It seems we are one of the few without HID headlamps We drove a loaner 2010 RX 350 with HID, AFS and NAV... sure was nice...it even seems quieter than our basic 10 RX without HID, Nav, etc. Very impressed with the HIDs, so wondering if anyone upgraded standard halogen (I think) to HIDs. Can I just get a kit? Need projector/ new housing?

Unrelated, the loaner has 19 inch wheels and Michelin Latitudes. Ours has 18 inch Dunlops. Now I don't really know if it's the upgraded side glass or the Michelins, but the loaner sure seems quieter and rides smoother than our vehicle of same model. Just an observation.

 

I also have the 19" Michelin Latitudes. No complaints at all. 11,000 miles now and very little if any visible wear. Tread wear indicator # is 440, pretty high compared to others.

 

you can just get hid kits for your lowbeam, it's pretty commonly done on a lot of other cars

 

There are 2010 RX's without HID's!?!? You're kidding I hope. Could you post pictures of the headlights, I've never seen one without HID's.

You could pick up a kit for $60, but I dunno how the beam pattern would look (is the halogen headlight you have now a projector or reflective?). At this point in time though, you could also have Lexus do a full OEM conversion I suppose, that'd be the route I'd go.

 

it's almost impossible to have dealership to a full swap to hid headlights. first of all each headlight assembly will be over 1k, and the harness not the same, changing harness will be very expensive (labor), and there are sensors on the wheels for leveling, etc... it just won't make sense.

i believe non-hid rx are equipped with projectors as well, just not hid. hid kits should do, hopefully pattern is ok. but i personally won't go for those 60 bucks kit. i have seen those in person, they aren't of any good quality at all. pay a bit more for quality stuff is worth it imho

 

The non-HID RX may also not mask the beam, so any HID conversion should verify that to prevent blinding oncoming traffic. So many conversions out there fail to do this.

 

RX with HID has projector placed towards inside the housing verses non HID having projector towards outside. height of HID projector is part of the regulation so newer vehicle with HID has to be within height limit and also require AFS. This is the reason why GX and LX didn't have HID until introduction of new 10GX. That is problem the reason for strangely shaped light housing with dropping edge design on new 10GX.

with that note, you can probably buy a quality kit from vendor that advertises here, but without AFS, it will definitely be nuisance to on-coming traffic because of its height. You can ask the dealer on price of conversion since light housing is a complete unit with AFS/motor/leveler etc. Like many, we have HID as part of comfort package but it does list HID as separate option at $875.

 

Our DRL's are on the outside of the assembly, the lowbeams close to the grill like our current loaner (although loaner has HIDs and AFS). According to HIDextra (CL vendor) I already have projector housing, so no new housing required. Practically plug n play are their words. Well, not being an Army Ranger, I'm not yet ready to "lead the way" into a conversion, but hoping someone has done it before successfully before taking the plunge. Indeed, it appears we're in the minority without HIDs. Aren't there HIDs without AFS, or does HID automatically come with AFS in the packages? Thanks for all the info.

 

TONS of people here have done it on probably every model of Lexus ever produced. You can probably do without a relay harness, which means it's plug in play. Basically,

1. Plug the ballast into the stock wiring
2. Plug the bulb into the ballast
3. Put the bulb in the headlight assembly

I did it on my '01 ES and I'll be doing it on my Seville this summer. Very simple.

If I may ask, why didn't you get HID's when you purchased the car? Were they not an option with whatever package you selected?

 

Monetary tightwad...my spouse calls it something else but I can't put it in the forum. So, we only have premium and tow prep packages. Looking into installing hitch as well, but there seems to be a difference between OEM and aftermarket hitches that I'm looking into at the moment. I was shy about HIDs as my old Tahoe doesn't have them, but I discovered it doesn't have projectors either so I would've had to get a whole new lens assembly...didn't want to try that whole new lens thing on a Lexus.

 

If you use the highest grade gas your will run smoother (and maybe quieter). I know with my RX when I once in while pick the highest highest grade gas, it drives noticeably smoother. Try it. By the way, dealerships usually make a deal with gas companies. They pay a fee and get unlimited fuel using a gas card. So, they must be using the top grade too.