting situation works best for each individual person. the lighting at night is less than 10% of daytime lighting, so whatever works for you and your eyes will differ from that of the next person.

generally speaking, brighter would intuitively be better. the notion that your nervous system cannot adapt within milliseconds is laughable, but perhaps true to some extent.

 

For $500 more you get High and low beam Xenon lights with the high pressure lamp washers with self leveling. Plus the headlamps look more upscale. I like them. Real bright

 

Intelligent people have bias, too. Its just that we respectfully call it "opinion" and place it on a slightly higher level than somebody else's "bias."
So when you read Stern's introductory statement about HID lights it is clear he acknowledges that some of them are GREAT, and when you read his essay under disadvantages, you can gather lots of statements to use as support if your position is against HIDs. What we need is for Daniel Stern to join NAM and offer his opinion on the halogen lights and xenon lights available on the R56, specifically.
Now that would be awesome!

 

I think that the popularity of Xenons has to do with the impression that brighter means better visibility. So, the brightly lit area close to the car and at the edges give the illusion of better overall visiibility. However, the critical area ahead is, IMO, not better lit. And with your eyes adapted to the bright areas, one actually can see less in that area. That is my complaint with them.

The self-leveling only has to do with how the car is loaded. It doesn't adapt to whether the car is going up hill or down. I notice a considerable variation in how far the low beams reach in areas that are not dead flat.