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HID Alternatives

So you like the look of HIDs but don't want to shell out three or four hundred dollars, cant stand the thought of mounting inverters, or don't know how to tap into the battery? Well, there are a few options for plug-and-play standard sized halogen bulbs that can liven up any car without eating a hole in your wallet. First you have to pick a look that you are going for. This chart gives you a sense of color temperature.

Many people believe that the higher the color temperature the brighter the lamp. This is totally wrong. The color temperature is purely a scale to measure the color of the light output. The reality is the higher up the scale the lamps are the less bright they become. 5200K lamps are approx 10% brighter (measured in Lumens, not degrees K) than the 7000K. If you want lighting performance the 5200K HID lamps are the best. In my opinion 6000K has the best and most attractive light output for HIDs. Decide you want the real thing? Look over here

You can see that the bulb on the right saturated the camera a bit more then the one on the left, and that it has a slightly more white color. I could see the difference, and I hope the picture can convey it just as effectively.

High performance halogen lighting, such as the Sylvania SilverStar on the right, has a color temperature of approximately 4000K, comparable to high intensity discharge (HID), which is 4100K.

In contrast, standard halogen headlights, like the one on the left are only about 3200K and have a more yellow appearance. The two ends to the specific spectrum are yellow and blue, the higher the color temperature, the closer to blue. This is why lights that are high in color, such as HID and SilverStar, are perceived as blue, they are actually just less yellow.

So to get the best performance in brightness and color, I recommend that you at least upgrade your stock lamp capsules to high performance ones, Such as Sylvania Silverstars, PIAA Xtreame White, or Matrix Diamond White bulbs. They are avalible for most cars and run between $30 an $70 per set.

Sylvania
Standerd (SD)	XtraVision (XV)	Cool Blue (CB)	SilverStar (ST)
~3200K (Yellow-White) 55 watt, 1000 Lumens	~3200K (Yellow-White) 55 watt, 1000 Lumens	~3500K (whiter) 55 watt, 1000 Lumens	~4000K (whitest halogen) 55 watt, 1000 Lumens

$15.99	$24.99	$34.99	$49.99
designed to industry spec	XtraVision capsules leverage the technology of a specifically engineered filament and a proprietary gas mixture to create up to 30% more illumination than standard halogens.	SYLVANIA uses advanced coating technology to achieve a distinct look and to heighten the sensation of night driving with 100% street legal illumination.	High performance halogen lighting, such as SYLVANIA SilverStar, has a color temperature of approximately 4000K, comparable to high intensity discharge (HID), which is 4100K.

PIAA
Star White bulbs (h3) (h4) (h7) (900x)	Xtreme White Plus (H1) (h3) (h4) (h7) (h11) (900x)	Super Plasma GT-X (h3) (h4)
3800k Temp 85w (55 Draw)	4000k Temp 100w (55 Draw)	5000k Temp 110w (55 Draw)

$50 - $70	$60-$80	$50 - $70
Star White bulbs are significantly whiter and brighter than normal halogen bulbs.	Xtreme White Plus bulbs will provide a brilliant cool white light that will light up road hazards and street signs long before a normal halogen bulb. The blue top coat on these bulbs add a slight blue tint to the lamp while still providing outstanding performance.	GT-X bulbs will give your factory lights a beautiful bluish purple look with no need to sacrifice performance

Matrix GR
DIAMOND WHITE XENON HALOGEN	ULTRA WHITE XENON HALOGEN	ULTIMATE WHITE 95% XENON HALOGEN
55 Watt	70 Watt	70 Watt

$25	$28	$36
SPARKLING PURE WHITE HID LOOK from MATRIX - 100% street legal and bright pure white xenon light	BLUE TINT HID LOOK from MATRIX - resembles blue-tint factory HID lighting systems on new BMW	95% XENON BLUE TINT HID LOOK from MATRIX - best blue tint HID look available... intense!!