Looking for new headlights for my car...

[jamesbond007]

Hey everyone! I have a 2003 Neon SXT. I'm not ricing my car up or anything, but I do want a nice, bright light. I am not looking to spend a few hundred dollars on a HID kit or anything like that. I replaced my stock lights with Cuzo 9007s. They're alright, but any kind of external light, such as street lights, seem to 'absorb' the bluish-white light emitted from my bulbs, thus, it makes it difficult to see.

I've been thinking about Sylvania SilverStars or perhaps these, but I have only looked at the Street Glows tonight - they seem to get quite hot, according to one reviewer on CarDomain.com.

Is there anything that fits the bill? I've considered getting a different bumper that has the fog lights on the bottom - something to give me more light - but that's damn expensive after you consider painting it, installing it, wiring, etc. May as well get the HID setup then.

[EDIT]Or these![/EDIT]

Does anyone know of a site that compares nice headlights or have any input to share?

Going to bed for the night, but will be back tomorrow to reply!

Thanks,
~Travis

 

[foghorn67]

Nighthawks by Philips (I think it's Philips).
Silverstars are awesome (I have them) but they burn out fast. Expect 6-12 months of life. Some had them burn out in less then 3 months.
PIAA is a good brand, but they tons to choose from. So it could be confusing.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: foghorn67
Nighthawks by Philips (I think it's Philips).
Silverstars are awesome (I have them) but they burn out fast. Expect 6-12 months of life. Some had them burn out in less then 3 months.
PIAA is a good brand, but they tons to choose from. So it could be confusing.

Silverstars are about as bright as you'll get with a regular resistor wire bulb. After that you might as well save up for retrofit or aftermarket hid kit.

I haven't had that experience with silverstars btw - I put them on my bike and they lasted year + with continuous use (the headlights are always on on motorcycles)

 

[jamesbond007]

Lightbulb life is weird...my cousin said that his Cuzo lights lasted about 6 months before he had to replace them - mine are over 2 years old now.

I've only read mixed reviews about the PIAA bulbs. They're quite expensive, and I think the *most* expensive, so I'd expect them to be the best out of the non-HID bulbs.

I just wish there was a review site or something that had more info...

 

[teckmaster]

I was using the silverstars when I had my neon, loved them.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

I like these:

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=34

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: ArmchairAthlete
I like these:

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=34

Hm, yeah, I don't think I feel like getting pulled over and I believe I will see better with a whiter light, not RED!

teckmaster, thanks. I will probably go with the Sylvania SilverStars...I know I won't have to worry about getting pulled over and they are of normal wattage, so I won't have to worry about them heating up my light covers or having any melting issues like I've read with some bulbs.

Is there a cheap place online to get them? I think I saw them for $40 or so at Wal-Mart, but I can't find any hint of them on Wal-Mart's store. I was thinking about eBay, but most of those auctions are around the $40 price-point anyways, so I may as well get them locally and save some hassle if I run into problems.

 

[wasssup]

I've had silverstars for maybe 10 months, I drive a lot so i've got a ton of hours on them...they're still alive and kicking.

I've seen them cheap at Autozone, $25/after rebate for a pair...

 

[mrchan]

Do NOT get Sylvannia Silverstars.... They are rated to last like 1/10th the time of normal bulbs. Get the Osram Silverstars, NOT the Sylvannia Silverstars.

Another good option is the GE Nighthawk bulbs.

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: mrchan
Do NOT get Sylvannia Silverstars.... They are rated to last like 1/10th the time of normal bulbs. Get the Osram Silverstars, NOT the Sylvannia Silverstars.

Another good option is the GE Nighthawk bulbs.

Well, I just bought them and will give them a whirl. It's pretty sad that there's no real definitive answer to a bulb's life. When I bought my Cuzo lights, most people I talked to said they had to replace their bulbs every 3-9 months. Well, over 2 years later, they're still kicking and alive!

Perhaps it's luck of the draw? mrchan, do you have any review sites to backup your claim? I'm not saying you're wrong, but it would be silly for any manufacturer to make something that typically lasts a long while to burn out so fast. I had a tail light that burned out on me about 2 weeks ago. According to the people I've talked to, a bulb can burn out at any given time and that there's not always a life expectancy. Of course, these are guys who work on cars as a past-time and have no real credentials of any sort.

 

[Aquila76]

I've had my SilverStars (lows, highs, and driving - all factory) for almost 2 years. Got them for a long trip into upstate New York. Brilliant bulbs.

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: mrchan
Do NOT get Sylvannia Silverstars.... They are rated to last like 1/10th the time of normal bulbs. Get the Osram Silverstars, NOT the Sylvannia Silverstars.

Another good option is the GE Nighthawk bulbs.

I've had Silverstars in both my headlights and foglights for the past 2+ years.

 

[Viperoni]

Do not ever get any bulb that has a tinted glass surface. They actaully reduce your visibility while giving the impression of being able to see more. This includes Sylvania Silverstar's, and most PIAA's and other aftermarket bulbs.

The GE Nighthawk's are good, so are the Sylvania XtraVision's. I replaced the stock sealed beam headlight unit on my satty with a GE Nighthawk (was $30), but there was only a very small difference. Slightly brighter, slightly whiter, slightly larger beam spread.... I wouldn't have paid the $30cad for it had I known the difference. I would have rather paid ~$15 for an Xtravision.

 

[swtethan]

PIAA bulbs = best

 

[mrchan]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: mrchan
Do NOT get Sylvannia Silverstars.... They are rated to last like 1/10th the time of normal bulbs. Get the Osram Silverstars, NOT the Sylvannia Silverstars.

Another good option is the GE Nighthawk bulbs.

Well, I just bought them and will give them a whirl. It's pretty sad that there's no real definitive answer to a bulb's life. When I bought my Cuzo lights, most people I talked to said they had to replace their bulbs every 3-9 months. Well, over 2 years later, they're still kicking and alive!

Perhaps it's luck of the draw? mrchan, do you have any review sites to backup your claim? I'm not saying you're wrong, but it would be silly for any manufacturer to make something that typically lasts a long while to burn out so fast. I had a tail light that burned out on me about 2 weeks ago. According to the people I've talked to, a bulb can burn out at any given time and that there's not always a life expectancy. Of course, these are guys who work on cars as a past-time and have no real credentials of any sort.

IIRC the life expectancy of a Sylvania Silverstar is 300 hours (That may be on the package somewhere). Life expectancy of a normal, stock sylvania bulb is about 1000 hours.

 

[mrchan]

Just checked at Sylvania.com. Silverstars are 150 hours for 9006 bulbs, XtraVision bulbs are 850 hours and the Halogen plus bulbs are 1500 hours.

So yeah, about 1/10th.

 

[JDrake]

Those bluish lights are soo much cooler than the stock yellowish ones.

 

[Aquila76]

Originally posted by: Viperoni
Do not ever get any bulb that has a tinted glass surface. They actaully reduce your visibility while giving the impression of being able to see more. This includes Sylvania Silverstar's, and most PIAA's and other aftermarket bulbs.

The GE Nighthawk's are good, so are the Sylvania XtraVision's. I replaced the stock sealed beam headlight unit on my satty with a GE Nighthawk (was $30), but there was only a very small difference. Slightly brighter, slightly whiter, slightly larger beam spread.... I wouldn't have paid the $30cad for it had I known the difference. I would have rather paid ~$15 for an Xtravision.

I don't think the SilverStars are tinted. Mine have a pearlescent coating on them, but they aren't tinted, AFAIK.