Why aren't Xenons standard yet?

Steedie

Steedie

Steedie

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Hi all

This could be a very quick and easy thread but it's just something I've wondered

On very low cost cars, like say a Citroen C1 I can understand why, I mean on producing a car like that it's all about serving a purpose not having the latest gadgets and stuff on it

But recently one of my neighbours has just picked up a 60 plate Audi A3, now again, I know that's not the most expensive Audi available, but still on a premium brand, the cost of putting Xenons in as standard must be nothing to them. The technology has been around for years and years now so it's not even like it can be seen as new tech, which if it was the case, again I could understand.

It's just something I've noticed on a lot of brand new cars that are from the more "premium" brands where it just surprises me. Especially given all the efforts recently to increase visibility on the road, with DRLs and these LED strips, I appreciate that wouldn't really increase day light visibility but night time the extra light and clarity they offer is massive.

Like I said at the start, it might be a really simple answer like the cost difference between the two is still too big too offer as standard, but that really would surprise me. I guess the other thing is if it's something they can still get away with having as an option to make a few extra quid then they probably will, but when will such a thing be made the standard?

Cheers
 
Probably because they can charge a premium by having as an extra-cost option as you say.
 
They are not standard because they can be sold as an option and most people wouldnt not buy a car just because it didnt have Xenons as standard.

In the bizarre world of the BMW trim department, only the X5, X6, 7 Series, 3 Series Coupe and 3 Series Convertible have standard Xenons across the range.
 
Don't you need to still have 'normal' lights as well as you can't use Xenons to flash as they don't warm up quick enough - meaning it does mean fitting both sets, or at least extra parts compared with just the normal cheap setup.
 
most dont care so they can make a profit on them

they'd never get away with selling an A3 without aircon for example, so have to include it as standard.

But because nobody cares about Xenons, they just make it a cost option and make a nice profit on it.
 
MrLOL said:
But because nobody cares about Xenons
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This is clearly rubbish, though, given the number of people who do spec it as a cost option. People do care about Xenons and to say otherwises is deluded. What you mean is that people realise they can simply add it so it's never a decision maker.

Whereas having to pay for AC would be.
 
I find it very irritating that a lot of people with these xenon headlights in large cars have no idea how to adjust them as to not totally blind oncoming traffic. That's the downside of them, they can be too bright. Normal lamps aren't excluded from this either if they're too high I suppose, but the xenons are worse if set wrongly.

They're not standard as they most likely still cost more to produce and aren't a massive selling point. Plus, they're easily fitted afterwards if you don't have them I imagine.
 
The same reason why they didn't have CD players as standard until after about 10 years after it was the standard format. Can't believe some new cars had cassette players up until a few years ago.
 
alexhull24 said:
I find it very irritating that a lot of people with these xenon headlights in large cars have no idea how to adjust them as to not totally blind oncoming traffic.
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Errr?

They are not adjustable. It is automatic and they self level. There is no internal adjustment inside the car.
 
alexhull24 said:
Plus, they're easily fitted afterwards if you don't have them I imagine.
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Not true, it's a massive cost to fit them if they're not standard

The washer system and all that malarkey has to be added too, I know when I looked into it for my car it was about £1500
 
[TW]Fox;17734299 said:
This is clearly rubbish, though, given the number of people who do spec it as a cost option. People do care about Xenons and to say otherwises is deluded. What you mean is that people realise they can simply add it so it's never a decision maker.

Whereas having to pay for AC would be.
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As an example there are 4.378 BMW 3 Series 3 years old or younger on autotrader. Of those only 476 mention xenon headlights in the advert

Thats 10 %

and that doesnt include all the coupes and M cars that have it as standard. The number of people who pay for xenons is obviously < 10 % hence why they can charge, as most (assuming 90 is bigger than 10 :p ) dont care.
 
Steedie said:
Not true, it's a massive cost to fit them if they're not standard

The washer system and all that malarkey has to be added too, I know when I looked into it for my car it was about £1300
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Depends on what you mean by fit them.

To the same arguably superfluous standards as required for new cars, yes, very expensive. To fit them safely in a car with reflector lenses, again, yes, very expensive.

If you have projector headlights, though, you can quite safely retrofit them for under £100. They won't self level - but the self levelling is there for idiots who would load a car up, not bother to adjust using the adjustment wheel, and blind everyone. The self levelling is not responsive enough to be of any use adjusting on the fly for dips in the road surface.

As for headlight washers - again, more or less completely useless. A lot of cars have them as standard without Xenons anyway.
 
MrLOL said:
As an example there are 4.378 BMW 3 Series 3 years old or younger on autotrader. Of those only 476 mention xenon headlights in the advert

Thats 10 %
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Pretty flawed method of calculating do you not think - not everyone mentions every single aspect of a car in the advert. How many of them are advertised with rear headrests or a USB interface?

EVERY sub 3 year old 3 Series Coupe or Convertible alone has Xenons as standard and they account for a heck of a lot more than 476 cars!

The number of people who pay for xenons is obviously < 10 %
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Flawed statement :p

'The number of people who pay for Xenons, advertise the car on Autotrader and subsequently mention Xenons in the advert is under 10%' is what you meant to say.
 
I thought it was a legal requirement to have the washers if you have Xenons fitted though isn't it?

The other thing about Xenons that surprises me they aren't standard is to me they increase the look of the car so much more, seeing a lovely car with big ugly reflector lenses is such a shame
 
Steedie said:
I thought it was a legal requirement to have the washers if you have Xenons fitted though isn't it?
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The only certainty in law regarding this is that it is a legal requirement if you are a car manufacturer and wish to sell a new car.

Headlight washers are not even tested on the MOT.

The other thing about Xenons that surprises me they aren't standard is to me they increase the look of the car so much more, seeing a lovely car with big ugly reflector lenses is such a shame
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I agree, I wont buy a car with reflector lenses, but most people don't really notice.
 
I think once you have driven a car with xenons you will be happy to pay the premium.

Very hard to go back after having them.

Of course lets not forget the big chunk of people who dont know what a xenon light is.

For example when my wife drove her Cayenne for the first time in the dark she said "result, its got those bright lights" now i know she aint mentioning them in an advert.
 
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You could say the same about a lot of car options. It would probably reduce production costs if they made them standard on all models.

I'm sure the Zetec S body trim on a Fiesta doesn't cost any more to manufacture than the Studio trim.
 
Steedie said:
Not true, it's a massive cost to fit them if they're not standard

The washer system and all that malarkey has to be added too, I know when I looked into it for my car it was about £1500
Click to expand...

To be fair its probably in the region of £200 material cost.
 
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