Buyin' 05, Xenon or Upgrade bulb

[silvertoy]

Hello,
I'm placing my order for an 05 Cooper S today. Just haven't decided if I want to get the Sport package as it includes the S-lite wheels which I don't particularly care for (and don't want to spend the extra $500 to get the web spoke), but the Xenon headlights, I could probably be talked into.
I know the "Are xenon's worth it" topic has been covered many times, but I want a more specific comparo, are xenon's worth it vs. upgraded wattage bulbs?

The Question is, I typically upgrade my bulbs as soon as I get a car anyway... For example, if the high and low beams in the Halogen version of the headlamps were both H7 (which is what I hear) then I would get 65 and 100W variants from somewhere like here.

www.rallylights.com/hella/H7.asp

But I am not sure how much benefit I would be getting with the upgraded low beam bulbs vs. the Xenon lights. I do a lot of driving at night on the PA turnpike, where I am traveling at 65-75 mph and you can't use your high beams due to oncoming traffic. So I need BETTER low beams, that travel farther to the sides and to the right (to highlight jumping wildlife). Will the Xenon's accomplish this? I'm particularly nervous about this decision as I've already hit a deer and a BEAR on this road in the past.
So the real question is, is the actual spread of the xenons better? Or would I get more benefit from brighter halogens, as I can never really upgrade the brightness of the xenons.
Your help is much appreciated.
Thanks all

[IrishCooper]

I say go with the Xenons if you have the resources, a definite upgrade over any Halogen lights.

[matfrost]

Quote: Originally Posted by IrishCooper

I say go with the Xenons if you have the resources, a definite upgrade over any Halogen lights.

I'd second that

[beken]

I third that.

Also another consideration, the lens on the front of the headlight assembly is plastic. Though the upgrade bulbs may not actually melt them, the additional heat from higher wattage bulbs may cause them to cloud up. Not sure if that will actually happen in our MINIs but this was the basis of the GM recall for the most recent generation of Buick Century.

The bulbs included with that car were over spec'd.

So get the Xenons.

[robegee]

i upgraded my bulbs and fried the plastic connectors - it too clouded my headlights but luckily got them replaced by BMwubbleU!!! - now upgraded to angel eyes and the difference is amazing - how bright????!!!!!!

[Gr8Dain]

Quote: Originally Posted by silvertoy

Hello,
I'm particularly nervous about this decision as I've already hit a deer and a BEAR on this road in the past.
So the real question is, is the actual spread of the xenons better? Or would I get more benefit from brighter halogens, as I can never really upgrade the brightness of the xenons.
Your help is much appreciated.
Thanks all

First off, I really like the Xenons. They provide a lot of wide light in my opinion. Go for it if you can.

Second ....... A BEAR!!!!!. What did that do to your car? Was it one of those cute black bears that I see all over PA that are starting to be spotted in Northern VA? A big one looks like it could do some serios damage to a car.

Dain

[beken]

My opinion (if that counts for anything) is that Xenons being a whiter light, will contrast out color differences better than halogens. You should be able to see a bear much better than halogens. Unless of course, the bear is flying somewhere higher up than the light cutoff (slightly above hood level). In that case, you should add driving lights or have your highbeams on. I also have foglights and that sets a beam much wider than any headlights but does not beam very far. You can see the side around the front of your car much better.

[silvertoy]

Yeah, a bear. Not so cute and cuddly, I hit it with a Scion xA, not much bigger than the bear itself. I was somewhat fortunate however in that I didn't hit the bear first, the semi in front of me hit it, and then I hit the bear carcass, not that it was any smaller, but now it was laying on the road, vs. standing. If it had been standing, It would have been much worse, but since it was on the ground, I somewhat went over it, (after a significant amount of damage) However, the car wasn't totalled, in fact I could hardly notice any difference after the vehicle had been repaired, and I ultimately sold it to a co-worker, who didn't mind a little bear jerky with his ride.

I ended up going with the xenons, I figure that I'll be putting a light bar on it anyhow for the driving lights, and perhaps mount a third lamp to point slightly to the right and out of the standard lights that will come on with low beams. ( and try to get a bulb to color match )

[Gr8Dain]

A frind hit a deer on her private road once. Went through the windshield of her Volvo 740 and landed in her lap. Good thing she was not driving her MGB that day .

Good choice on the Xenons.

Dain