RickyD

I am wondering, what is the purpose for HID lights ? 600$ seems a lot for 2 lightbulbs ?!
Will it add future value to our mustang or it is just a scam?

I understand it might be a bit brighter... but 600$ !!

05GT-O.C.D.

HID stands for High Intensity Discharge. I'd try google if you want the specifics of HID, but yeah, the effect is brighter lights. It's more than just bulbs, there's a ballast system, etc as well.

2k7gtcs

Less wattage used, less heat given off, but who cares about that in a car.

I personally prefer the looks of the standard lights on the 2010. I think they look **** good. I don't care for the HID's. Especially for $600 more. IMHO

05GT-O.C.D.

I agree Gary, especially on a car w/ fogs. The HIDs by themself look OK, but combine them with the fogs and they look kinda goofy.

RickyD

Waiting to place an order on a GT500 2011, I guess I will not get the HID.
Thx

merc50

I don't drive around with the fog lights on all the time so the mismatch would not bother me.

I will say after having them I really do feel they help with driving at night and were worth it for me.

Expensive, but nice.

I think if I was going to get a Shelby I would get the lights and the Shaker 1000 myself.

Ford Fan

i definitely like them. my mom has HID lights in her 2008 maxima & they really light up the road better than stock. it is up to you if you want to spend the extra $$. don't get me wrong, the stock ones are perfectly fine & if cost is a concern don't check that box lol.

i do want to say, DON'T put HID lights in stock housing though. it creates a lot of glare for other drivers & its just annoying. retrofit or don't bother.

2010MustangGT

HID lights (or xenon) have been around for years- since 1991 7 series BMW...

I don't know where you priced it but, they're $525; not $600.

HID lights typically provide 3000lm while the standard provides 1400lm (FYI lm = Lumens, which is a unit of measure calculated to give the perceived power of emitted light.) So with that... HID gives the driver over a 100% more usable light penetration and illumination at the night time. Also, not only do they add a different light and look at night, but also give a different appearance in the day do to the fact it's a different housing for the light- which gets away from the 05-09 front definitive "eyeball" lighting. Personally the white light is far superior, and I wont buy a car without it. Which is why it's on my 2010

What I don't get is, you're buying a 50,000+ car (some upcharged and priced well above 60,000) and saying $525 is too step? So if they were $200- Maybe you'd consider? You're arguing over the fact $325 is too much... which is less than 1% of the total price built into the car- and slandering it buy calling it a scam!? Believe me, Ford's profit margin on selling you a GT500- isn't dependent on someone buying the HID lights...

Just my 2 cents.

Adam

BMW charges around $600 for light up door sills rofl

05GT-O.C.D.

The mismatch I was referring to was when the lights were off, but now that you mention it the nighttime would probably bother me too, lol.

Dixie_Flatline

HIDs also don't have lightbulbs you have to change. If one goes out, it's because it's defective and should be covered under warranty. The reason they are so much is it's an entire closed and sealed system with different wiring and parts than the standard systems. You can't open it up, you can't retrofit the factory ones onto Mustangs without HIDs, et cetera. Factory HID systems also have mechanical shutters to orient the lights so as not to blind oncoming traffic -- unlike conventional halogen systems, there aren't high and low beams -- there's one beam of the same strength that is flipped up and down when you activate or deactivate high beams. At least that's how it is on BMWs.

If you guys think $600 is expensive, you should have seen how much they were when they first came out in the 90's.


Definitely agree with the comment on usability and night time safety. If you live in and drive at night in a suburban or rural area, once you have a car with HIDs, you won't order another car without them.

Glenn

aaaaaa 2010 he wasn't calling it a scam he was asking if it was a scam .....

xlover

also some say (and I agree) that the GT500 looks better with the HIDs, while the GT looks better with the standard lights. So factor looks in!

tom281

I would order any new car with HIDs. I've retrofitted aftermarket kits to several of my cars, they are a must have IMO.

bpmurr

I have HID on my 2010 GT500. It's the only way to go IMHO.

05GT-O.C.D.

+1

I did not realize the OP was talking GT500

cdynaco

I don't know if its because they're brighter or that the light is a whiter light, but they are fantastic at night on rural highways.
I just bought a used rig for the winter while my Bullitt is garaged, and its got halogen. What a difference going back! I'm already looking for aftermarket HID's for it.
Get 'em. You'll be glad you did!

MBK

same opinion over here. i don't like the look of the HIDs on the 2010, the car looks "cross-eyed" to some extent. that and replacement cost of the system are deterrents for me. as to night-time visibility, at the moment i am fine with high beams and standard halogens to get me through. another point is HIDs and fogs. if both are turned on, it looks silly, just my opinion.

WeinerDog

I agree. I would've got them on my GT otherwise. My last two cars have had them and they are great for night driving, no doubt. But I find the GT with the headlights/fogs on is quite good. Get a little tired of the clowns flashing me, though I got that quite often with the HID's too.

2k7gtcs

I just think that the standard headlight housing in the 2010 is the best looking headlight setup since 1969 on a Mustang. I don't care for the looks of the HID setup. And the remarks of the fog lights with the lights is true. I hate it when they don't match. It's like a pet peeve I guess.

With all that said I have aftermarket HID's in my 2007. I have smoked headlights and needed the extra brightness so that now I'm only a hair brighter than the original stock setup. I think in about any other vehicle I would order HID's. Especially factory ones. But for me on the 2010 I like the standard setup. But that's just me and I'm only talking about looks. Which honestly is pretty important when purchasing a Mustang. That's all I meant.