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.
Looks better than the Tiburon. Same as the TL. I think the Lexus (GS??) has LED. You sure you have the bi-xenon? Looks like halogen
Tiburon lights are MUCH brighter than mine even considering they are halogen. TL lights are brighter (at least the spot in front of the car), Impala lights (the first car on the video) are brighter too (I don't know if they got LEDs or xenon). I made sure to make sure that above mentioned cars doesn't have fog lights on to compare apples to apples).
Yes, got the bi-xenon Freaking MB Intelligent Light System, which doesn't light
Didn't realized on YouTube you had listed all the 3 cars. I made the mistake on the Impala.
Actually I think you made a mistake as well. That car should be a Chevy SS. The quad exhaust and I think the side fender vents are the dead giveaways. If so, then it has LED according to the specs.
I watched your second video. Confirmed you have the HID. It looks much better in the 2nd video. Perhaps it is just a matter of illusion from your view point. Well the LED will definitely perform better. My wife's car with LED makes my GL seems to appear like halogen in comparison. I think it is about the same as the TL and definitely better than the Tiburon. At least my old eyes watching the video.
I am a big proponent of the newest lighting technology, and I hate that the most advanced systems in the world are illegal in the US.
Interestingly, while HID is a better technology than halogen, and LED is a better technology than HID, the design and implementation of the optics matters the most. I remember driving a Lincoln MKZ with the LED headlamps and was sadly disappointed by their performance.
The IIHS did a study on lighting systems and found that the results for the different lighting types were all over the board both in lighting technology and cost of car/manufacturer. The lowest rated car in their sampling was a BMW 3-Series.
>>
Among the 44 headlight systems earning a poor rating, the halogen lights on the BMW 3 series are the worst.
<<
I've seen plenty of 3 series around here with just halogen. I pity those drivers who are probably ignorant or were fooled by the salesperson telling them they can simply switch out a bulb.
I know the 3 series is available with halogen, but they also said the list didn't work itself out to be sorted based on technology. I can attest having owned a number of HID headlamped cars that they were all significantly different in terms of the amount and intensity of what was lit in front of the car.
Sadly I think a lot of people don't care about something they consider frivolous like headlights.
>>
Among the 44 headlight systems earning a poor rating, the halogen lights on the BMW 3 series are the worst.
<<
I've seen plenty of 3 series around here with just halogen. I pity those drivers who are probably ignorant or were fooled by the salesperson telling them they can simply switch out a bulb.
I saw a GL as well sporting halogen. Poor soul
I had a GL450 loaner with halogen lights. I can say I liked the performance of the headlights better than on my xenon. How it is possible?
Well, in the above link, they did say the Accord with LED performed worse than the Accord with Halogen.
But after driving cars with HID since 2000, it is hard for me to go back to seeing yellow halogen lights. While my wife's X3 with LED is noticeably brighter and more wide spread than the GL bi-xenon, I kinda like the uniformity of the beam pattern on the GL. I think it is a matter of getting used to it. I suppose if I drive her car 99% of the time and switch back to my car, then I would think differently.
I agree. I would never go back... and I like the color of the HID. That being said, I was disappointed in my first drive using LED headlamps in that Lincoln. I'm HOPING that once headlights/headlight systems start getting rated manufacturers will improve their lighting to maximize what's allowed by law. I don't dislike my GLs light output, but it's also not the best I've experienced with HIDs
I like the bi-xenon lights on my '16 GL450. The light distribution is very even, not just a bright splash in front of the vehicle. The HID headlights on my '12 Hyundai Azera cast a much wider swath, but I think that's to compensate for the fact they don't illuminate the curves.
I don't know, the headlights are barely visible if the road is dump and you can definitely see nothing if there is oncoming traffic.
Yes, the light distribution is very even, no doubts about that. But as you all can see from the video it's barely visible. 10 year in a row I'm only driving the cars with xenon headlights (02' 530d, 10' x5, 11' Sienna, 15' Mustang and now this 14' GL) and GL lights are by far the worst light producing assemblies from the list of vehicles that I did own.
Just a little conclusion from my side
- may be there are some problems with my headlights - bad reflectors, bad ballast or bad bulbs. But this is unlikely, since both headlights performs the same way.
