TheBucketOfTruth

I'm just curious why Porsche offers both of these. I know that in the past when discussing aftermarket off road lights people said LEDs had more issues with throw distance and that's why most professional off road trucks used HIDs or a combination of the two. With all the OEMs starting to offer LEDs is that old information? Anyone compared or owned cars with each? I'm not necessarily even in the market for a 718 right this minute but building one on the website last night had me a bit puzzled.

cvb

I can say that the LEDs in my BMW M4 are AMAZING. Easily the best headlights I've had (brightness, throw). I didn't test the LEDs on the 718 before I ordered them, but I'm a convert in principle. HIDs are certainly very good - but in my experience LEDs are even better

GregWormald

The PDLS Bi-Xenon lights on my Boxster are the best lights I've ever had.
I understand--although I've not tried them--that the LEDs are even better. They were too much more $$ for me given the small amount of night driving I do outside of street-light areas.

Pokerhobo

Pro: LEDs should last longer than Xenons
Pro: LEDs are brighter (about 50% per the video above) than Xenons
Con: LEDs are more expensive
Con: LED high beams are effectively no different than Xenons (at least in the USA)
Con: LEDs have a sharper drop off than Xenons (don't think it's a functional problem, but people notice it)
Pro/Con: Some people prefer the look of one vs the other

OldJedi

GregWormald

IIRC the summary maths in the video were suspect. The PDLS Bi-Xenons are almost the same brightness as the LED but a different pattern of throw.
(It's been a while since I looked carefully at the video, so...)

ChrisJay

If you are used to LED, the Bi-Xenons will seem quite yellow. I have had LED lights in all of my vehicles for a few years now and the 718 Boxster I picked up has the dynamic Bi-Xenons and I will say, it is the one thing I do not care for on the car. My wife's Panamera, my Raptor and my Macan GTS all have LEDs and I have just grown to like the bright white of them. Now, if I wasn't used to LED, the Bi-Xenons would likely be fine but to me it is a noticeable difference. However, it is certainly not noticeable enough to spend the insane amount of money to swap them to a set of Porsche LEDs (a quick check looked to be around a $6K replacement). The other thing you do lose with the Bi-Xenons is the high beam assist, since I live out in the country with hilly roads and I do like high beam assist as it is quicker than I am about turning off the high beams when I came over a hill to another vehicle. Why this option disappears on the Bi-Xenons, I have no idea.
As for brightness the Bi-Xenons are plenty bright and the high beams are great, it is just a different flavor of light from the LED.
Chris

OldJedi

sobediny

If you do decide to upgrade your jalopy ride to having HID/Xenons or LEDs you should first find out if they are legal in your area. Then you should probably consult your car's owner manual and see if its electrical system allows their fitment without too much hassle. If everything is well, don't go for the cheapest kits you can find on eBay and only fit them with a specialist.

ekam

Keep in mind you don't want too cool/white of a light as a bit of yellow helps cut through snow & fog better.

OldJedi

semtex

At least on the Cayman I really DON'T like the LEDs. The 4 dots just look out of place on the Cayman, like they were an afterthought. But the LEDs are definitely brighter and have a nice feature to prevent blinding drivers who are driving towards you.

manifold danger

I'll come at this from another perspective- I had an M4 with LED's, and my current BGTS has bi-xenons... and I don't notice a difference at all.

I think most of that is because I don't do a whole lot of nighttime driving. But that's also an important aspect to consider- if anyone is like me then it's probably not an essential upgrade.

donR

I was just reading this and I agree no need to upgrade to LEDs for the $$$ unless you are doing a lot of night driving and country driving where you might appreciate the benefits.

Our BMW F31 has LEDs and it is a nice white light but our 2008 E91 had bi-xenons which were also fine and my 2001 Audi also has xenons which are fine.

LEDs are definitely a little better but there is nothing wrong with Xenons. Avoid halogens.

Athough, IMO Porsche should be offering the LEDs as standard in this day and age. It is just another money making scheme to offer them as an option.

disden