When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Damn this a really good comparison. Definitelly getting these after my wheels next month. Im liking Spec D a little more though in the night time comparison and how it lights up. I also like that the reverse is a triangle which IMO flows with the sharp look a tad bit better. The only drawback is the red isnt as nice and the fitment is sort of off.
Do you think the Spec D tails could just have a vinyl/tint to look a darker shade of red closer to OEM?
Damn this a really good comparison. Definitelly getting these after my wheels next month. Im liking Spec D a little more though in the night time comparison and how it lights up. I also like that the reverse is a triangle which IMO flows with the sharp look a tad bit better. The only drawback is the red isnt as nice and the fitment is sort of off.
Do you think the Spec D tails could just have a vinyl/tint to look a darker shade of red closer to OEM?
I would assume you could do an overlay to get a darker shade, the outer section of the light does have a few complex curves which might be a little tough..
In all honesty, the color seems more natural to me after having them for a few months and the fitment really is only noticeable if you are looking for it.
And yes my car is in dire need of a wash at the moment
And yes my car is in dire need of a wash at the moment
After having seen a few more threads and pictures of the Spec D lights I think the red is okay. Maybe not OEM standard but close enough. But thanks for your reply MAizz, very helpful thread. Now go and get that car of yours washed
So there are several styles of aftermarket tail lights out there, the latest 3IS style is what really caught my eye, but with several styles out there, I could never settle on one particle brand/set… until now.
So I pulled the trigger on Nigel's Style A (most OEM looking) because of their availability, ease of installation and positive reviews. I'll go more in depth why later, but I decided to try the Spec-D all red set (again, OEM look) through an eBay store. Hopefully my indecision and overall interest will benefit other CL users into what is the better look for you.
Before we go any further, I have a 2012 IS350, the lights on eBay that are advertised as 06-08 are what I purchased, and they fit and work perfectly without any modifications. I asked prior to purchase and was told they cannot guarantee they will work, I bought them anyways and they are fine.
Packaging:
This one is a push- both set come in different shape/size boxes, but are delivered very securely. I'd say Nigel's are packaged a little more securely, but Spec-D's are very good.
Quality:
I'm going to give a slight edge to Nigel on the construction, but with a few caveats. The lens and backing feels a bit thicker and stronger on Nigel's and fit the overall shape very well, however, there is no weather strip along the top portion of the lens, and the wiring harness does not have a trunk clip (minor detail) to reattach the wiring to the trunk under the carpeting. Spec-D's feel sturdy and well made, just maybe not at the level of Nigel's. Spec-D's fitment is about 8.5/10 with the inner portion sitting slightly unflush, this may be because the lights are advertised as 06-08 and my car is a 2012, but I'm pretty sure the shape is the same between the years. Spec-D's have a good weather strip and harness clips.
Installation:
If you have ever taken your tail lights off, this is a super easy mod. Both of these are plug and play, Nigel's are a bit easier since there is just a wiring harness to clip in, no resistors or extra wires, but you do need reverse bulbs. Spec-D's are a bit more work as they have a few resistors to avoid strobing, but all of these are included and is color coded (red to red, yellow to yellow, etc). Spec-D has an optional brake section on the inner portion, which requires a wire to be run along the trunk arm, or you can leave it without. I decided to wire it to give more brake lights since the outer section is smaller (one row of LED vs 2 on Nigel's).
This is probably the most important area. For me they both have a lot of good and some not so good parts...
