Actually seeing correct colors is much more important to your subconscious that you realize. Here is a video that while not related to HID's or car's will help you see how important correct color identification is to driving.

 

Yes, they are very bright. However, there is a negative effect here. When you have to turn them down, your eyes are now adapted to the bright light. Makes it more difficult to see into the dark areas that are no longer illuminated.

Perhaps that is because they are a similar technology. WWII searchlights were carbon-arcs. Xenons (HID) also use an arc.

 

You don't seem to understand the importance or fundamentals that UV light plays. Of course you don't see it but it excites the phosphors in molecules and they give off a visible glow. Have you ever seen what a "black light" does to objects? The HID's have a similar effect along with adding more visible light spectrum than halogens.

Fact: HID's produce about 3000 lumens versus about 1000 lumens for halogen and uses less watts (about 40 to 55).

Edit: Here is a chart that shows the human eyes sensitivity to color. Notice how important green is to our survival. Halogens are weak at reflecting green.

 

I survived the late 1960's. Of course I have.
I'm quite aware of fluorescence. I'm also aware than only certain molecules have a strong UV fluorescence. Are are saying that a deer fluoresces significantly with the amount of UV produced by Xenons? You really need to provide a reference for that.

This is exactly my complaint. They produce too much light--causing your iris to close down and inhibit your ability to see beyond their illumination.

Earlier you were saying it is the it is the UV that makes them superior, now it is the green? Xenons are overly-strong at the blue end of the spectrum, which is not helpful. Their over brightness is what makes them problematic in low beam.

They may be better than halogens in high beam. I'm not arguing that. The problem is that with low-beam they cannot (by design) illuminate everything, and their excessive brightness makes it more difficult to see the areas not illuminated.

You might want to read this page on the disadvantages of HID. The author most likely has a bias, but I think he makes some good points.

 

gotta have those Xenons. No other way for me..

 

mine is coming with the XENONs, I had an Audi before without the xenons and it sucked big time. Xenons are a must for me!

 

Will never own a car without bi-xenon's (or something better) again.

 

Xenon's are definitely a plus for me. I prefer the brighter white light that keeps me paying attention rather than the yellowish halogens that make me fall asleep. It's like all those yellow street lights in San Jose. Ugh. Makes me sleepy going thru downtown at night. Even if I did get halogens like on my last vehicle, I'd end up trying to get bright bulbs like silverstars or piaa that would either last 6 months or 3 weeks depending on my luck. And since I leave for work and arrive from work in the dark, working bulbs are a must. And yes, I tried buying extra bulbs when I could, but lots of times the H4 bulbs were almost always out of stock, and when I did have replacements in hand, they'd get used soon enough that quite a few times I had to resort to putting the stockers back in just to have working headlights when going to work.

 

Xenon's are a must have for me. I had them on my 2000 BMW convertible and I got them on my 2009 R57. When I drive the Toyota Tundra with the halogens I feel like I am driving behind kerosene lamps compared to what I can see with the MINI and its xenons. I'm talking about what I can actually see on the same stretch of road. No comparison IMO.

 

I have Bi-Xenons on my R56 and Regular Xenons on our R53 and they are a MUST for my wife and I. We wouldn't order a car any other way. They truly increase visibility at night.

 

Had them in my previous vehicle and so I ordered xenon's in my MCS and am glad I did. IME much better than Halogens.

 

Ordered mine with the car and I love them... In this forum I have heard many ppl retrofitting them. Trust me that's far more expensive then just ordering them off the lot.

 

Let's see...

Very heavy.
Overly complex.
Extremely expensive bulbs.

Xenons rule!

 

Likely in 10 years the inferior halogens will be completely replaced the way they replaced even more inferior tungsten's. All cars will come with Xenon's or LED's. LED's will likely be the future (of most lighting needs) since they are less complex (and ultimately cheaper), use less energy and can create a brighter and wider light spectrum than even Xenon's do.

 

Also extremely unlikely (or not likely) you will need to replace one since they don't have a filament to burn out.

 

I've seen plenty of posts by people looking for replacement bulbs...

 

Not sure what you have seen (maybe post about faux Xenon's failing) but OEM HID are rated for over 3000 hours (10 times Halogen's 300 hours). That is almost 10 years using your headlamps 4 hours a day 7 days a week. On the oter hand LED's last 30,000 hours. That's a hundred years. Who plans on driving their car that long?

 

I love mine. Cloth seats and Xenon's were the only two things on my car that I would not budge on, which is why I had to order my car and I couldn't buy one off the lot. I've actually found that when I'm driving, other driver's Xenons, at least the properly installed ones, don't bother me as much as the ultra-bright halogens, that a lot of people put on their cars now, do. Plus, they're prettier

 

I have em on my JCW. Glad too. I have driven many MINI loaner cars with the halogens. I find it more difficult to see at night without the xenons.

 

Enjoy that koolaid...

 

These are generally accepted MTBF ratings numbers of the 3 systems.