Bens-Benz

Xenon vs Halogen

Do you guys think the C230 SS looks better with the Xenon lights for styling on the car? I have looked at pictures both with and without the Xeonon lights and can't really tell which looks better. I believe the Xenons look best.

The problem with pictures is that they never do this car justice. So is it the same with the lights? Do they look much better then the halogen lights as far as car styling? I know the blue lights look cool already.

Kev04C320

What the bixenons actually give you is the extra lights when you're driving at night. If you live in the city, it probably won't matter. However, if you live in the suburbs or rural areas, then you probably need them.

nlpamg

bi-xenons look WAAAAAAAY better. even during the daytime, the projector assembly looks way better than just seeing a lightbulb.

here, this is just beautiful (notice my avatar )

Kev04C320

I like BiX too, and wouldn't buy another without it.

DiamondNoir2K5

I think the projectors make the car look cross-eyed.

Guest0001

Yes its true. From a distance it looks so retarded. But from up close it looks beautiful. I would still get the xenons though

nlpamg you need to get some platinum white city lights to match the xenons

mick1

I think bi-xenon looks way better than halogen but since you say you can't tell which one looks better, maybe you should opt for the halogen one because that would save you $790.

it doesn't make sense to pay more for something that you can't tell the difference.

nlpamg

I dunno man, I was thinking about it; but the more I looked, the more I liked the contrast between the halogens and the xenon.

but one thing that I think would be cool is if I could put some sort of fiber-optic around the housing so it would look like angel-eyes in a way. look closely in the pic as to how the light reflects at the bottom, if that could go all the way around, that would be awesome!

808_230K

bix, hands down, although the new, clear, halogen housings look WAY better than the ugly frosted-over ones from the prev. years

Outland

Bix look better- its kinda a snob thing though...gotta have Xenon's on a high end car these days. We have Xenon lights on my wife's car, and I think the standard halogens on the Benz are brighter at least in our case- but the Xenon lights are just so bright when you look at them, its hard to believe it. I think the new Clear lense Halogens are pretty nice though, and they make the older frosted lense stuff look down right nasty- especially the quasi amoeba lights on the Sedan...bleck, worst part of the car. If your getting a Sedan, youve gotta get the new clears or Bix.

Bens-Benz

ok I have gone back through lots of posts with pics of the Xenon lights and decided they look better.

Kev04C320

I think my car actually looked better after I replaced the frosty headlights with BiXenons. My next step is to replace the fogs with quad fogs.

taylor192

I personally think the BiX make the Sports Coupe look silly. On the sedan they look better, yet overall, for $800-1000 I wouldn't rank them very high on the list of appearance mods.

Lets be frank, those that have them are basically just for the 'bling' factor, not for the higher light output.

IMHO I think the new clear halogens look the best.

Threads like this are the funniest. The same people that will rave over BiX will be the first to say 'rice' for other mods. Lighting is 'rice', buy a body kit or wheels.

Jim Banville

I don't think the Xenon's projector look "fits" the headlight housings on the current C-class. The housing should be designed around the projector, not the other way around. I don't think they are going to redesign the housing and surrounding sheetmetal, at this time, just for the better intergrated look though.

mctwin2kman

I got mine for the light output factor. Then again I got mine before most even thought of them. As I got them on the car at the very beginning of 2003 so the 2002 people were still up in the air about them. They do so good I will never buy a vehicle without them, if they are an option.

Kev04C320

People that says BiX are only for the bling factor probably haven't experienced "a deer jumped out from the bushes in front of me" type scenario.

Bens-Benz

Well, looking at other posts, I have noticed alot of people installing aftermarket xenon lights. It's better to get them now, then not get them and decide to add later.

Kev04C320

Of course, the retrofit does not include the headlamp washers, and auto leveling sensors, and the factory cost for the package is only 3/4 of the cost to buy them aftermarket.

Outland

In 2002 the Bix lights were not even an option. I get the impression that several portions of the C-Coupe fell behind schedule in developement- the M271 certainly, and the Bix were likely an item that pushed the car's cost too high for the original spec. I think MB would have had more success with the car, had they launched it with the clear lense lights- with a regular Xenon(not bix) like some other MB's had at the time. and the 3.2L six, instead of the M111. Don't misunderstand me, I love the M111 engine, but its a bit rough around the edges, something that comes up in every review of the car.

Outland

Bull****. Ever been in a car hitting a deer? Been nearby when one hit a deer? Ive done both. The BIX lights aren't gonna make a difference. I drove my wife's car to get gas tonite down a stretch of road that has a steep hill, no lights, and very little in the way of houses - its DARK, and then I drove again later with the Benz- which doesn't have Xenon. The Benz headlights are just as good or better in highbeam, and the biggest difference in low beam isn't the brightness- the Benz lights actually seem brighter, but rather the contrast and uniformity of the light output from the HID headlamps. They have a sharp, distinct cutoff, and everything is lit evenly, as well as having a bit more snap. I like HID lights, but I'm honest enough to admit they are more bling bling than functional.

andrei

This was the most difficult decision I had to make when I ordered my car. I stared at cars with each, side-by-side for hours. I feel that the look of the halogens and their housings flow better with the lines of the front of the car (now that they are clear for 05). The xenon's look like they are an out-of-place, afterthought...at least on brilliant silver. However, the xenon's are MUCH nicer from a nighttime driving perspective both in functionality and cool factor. Overall, this is probably one of the only cars I would ever get WITHOUT xenons...until they better integrate the housing as they have with their other models. In any case, you can't go wrong either way.

Kev04C320

Having lived in Wisconsin for 7 years, I have run into deers on many different occasions, and I would have to say that the BiXenons do let me see further and helped me out in several occasions. (I had stock halogens for a year before I swapped to BiXenons)

If the BiXenons didn't do that for you, you're entitled to your own opinion. However, calling out things like BS and start going off on others are totally unacceptable.

Furthermore, I wouldn't use the hi-beams because I don't want to blind on-coming traffic. That way, BiXenons is a big help