Nigel: Love the OEM look and yellow turn signals (full LED) Whereas all OEM taillights have a ridge or bump along the turn signal section, these are completely round. These have an OEM look, but the turn signal area is a bit larger and brings the overall appearance down, and the reverse section seems out of place. At night, the bars are very bright and truly red (pictures do not do it justice), the LED's are extremely bright on the brake lights and turn signals. The worst part is how they are lit along the bars, they have single lights at each end which sends the light along a channel/groove; because of this, there are bright spots at night and make them look aftermarket and IMO a bit tacky. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...6108d6d5dc.jpg
Spec-D: Again, very good OEM look to them. I think these have an overall better shape that is closer to OEM. Like Nigel's, the lights are very bright red and pictures do not capture the true color, although the light bars are maybe a bit lighter. The reverse light flows extremely well with the lines of the car and light. The turn signals are red on this model, which is a bit out of place on the IS. These light bars have a better flow because they are actual tube with lights inside, so there are no bright spots on the edges. The brake lights have some variables and give you the option of having both sections light. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...b95d518fa2.jpg
Overall:
Both of these are very close. I purchased Nigel's for $480 shipped, Spec-D's for $399 shipped. Attention to detail is very important to me and I like the OEM look. With the lights off, Nigel's take it. With the lights on, it's a lot closer but I like the Spec-D's because of the uniform light pattern along the bars. Also, being $80 cheaper, I tend to find more value in that.
Up top where you mention that the Spec D type. It has the option to do the inner brake lights wire. It's possible to do the OEM ones the same way? So to speak my inner trunk brake lights will light up too. If you could post a pic of how that wire gets placed on the stock harness.
Up top where you mention that the Spec D type. It has the option to do the inner brake lights wire. It's possible to do the OEM ones the same way? So to speak my inner trunk brake lights will light up too. If you could post a pic of how that wire gets placed on the stock harness.
Thanks
Each set of tail lights have their own wiring harness so that is only a feature on the Spec-D, probably because the brake light is a thinner LED. If you want to cut and run wires you COULD make it happen I'm sure. The wire runs along the trunk arm. I don't have the lights anymore so this is off memory.
Reviving my own thread to share some new information.. Recently a new tail light came out for the 2IS that replicates the 3IS style. I pulled the trigger on these and wanted to give a little insight and comparison to other styles.
Quality: Excellent quality from the packaging to the construction of the lights.
Installation: Pretty straight forward as with all the lights. These ones do not have any external resistors like the Spec-D/78 works, and the harnesses clip in to the OEM spots. Fitment is spot on, zero issues with having to muscle anything into place.
Looks: By far, these look the best in person. With the lights of the double bars are reflective and really pop from the rest. When lit, they have the same lighting method as the 3IS and look extremely clean. The reverse section is contoured to the overall flow/lines of the lights and car, and the turn signal is full yellow LED. I think these are a good combination of the better parts of both Spec-D and Nigel's.
Overall: My biggest gripe on the other styles was they didn't quite look OEM. They mirrored OEM style, but they always gave the aftermarket impression. These ones in my opinion, look like a factory option. I believe these are the cheapest of the aftermarket options and am very happy with the upgrade.
Saw these for sale a few months ago while purchasing my 78works but they were only available on Aliexpress. I believe you're the first in North America with these, as I've seen others with them on Instagram in other countries. Hoping someone will get the black finish versions and post pics of them on here as well.
Edit: literally saw another thread in the ISF section about these lol
I currently have this on my Is250 right now. The quality is outstanding for after market under $400
Color pretty much mirror the 3is OEM
Best investment as far as tail lights goes.
Really bright at night. I love how the reverse is pure white and the turn signals is bright.
Saw these for sale a few months ago while purchasing my 78works but they were only available on Aliexpress. I believe you're the first in North America with these, as I've seen others with them on Instagram in other countries. Hoping someone will get the black finish versions and post pics of them on here as well.
Edit: literally saw another thread in the ISF section about these lol
Yeah I saw them on fb about a week or two ago, ISF forum was blowing up with these. I figured I'd update this thread in case you don't venture there, I didn't even know there was a ISF when I made this thread.
just wondering before i put my money down for those new style 3IS style tail lights... the outer ones seem to stick out further than the oem ones or is it just the picture??
The new one does stick out slightly compare to the 06-08 IS, however if you look at the 2012 IS oem also sticks out similarly. I kind of like it like that IMO, however it's definitely personal preference. The quality is what surprised me most about this tail light.
Link to where you purchased the lights? I definitely like the look of these compared to the Spec-d's --- I've been holding out in buying them as my car is in storage right now for the winter but I'm looking to purchase some tail lights in preparation for the spring..
03-26-16, 09:08 PM