- if they performs same way as your headlights folks and you do like how performs your headlights I don't know what to say
I know, there are variations of the headlights on those GLs. Some are halogens, some are non-intelligents xenon ligts, some are intelligent xenon lights and some are LEDs (on GLS). My experience is only with intelligent version (sucks, sucks, sucks ). It is quite possible, that other versions performs better (or much better) and this is the reason why you do like it.
Mine are like on that picture:
I guess I simply need to compare it to the same GL with the same headlights. Who knows, may be it is a time to replace the bulbs? Anybody have the manual? Bamper removal required?
just got my 2013 GL with non-intelligent Xenon bulb for the Main Beams (low beam) ... with the Amber LED "eye brows" ... and have to say ... SOoooooo disappointing ... they are NOT bright at all, and are amber hue ... NOT only that, the front blinkers are incandescent bulbs NOT LEDs like the rear blinkers ... seriously MB??? just don't want to dump too much money into mods on a car that some of theses things should be standard ... HETPE3B, be interested in your retros and mods ... even many of the interior lights are bulbs ... ughhhh
just got my 2013 GL with non-intelligent Xenon bulb for the Main Beams (low beam) ... with the Amber LED "eye brows" ... and have to say ... SOoooooo disappointing ... they are NOT bright at all
I believe, there's only 2 options. Either you have the base halogen lights OR the bi-xenon (intelligent). So, there's no such thing as non-intelligent xenon. Sadly you have halogens and it truly sucks unfortunately. The bi-xenon is not all that great to begin with
I have had both. A X166 with halogen projectors and a X166 with bi-xenon. Bi-xenon is far superior to me. I traded off the 2013 in order to get the bi-xenon's (and glass roof)...
just got my 2013 GL with non-intelligent Xenon bulb for the Main Beams (low beam) ... with the Amber LED "eye brows" ... and have to say ... SOoooooo disappointing ... they are NOT bright at all, and are amber hue ... NOT only that, the front blinkers are incandescent bulbs NOT LEDs like the rear blinkers ... seriously MB??? just don't want to dump too much money into mods on a car that some of theses things should be standard ... HETPE3B, be interested in your retros and mods ... even many of the interior lights are bulbs ... ughhhh
Actually I didn't have any single mod of the car. Was pretty pleased with all stock things in my GL63 (except the headlights). Sold the car recently, so the problem is fixed
I am a big proponent of the newest lighting technology, and I hate that the most advanced systems in the world are illegal in the US.
The Audi Matrix headlights are probably the best in the industry currently and not allowed in NAR because of archaic legislation from the 50's or thereabouts. Sadly there is no efficient and reasonable way to retrofit them either.
I have been installing E-Code (Euro Spec LHD/RHT) headlights in all my vehicles since the late 90's. It has been the best improvement in lighting and aesthetics along with being the most justifiable.
I thought exactly the same when I first drove my gl at night, prob the worst intelligent system out there, I was actually thinkinking maybe my light bulbs are due for replacement. Have you tried switching to a different bulb (maybe even led)? Does anyone have any recommendations in terms of highest brightness output?
I thought exactly the same when I first drove my gl at night, prob the worst intelligent system out there, I was actually thinkinking maybe my light bulbs are due for replacement. Have you tried switching to a different bulb (maybe even led)? Does anyone have any recommendations in terms of highest brightness output?
I personally didn't think that replacing the bulbs will fix the problem, since my car had around 24 thousand miles, which means the bulbs were still nearly new. Probably just poor design of reflectors inside the headlight.
I personally didn't thing that replacing the bulbs will fix the problem, since my car had around 24 thousand miles, which means the bulbs were still nearly new. Probably just poor design of reflectors inside the headlight.
Thanks for such quick reply, I think it might be the stock bulbs because in these headlights there are no reflectors in the lens itself, the lens and movement mechanism for the lens controls the direction and spread of the beam which is why I think that the stock bulb might be too dim for this set up (maybe for US regulation purposes, idk). I was looking for any recommendations for the best bulbs (high end led/or bi-xenon) if someone tried replacing the stock set. Mine has almost 40k and I'm pretty contempt with it except for the poor illumination at night but I think it's fixable)) anyhow, I would apreciate any advice, thanks in advance
12-13-2016, 05:57 PM
