Never mind upgrading.

I'd be happier if lots of people just had two headlights that actually had working bulbs.

Even happier if they used them properly like knowing what the pretty blue ligh on the instrument panel actually means and why is everybody flashing me.

Oh and the Sidelights /foglight only peeps - I'm referring to you as well.

Get that lot sorted first imo.

Otherwise your just ratcheting up the who has the brightest dazzling lights arms race. On an unrelated note does anyone know where I can buy a pair of WW2 anti aircraft searchlights? :)

I think a lot of us are going through these "upgrades" for what they are worth, at this time of year.

I also agree with the contributor who says it is becoming a "brightness" competition - I hate to think what we will be faced with in a few years time with badly maintained HID lights, on previously posh German cars, now on their 3rd owners.

We have amongst others, two Subaru Legacies - a 1999 model and a 2003. After 13 years it seemed like a good idea to "upgrade" the bulbs on the former which my wife prefers to drive (this is a very personal decision!) - with Osram H4 Silverstar 2.0 bulbs - (the ones which AutoExpress raved about in their recent tests).

Frankly, I can detect little difference between these whizzo new bulbs and the OE bulbs which have been there for the last 13 years or so. Tried OS first to compare, left NS.

Same thing on the other car - tried "H7 Xenon Max +100%" at £13 each.

DON`T waste your money! These dubious products are frankly dangerous. Autobulbs Direct took them back and exchanged for "Osram Nightbreaker Plus" - another AutoExpress fancy. These are fine - but there`s no difference against them and the OE bulbs now 9 years old. But, the accuracy is MUCH better than the dubious "Ring" product - with the Osram`s the "cut-off" or "aim" is perfect, with one/old one/new in place. But they are no brighter.

Seems to me this whole headlight bulb business is a con - to keep up with the HID boys we are being persuaded to spend 3 to 4 times extra for a product which performs no better in real life than the basic product.

55 watts is 55 watts whatever you do with it - and OE tungsten bulbs are probably the best bet. The rest is just taking a dodgy auto-journo out to lunch. And too much "gin and xenon".

AS