HIDs still optional or not available?

[Whelan]

So I figured I would put this out for debate. Think back to when things like A/C and CD players were add-ons and options in cars. That's a long time ago. Now think how quickly they ended up being standard equipment in cars. I know some cars probably don't offer A/C (I have yet to actually be in one), but still. HID's have been around for a LONG while. How far back you may ask, well the earliest car I can remember it being in (production model) would be the Lincoln Mark VIII. That was mid to late 90's. Today models like Acura have it as standard equipment, and nowadays even Ford, Toyota, Nissan offer it as options on non-premium brands. Mazda even offers it on the 3. So how is it that such a known technology that has come down so much in price is still considered an option. BMW for instance still charges upwards of $700 for a bi-xenon headlamp. I would have thought by now that all luxury brands would have it as standard equipment.Halogens offer no real benefit over a good HID system, lifespan is longer on HID, light output is greater, glare is reduced, and so on. Yet we still see it as an expensive option. Aftermarket kits started out in very high territory with some kids costing $1500. Nowadays you can get one from Ebay for $70 or less. Reliability aside you still get the point.So what is the manufacturers hesitation? By the time HIDs work into standard equipment even at least on luxury cars, they will have LED systems available. It just boggles my mind that it took so long for them and still it wasn't accomplished. I'm sure some people don't care, but for me when I see a MB or BMW or Audi on the road with halogens, I think cheap and ugly. And on that note, LEDs have been around for awhile as well. Headlight technology is right around the corner for production models, they use them in signals and brake lamps, but again manufacturers seem to be turning a blind eye. Honda had LED taillamps in its last gen refreshed Accord. Then suddenly they come out with a new model (new typically means updates and technology). Well not here, they went for the Hyundai starburst taillight. A step backwards if you ask me. I wonder how long it will take the industry to catch up and standardize these for use. Again no real loss over standard taillights. They last longer, put out more light, turn on faster, etc. If 3rd brake lights have them in most cars now, why stop there. I doubt it costs so much more to put in an LED system given todays cost reductions, since it's not a new technology.OK I'm rambling now but still it's a huge pet peeve.

[Bikerscum]

I've never had a car with HID's, so I can't offer an opinion as to their worth, but I do know that some people have tried them & just don't like them. Something about the light cutoff or something. They are a relatively cheap option on Mini Coopers @ $500, reading the Mini forums I see some people that had them are passing when they trade in their old Mini for new, and obviously not because of the cost. I just put X-Treme powers in my '09 GT today & am very happy with them, I'll likely put some in the wife's Cooper S too. We're happy in our ignorance.

[audiovibe]

My thought is that the manufactures pass it in as as safety device; alot of people still don't mind paying for something that makes them feel safer. So if the manufacture thinks they can make a dollar at the end of the day that's what the will do in the long run.Makes you wonder if they have learned anything at all from the economy.Aron

[JetBlack09VibeGT]

Its a cost and reliability issue. They may last longer than a typical Halogen bulb, but what costs the average consumer $15 at the local auto parts store for Halogen, can cost $1000 for the HID replacements. And though HID are becoming more prevalent in autos from Acuras, and Buicks, to Chryslers they are still only available in those vehicles that are $30K or more. Even checking the option on a Mini Cooper will requiring going with the Top of the Line S and adding a $1500-$4500 package as stuff like this is not al a carte. And then of course there is the negative press. From oncoming drivers who say they are blinding to owners that have them and complain that they are too expensive to fix when they break. There's nothing the media love more than a nice juicy auto problem. Imagine that your car's headlamps failed, and replacing them cost you THOUSANDS. OF. DOLLARS !!!Well, that's the premise of a late June story in AdAge, which discussed a potential problem with the optional xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights fitted to the second-generation Toyota Prius in model years 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received hundreds of complaints from Prius owners about HID lamp failures and, according to the story, opened a preliminary investigation into the matter. So it will probably be a matter of time.

[ponta2147]

Quote, originally posted by JetBlack09VibeGT »And then of course there is the negative press. From oncoming drivers who say they are blinding to owners that have them...I personally hate it at night when I'm in a low to the ground car (my husband's G6 coupe or my mom's Aveo) and an oncoming SUV has HIDs... regular headlights are bad enough, but after getting those things in my face I may as well have my eyes closed. Not to mention getting them in my rear view or side view mirrors... What road? That thing beyond the giant glare?Is that something that is fixed by focusing them properly, or are other drivers just doomed to be blind? I'd love to have extra light on the road, but can't justify making people go blind with the things when my husband and I hate having it happen to us.

[Bikerscum]

Quote, originally posted by JetBlack09VibeGT »Even checking the option on a Mini Cooper will requiring going with the Top of the Line S and adding a $1500-$4500 package as stuff like this is not al a carte.They are available even on a base Mini for $500, with power washers included, no package required. You can go to miniusa.com & build one. Now, if you wanna get started on overpriced Mini options, let's talk about the wife's $2000 nav system

[JetBlack09VibeGT]

Quote, originally posted by ponta2147 »Is that something that is fixed by focusing them properly, or are other drivers just doomed to be blind?.I had a 2006 Saab 9-3 with HIDs (that sounds like a disease). When the car was started the lights would go through a calibration where they would dip down then move up and then finally level themselves in one spot. Since Saab was a company that focused heavily on safety, I am guessing it was a way to make sure that the lights were aimed a certain way based on the load of the vehicle. So I'm guessing if I had a bunch of stuff in the trunk that would cause the car's nose to lift the lights would aim down further? I don't know. Anyway if most HID's have this mechanism like the Saab's then I can definitely see it breaking over time. On the other hand, my friend has the first generation Nissan Murano with the HIDs and he has a dial on the dash next to the light switch that is "1-2-3" for different levels or angles for the headlights. Assuming that most people are idiots and think only of themselves, imagine how many have these suckers pointed up as high as possible because it gives the drivers a brighter light to see the all those oncoming cars veering into the ditch.

[star_deceiver]

Never owned or driven a car with HID's, but having driven many many km's of highway at night it's easy to tell which HID kits are stock and which are branding your retinas....As for A/C and CD players, my old 05 Sunfire cd player was a $395 option. (the only option I bought)Everything is built between what the consumer wants and what the consumer is willing to pay for! In I'd say 10-15 years driving a car will be almost hands free, doing away with those pesky human demands..... And some people WILL pay for it and reminisce about the days when you had to steer the car yourself the way we reminisce about AM radio, 6 volt electrical systems, 3 on the tree, ect...