Here's an article about a Univ of Michigan study
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...7-17-hid_x.htm

I wonder if it's too late to change my order and save $500.

I guess the real question is directly comparing the factory halogens on the mustang to the HID equipped ones (rather than the best halogens on the market vs a certain model HID)

 

I know the researcher that was cited in that study (Mike Flannagan). He did another study on the color temperature and basically said something along the lines of the color is what makes it more "visible" to the human eye because of how it is recognized (almost like glare). You can't see the halogen lighting on the road, but it still gets thrown out onto the road. The Virginia Tech study shows this and they used test subjects of varying age and sex. For those who continue to doubt the report, I would urge you to actually glance through the report. If you're serious about the subject, you would find it at least somewhat interesting.

Keep in mind that HIDs still have to be FMVSS 108 compliant to be used on the streets here in the US. There are limitations to the amount of light that can be thrown out, and from what I have seen/read, the amount of lumens is comparable between HIDs and halogens for automotive front lighting.

AFBLUE: You should be able to change your order unless it is too late in the process. However, that said, I would still keep the $525 option on the order. If you really hated them, you could "retrofit" halogens without too much trouble. I just wouldn't bother retrofitting $1400 HIDs onto a S197.

 

The only reason I ordered them was because I thought they would provide more safety than the current halogens. http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showth...935#post896935

I was questioning the reason for HIDs (post #17) and members on here informed me that the stock mustang ones weren't very good and the HIDs would be an added safety feature.


Hey wait a minute! You're the one that convinced me to get the HIDs!
http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showpo...4&postcount=20

 

Yep, I remember that post. I started to do more research and found that high-end halogens could match the amount of light of HIDs, and that the color temperature of the HIDs has more of an effect than light.

That said, poorly designed halogens are still poorly designed halogens. Keep your order as-is and if you don't like them, retrofit in halogen lamps. My guess is that there's a high probability you will like the HIDs because you can see a lot of the white light in front of you. I've seen first hand how far standard halogens can reach and I'm impressed.

 

Drive a non HID car and look pay attention to reflective objects in the distance. Now drive an HID equipped car and loook at the same object. Wanna know which car illuminates the reflectors farther out?

 

I just changed mine today to hids, no contest, not even remotely close in any aspect. Even dirty stripes on the parkway were stone white for hundreds of feet out. They're almost invisible with the normal lights. Putting a lot of faith in teenagers doing their thesis in a 'study'-not to mention there are thousands of variables including all the different light housings, height, reflectors, and actual setup of the car. There were reflective signs being illuminated more then 1/4 mile out, and I could see deep into the woods on the sides of the road. I would say lowbeam hids=roughly 3 times more powerful then both my normal lows and fogs(6000k solenoid low/hi bi-xenon). High beams are not as effective, but completely unnecessary-I only got the bi-x for inspection. The first 75' in front of the car looks like friggin high noon on a clear day.

I run that same pitch black stretch all the time, may as well be a new car, and the beam is conservatively low(I lowered them a smidge). I was really concerned about the glare(maybe because I kept 'testing' it by staring at the car for way too long), but its no worse then the OEM setup on a 'slade. No one flashed me in over an hour's driving where any night with my normal lights/fogs would of yielded quite a few. The factory HIDs will yield the same power(a touch brighter even at 4300k) but with a bit better controlled glare and beam pattern with the horizontal facets that were added to the reflector. I'm sure its somewhat annoying with a bulb upfit, but with the incredible amount of morons I saw on the road tonight, I stopped feeling sorry for everybody after about 15 minutes of driving. You don't like em'-well finish the lane change you've been working on for the past 3 miles while trying to drive and text message and get the hell out of the way. If you pull up next to a halogen car at a light, you can't even tell they have headlights on.

 

Yup and in other 'tests', the world could be ending somewhere between 20 and 50,000,000,000 years from now, depends on who you ask. I can't wait until results are in from tests showing how many more accidents are caused each year from distraction by cell phones, Ipods, and nav units and other over-complicated displays(like ones that show tons of information just about the music on the radio). Many people can't drive a car with no options well, lets throw 15 new gizmos to play with while they struggle to keep it between the lines as it is....I guess hid glare can be dangerous when you are shuffling through your Ipod while driving with your buddy on the phone trying to see if you have a certain song and someone with hids comes around the corner.

Any bright light will give someone with migranes a hard time, especially if you do it right in their eyes, as opposed to below eye level through tinted glass like in a car that you shouldn't be staring at to start with. I will admit, the beam pattern on the upfit hids is only about 2 times better then the stock headlights and fogs combined straight ahead, but three times better to the edges and about 5 times better at lighting signs(i noticed some new ones tonight I had never seen in the prior 1000 trips down the road). My SVTF euro pkg hids did really good straight ahead but not so good to the sides.

 

Umm, isn't what "the human eye perceives" what it's all about at the end of the day?

 

Or in the heels of their Nikes.

 

I could write another study that says reality is nine-tenths perception.

It would all be in how it was perceived, though.

 

Metroplex loves to incite arguments about automotive lighting. If he's not winning one side of the argument...he adopts the opposite side.

Case in point: SilverStars RULE!

 

50 billion years from now?

Most scientists estimate that the sun will continue to burn brightly for another five billion years or so, at which point it will expand outwards till it eventually engulfs the entire solar system - including Earth - before collapsing back into itself and going nova.

Of course, 5 billion or 50 billion really won't matter to us. If we last even 1 billion, by then we'll probably look something like this >>

 

Nope. It's about how much light gets thrown out forward of the car. Just because you can see more light 30 feet in front of you has no bearing on whether HIDs add an extra margin of safety.

Now try that with non-reflective objects, like tire treads or pedestrians in dark clothing. Reflective objects and tape will illuminate very readily whether you are using halogens or HIDs.

 

Well I highly doubt that the fog lights will be HID as well, that's just too much money for the whole thing.

As far as LED's go, ok I understand if they don't want to give is LED tailight's, but at least give me an LED 3rd brake light, cmon Ford!

 

What do you mean by this? Are you saying that the factory HIDs will be 4300K?

Also, do you have any pictures of your new HIDs and how much did they cost?

I'm about to put in an order for an '08, but I might just skip the factory HID's (and the anti-theft) if aftermarket HIDs will give me more happiness in life.

 

I think you just proved they do in that statement, which you might want to re-read.

You're trying to put the cart before the horse. The bottom line here is human vision...and what the human eye can see. If I can see more light (or more precisely light reflected by the object I am trying to illuminate) 30 feet in front of me, then by definition that means I can better see the actual object 30 feet in front of me.

What part of this equation don't you understand?

 

Wait, you are changing you qualifications. You stated that "that indicated regular Halogens allowed faster detection of objects in the road versus HIDs by about 300+ feet". I can prove that false.

Also, please let me know what type of lighting that is used on endurance racing vehicles. Ever watch the 24 hours of Lemans?

 

Well MY study says 50 billion, others may vary slightly from product shown on box.

 

There's a thread in exterior appearance. I'm going to get some photos in the next few days They work great for $150, but if the fatory option is $500, I would go with that. The reflector is tweaked too so they will have a bit more focus and a little less glare then just putting hid bulbs in a halogen housing. I would assume 4300k as this is pretty much status quo for OEM HID's. They will also be a big brand like Sylvania or Phillips in a HID headlight from a manufacturer.

 

Well, since none of us will even be around in 50 thousand years, I suppose your study really can't be disproven anyhow.