New LX570...No HIDs!!! Sigh.
01-02-08, 08:01 AM
#16
Pole Position
Frankly this HID business is not even a bleep in my decision making. Whenever I purchase a vehicle the first thing that I look for is reliability , follow very close by safety and front seat comfort.
The few times I have been on the road at night in my 2006 LX470 had no problem with the lighting system, my wife drives a 2006 LS430 which has great lighting and I do not find much visual difference except, with the oncoming traffic.
The few times I have been on the road at night in my 2006 LX470 had no problem with the lighting system, my wife drives a 2006 LS430 which has great lighting and I do not find much visual difference except, with the oncoming traffic.
Last night my wife and I took our 2006 LX 470 up to Newport Beach to meet my parents for dinner. We then all piled into their 2006 LS430. I drove us to dinner (now that my folks are getting older they prefer not to drive) and I can tell you without one iota of doubt that while the halogen projectors on the LX are good... the HID's on the LS are much, much better. At least IMO from a clarity, amount of road lit, and cut off standpoint. Personally, I can see a lot better on a dark road (like the 73 toll road here in S. CA) behind the wheel of the LS than I can in the LX and that is a safety issue.
I'm hard pressed to understand why Lexus isn't offering these as standard equipment on a SUV that costs this much $.
01-02-08, 09:29 AM
#17
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I agree with you that HID's are certainly not the over riding factor but... I personally feel that good headlights are a boon to safety.
Last night my wife and I took our 2006 LX 470 up to Newport Beach to meet my parents for dinner. We then all piled into their 2006 LS430. I drove us to dinner (now that my folks are getting older they prefer not to drive) and I can tell you without one iota of doubt that while the halogen projectors on the LX are good... the HID's on the LS are much, much better. At least IMO from a clarity, amount of road lit, and cut off standpoint. Personally, I can see a lot better on a dark road (like the 73 toll road here in S. CA) behind the wheel of the LS than I can in the LX and that is a safety issue.
I'm hard pressed to understand why Lexus isn't offering these as standard equipment on a SUV that costs this much $.
Last night my wife and I took our 2006 LX 470 up to Newport Beach to meet my parents for dinner. We then all piled into their 2006 LS430. I drove us to dinner (now that my folks are getting older they prefer not to drive) and I can tell you without one iota of doubt that while the halogen projectors on the LX are good... the HID's on the LS are much, much better. At least IMO from a clarity, amount of road lit, and cut off standpoint. Personally, I can see a lot better on a dark road (like the 73 toll road here in S. CA) behind the wheel of the LS than I can in the LX and that is a safety issue.
I'm hard pressed to understand why Lexus isn't offering these as standard equipment on a SUV that costs this much $.
I do not understand either the why. It can not be the extra cost , I would assume that Lexus will give an explanation if asked.
The glow on the LS430 is definitively better perhaps due mainly because of the AFS( Adaptive Front Lighting System ).
I would need to test drive the LX570 in the evening with AFS which is standard equipment. It could make a difference.
01-02-08, 09:30 AM
#18
On big SUV's, since lights are so high, they end up pointing quite low not to have too much glare. Thats why Toyota's big SUV's never have HID's.
I am sure halogens will be much improved from before...
I am sure halogens will be much improved from before...
01-02-08, 10:13 AM
#19
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Yeah and have you ever had one stuck behind you at a redlight? I've had to readjust my mirrors to keep from getting my eyeballs X-Rayed 
IMO Lexus and Toyota are doing the right thing and wish other automakers would be as considerate when picking lights for their giant SUVs. The projector beam headlights in my old '98 LX and my current GX and Spyder work great IMO. Maybe if I lived in Germany and drove on the Autobahn at night I would want HIDs but alas I live in a swamp.
IMO Lexus and Toyota are doing the right thing and wish other automakers would be as considerate when picking lights for their giant SUVs. The projector beam headlights in my old '98 LX and my current GX and Spyder work great IMO. Maybe if I lived in Germany and drove on the Autobahn at night I would want HIDs but alas I live in a swamp.Lexus knows what they are doing , it is not for the masses.
01-02-08, 11:21 AM
#20
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I'm surprised the new LX570 isn't gonna have HID's too...
Its just supposed to have it, it has a nice powerful v8, new redesigned look, new interior, 75k price tag and NO HID's....
Thats lame if you ask me...
Its just supposed to have it, it has a nice powerful v8, new redesigned look, new interior, 75k price tag and NO HID's....
Thats lame if you ask me...
01-02-08, 07:51 PM
#21
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lol... imma gonna wait a year on the new 570 b4 i buy it; just like the new 2IS350 when it came out it doesnt have the HID, but the IS now have it... so mayb lexus will put it in mayb on a later production....
01-03-08, 06:23 AM
#25
Believe it or not, HID is currently the light to go with. It's been out for at least 10 years now and we're at the pinnacle of HID technology.
LEDs headlights are the future, but they need to have their bugs worked out. They run pretty damn hot. The LS600H has a heatsink in the back of the headlight to dissipate heat. Not to mention, there have been reports that the output of the LS600H is only about 2000 lumens. Although I cannot confirm the actual output, the LED output is less than the current 4100k HID's 3200lm. But I do hear Cree is working on a new LED bulb that outputs up to 1000lm per LED. Coupled a few together and you can probably get some great output. But it's still stuck with the heat issue.
LEDs headlights are the future, but they need to have their bugs worked out. They run pretty damn hot. The LS600H has a heatsink in the back of the headlight to dissipate heat. Not to mention, there have been reports that the output of the LS600H is only about 2000 lumens. Although I cannot confirm the actual output, the LED output is less than the current 4100k HID's 3200lm. But I do hear Cree is working on a new LED bulb that outputs up to 1000lm per LED. Coupled a few together and you can probably get some great output. But it's still stuck with the heat issue.
01-03-08, 12:32 PM
#29
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Live and learn..... Clueless in Florida .............
Thank you.
01-03-08, 03:00 PM
#30
What sucks is that if you have LS430 projectors in your car, it's hard to downgrade to most projectors. Remember the days when you first tried an OEM-equipped HID setup? It blew your halogen lights away. The effect is the same when you go from an LS430 to a reflector-based HID setup Honestly, I would not trade my setup for anything else right now, even the Bixenon TLs with ZKW lens. Hell, I never use highbeam anyways 
Honestly, I would not trade my setup for anything else right now, even the Bixenon TLs with ZKW lens. Hell, I never use highbeam anyways