I have recently purchased a base model PiP, and I did not select the Advanced package due to the fact I wanted a cheap-ish, economical, and technologically advanced DD, and I figured that an extra $7525 for all those features was unnecessary. However, the LED headlamps from the Advanced package look appealing, and I was wondering if they perform much better than the standard headlamps. If they are, then I would like to retrofit a pair. So tell me, is the improvement worth going through the trouble of finding a pair of LED headlamps, retrofitting them, and possibly damaging the car in the process?
Yes, the LED headlamps out perform the halogen headlights. It's like a night & day difference. There really isn't much retro fitting involved other that the wiring. Installing a set of LED headlights will not cause any type of damage to ur PIP
I bought an Advanced, though the headlights were not a factor in my decision. That having been said, I was really impressed on my 900 mile drive home from the dealer-most at night-with the stunning quality of the lights. Never have I seen the road so well and the lights did not seem to blind oncoming drivers. Putting the lights on high beam is startling experience for the first time. Really lights up the place and you can see the difference in the colors of the beams. I am constantly and pleasantly surprised by the new things I find/learn about this car. A Thanksgiving blessing.
I would put in order of lumens (brightness) HID, LED, and then halogen. Like you, I was disappointed I couldn't get LED headlights in my base model. I would've gladly given up the heated seats for it. I looked into LED headlights and the costs were exhorbitant. Do a search, there is a guy on here who did it. We're talking thousands if dollars. I got A $50 HID kit on Amazon instead. Higher light output plus one thing I never considered. LED's don't get hot, which is why they are so efficient. Problem is that snow can cover up the headlights. Halogen and HID would just melt the snow away.
That is probably why the Advanced model includes headlight washers with the package. I suspect that it is SOP to put deicing fluid in the washer fluid holder. Now it makes sense. Thought that was just a useless bell or whistle.
Bino did this swap on his gen3 as did another member with a Prius C......both of them used JDM LED headlights. Expect to pay over $1000 for the lights.........then theres the cost of the LED ballsts for each headlight
See also LED headlight mod for base PIP? | PriusChat The headlight assemblies alone are about $600 retail each. The two ballasts are something like $150 for the two of them, I believe. Basically, until these cars start getting wrecked, it's pretty damn expensive.
I'm willing to bet our regular old halogen headlights don't cost much less either. I mean, there's just an extra projector in the LED headlights. I'm going with the Apple theory. It costs apple next to nothing for the 32gb iphone over the 16gb iphone. There are people willing to pay the higher costs for more memory. So why not make more money profit on those people and then less on the base model so you can advertise a lower price point?
LED low-beam headlamps with dynamic auto-leveling and headlamp washers$1,215 [32] ...from lexus.com for ct200h
Seems crazy when you can buy 2000+ lumen flashlights for $250 that outshines any halogen headlight by a longshot. Those things have to use drivers to step up the voltage from your typical 1.2V batteries, regulate the output as the voltage drops along with the discharge state of the battery, and they have reflectors and anti-reflective optical glass.
