Zinny

Really ignorant on lighting and hear how.much better the p2 package is......with xenons.

jp2369

Just buy aftermarket kits ....cheeper and you can get them brighter i have 6000k ....If you don't need the push start and such just get the p1

Zinny

Have p2 on order, just wondering why xenons are better.

Johnny Mo

Color temperature and brighter are 2 different things. Most automotive xenons have a 4300k color temperature - which is much closer to the color of natural sunlight vs halogens which are at 3200K.

The new MB units will be coming with 5000k bulbs and anything over that starts to give more of a bluish or purplish color to your light output - so while the color temperature is higher it definitely doesn't always correlate to the "brightness" of the light.

That being said, in answer to the OP's question it is better to have light output as close to what appears to be natural daylight vs the yellowish hue cast by halogen bulbs.

BenzE350

Because if you are old like me you will not be able to see at night with the standard lights.

My E350 is the first car I have owned in the past decade+ without xenons. I stoped driving it at night.

Zinny

Great explanation. Thank you very much.

reckrab

Don't discount the adaptive features of the P2 bi xenons. You won't get that with aftermarket lights.

RNBRAD

Adaptive headlights, man what an awesome concept. Never ever have to worry about dimming and brightening your lights again and it does it in fractions of a second so you always have the best visibility at all times. If you guys cheaped out, you have no idea what your missing. It's one of those features that's a must have!!

mg-E550

+ 1. Great gadgets.

Zinny

This is a GREAT example of why I canceled my S4 order and went with the E550. Although the S4 does have an amazing engine and suspension, Audi simply did not offer technology like MB. Not only did the S4 not compe with adaptive headlights (around corners) it certainly did not come with auto dimming.

I live in rural MN and to have this feature is going to be AMAZING!

220S

The latest S4 Audi certainly does have adaptive headlamps. It's included in the prestige model, otherwise it's a pay for option. And the S6 (which is the model the E Class is equivalent to) has the same available technology.....

For those that say buy aftermarket, you can replace the OEM projectors with any current D1S bulb if you prefer that 6k and beyond blue look.

But if you order the P1 then you won't get active curve illumination. And if you simply replace the bulbs and add ballasts in the OEM halogen fixtures then you won't have the proper projector and also with the shield that lifts up to give you HID high beams.

And not only won't you get keyless go (which is so worth it), you also won't get electronic trunk close. You'll realize very quickly how incredibly handy both those features are.

Why scrimp on the car? Load it up and get the best of it.

kingofire

I agree. I am spoiled to have owned a car that has had keyless entry/start since 2006 so now it is a deal breaker. The electronic trunk close is a nice feature too and I love it.

Another thing you guys need to remember is that if anything goes wrong electrically, the first thing the dealer or MB will try to blame is the aftermarket hid ballasts and will try hard to void warranty. MB's are very costly to fix and you don't want to play with your warranty.

I went to a car meet a couple of months ago and one of the guys there fried his navigation unit and they blamed this on the ballasts getting hot enough to affect some wiring that indirectly led to his head unit to fry. This guy didn't have a leg to stand on and had to shell close to $3000 to get it fixed. Just an example.

K-A

Bi-Xenons rule. Not only do they look great (I hate the 6000 and/or 8000K blue look, and find the 4300's to be a perfect mix of crisp white, with less strain to the eyes than that overly blue-purple look), but the technology built in is great, with the active curve, adaptive, etc. stuff.

Also, people don't seem to realize, with the P1 cars, the inner "eye" comes with a traditional bulb, whilst the P2 inner light come with a cool "crystal-ball" looking projector type thing, which gives a nicer white light to boot.

All in all, P2 is a great bargain IMO, even if the daytime LED's are now standard across the board. I'm awaiting to see how the new 5000K lights look. I figure, if I keep this car for the long haul, I'd just wait until any of the Xenons burn out, then replace with the new ones.

Zinny

The US S4 absolutely DOES NOT have adaptive headlights. Huge topic on Audiworld S4 forum. The Canadian version does. Go figure.

Zinny

I also love the little halogen light that comes on when making a turn. I know this is not new, but the halogen brightness is great.

BPhillyBenz

I am dating myself BUT, whatever happened to the "Minnesota Fighting Saints". Old time hockey, eah...
Fun team to watch...but the worst logo ever.

Have fun with the new car...

Zinny

Moved to Cleveland in mid 70's!

220S

My dealer told me they were coming in 2010 and the Audi website says they exist

"In addition, Audi adaptive headlights utilize input from the vehicle’s steering and speed to pivot up to 15 degrees, allowing you to see ahead in the dark by lighting up corners more effectively."

But maybe they didn't get DOT approval at the last minute for the USA. It's odd because the A6/S6 does have them for the USA.

btw, I'm still not understanding why you're comparing the Audi A4/S4 with the Benz E350/550? Audi A4 = C-Class = BMW 3 series; Audi A6 =E-Class = BMW 5 series. You're giving the Audi A4/S4 kinda the short end of the stick, imho.

Zinny

If you read the Audiworld forum, you will find that not one has had them yet. I even went to the dealer and checked. No adaptive headlights. Now, the side to side thing is no big deal really, but the automated high beam option on the E class is wicked cool!

Now, why compare and E class to an S4 vs A6? Good question.......but, Audi really have stretched the S4 quite a bit. Their wheel base is 110 inches, 3 less but still not too bad. Close to an A6 a few versions ago. Add to that they widened it so it was plenty room for a 6'2" guy like me. And again, the engine was butter.

I drove the E350 and was uninspired. I am sure it is a great engine but I was looking for a little more power. Drove the E550 and was hooked. The only think I HATED was the front grill and the hood orniment. Once I found out (Thanks Philly) how easy it was to swap that out to the coupe style, was able to get USAA pricing ($2,000 under invoice) it made my decision easy.

Well, easier. That S4 is still a wonderful car. And I do feel lucky to have such a nice choice.

220S

I agree about the V8. I had bought a 2009 E350 about 2 years ago and dumped it for a new 2009 E63. I lost a few bucks (although I sold it to a relative and we made a 'special' deal, so all was well), but I honestly hated the V6. It was lifeless and noisy, too. It's clearly not as well balanced as the V8 motors. The V8 is really a great MB motor (as is the 6.2 V8 ) Smooth is an understatement.

I guess comparing the Audi with the Benz in size is one thing, but don't forget that model differences are marketed to have certain features so there's not a lot of cross pollination between them. Comparing certain features of the E Class with the Audi A4 does give the E Class the advantage. But if you compare features of the A6 and the E Class, then it's a more accurate picture, imho.

Zinny

Yes, you are absolutely right about apples to apples. It's just that A6 has the same interior as the one I oned in 2005. They are getting an update but still pretty plain. The S4/A4 was redesigned a recently they did a nice job.

Now, the new A7 looks like an AMAZING car. That comes out in the spring. I have always owned Audi's or I would have gone for that. I wanted to try a MB for a little variety. Biut, I may "lose a little money" after a year or two and jump back to the S7 when that comes out.

And I TOTALLY would have gone for the E63 is it somehow had 4matic. Too much snow in Minnesota not to have All wheel drive.