LED or Bi-Xenon Headlights

[Cheib]

Are LED's a lot better than Xenon lights ? Ordering a new car and currently have ticked the "Bi-Xenon with PDLS box" but am tempted to tick the "LED with PDLS plus" box!

This is on a Cayenne but I assume the lights are similar in performance across the range.

[developer]

LED's may offer you an intelligent light option - well worth the extra - Bi-Xenon's can't perform this way.

I have intelligent LED's on my E63S and they are epic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRKrZW6yX14

Edited by developer on Tuesday 1st November 18:45

[Cheib]

I think they are "active".

Are LED'/ much better at illuminating country lanes?

[sidicks]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I don't think the Porsche LEDs are quite as sophisticated as the Audi Matrix ones, but think they are better than standard Bi-Xenons!

[SimNugget]

I have the LEDs with PDLS+ on my Macan, they are very good and the housing itself looks cooler than the regular xenons.

They do illuminate a wide area although I felt the active function was superior on my BMW - with that you could see a little dark area on a car you were following while the rest of the road was illuminated on full beam. The Porsche system just seems to be dip or full beam automatically controlled.

S

[Cheib]

Just had a better look at the website....I think the Cayenne's lights are like the Macan.....I would say "semi-active" The new Panamera has the Matrix lights a la Audi.

The housing does look much cooler but not sure it's £1200 cool which is what the extra cost is!

[Mattt]

developer said:

LED's may offer you an intelligent light option - well worth the extra - Bi-Xenon's can't perform this way.

I have intelligent LED's on my E63S and they are epic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRKrZW6yX14

Edited by developer on Tuesday 1st November 18:45

Xenon can, BMW adaptive does.

[breadvan]

I've got LEDs on my Cayenne and PDSL Xenons on my Spyder.

Took the Spyder out last night after many weeks exclusively driving the Cayenne and I couldn't believe how yellow the xenons were. The colour of the LEDs are hugely better for night driving.

I wouldn't say they are significantly brighter but for me they are worth it.

In terms of tech, the current Cayenne definetly has 'gen 1' LEDs. The spread is OK and the adaptive main beam works well but they are no where near as clever as Audi Matrix or BMW Active lights.

The edge of the light cone is also much softer than the LEDs I'm used to (MB and BMW).

Love the sat nav controlled junction/corner function though.

Guessing how spec conscious you are, I think you'll regret not having them.

My OPC has also retro fitted them recently at a cost of around £3k on top of PDSL.

[developer]

Mattt said:

Xenon can, BMW adaptive does.

Interesting - it's the individual LED's that let the lights perform as shown in the video = particularly "blacking out" the car in front, or approaching - how do the Xenons acheive this?

[nutsytvr]

I have the LED'S with PDLS PLUS. When I specced my cayenne (November 15) active lighting was not available with xenons.

The active system is great, and it does have the "masking" as per audi. Unlike Audi, it works all the time, not just in lane 3 of the motorway

[breadvan]

developer said:

Mattt said:

Xenon can, BMW adaptive does.

Interesting - it's the individual LED's that let the lights perform as shown in the video = particularly "blacking out" the car in front, or approaching - how do the Xenons acheive this?

Mattt's right, works the same for xenons and LEDs with BMW.

I think the camera controls some sort of blanking plate that moves to create to black-out, it doesn't matter what the illumination is behind it.

This is a guess, happy to be corrected and obviously completely different matrix lights.

Edited by breadvan on Wednesday 2nd November 13:03

[jh001ace]

I have LED's (PDLS +) on my .2 Cayenne (RHD), I do a lot of driving in France, the high Beam assist is not very effective over there, always getting flashed by drivers on the opposite carriageway especially when going around right hand bends, can this be adjusted?

[Cheib]

Well....think I am going to tick the box marked "LED Lights" then....and no it's not just because they look cool honestly!

I do live somewhere where we don't have street lights and do a decent amount of driving on unlit roads so hopefully I'll get the benefit from them.

[breadvan]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yeah but they're attached to an Audi.

[Cheib]

I'd already ticked the LED lights box but had a Boxster S with LED's as a loan car today. Thought they were superb and very glad I have gone for them.