WallyMart has Sylvanias, marketed as "long life" I think, like $18/pair, if you look at the BULB ITSELF, it has "Osram" on it. They're a little brighter/whiter/sharper, it's noticable, but nothing outlandish. The MSP lights are actually pretty decent, good beam pattern, so a better DOT-legal bulb is a marginal, not quantum leap, improvement.
My next step is putting relays in and installing regular ol' Hella 55/100 H4's. This "white light is better" issue doesn't work for me, check the car mags (C&D's Bedard had a good article). White = more glare on snow/rain since snow/rain has more a blue tint to it. Yellow is actually a better snow-rain color, but not that good in the clear, where a little whiter is better. Only reason carmakers went to HID is greater light output per watt, so they're doing the equivalent of installing illegally-high-wattage bulbs (as far as light output). Well, that and the "coolness" factor.
The above imho, YMMV, and that said, I do like the contrasting
"look" of the IS300 lights, but I'm not a big fan of driving HIDS and even less a fan of driving toward someone who has 'em. Give me a tightly-focused halogen anyday.
My next step is putting relays in and installing regular ol' Hella 55/100 H4's. This "white light is better" issue doesn't work for me, check the car mags (C&D's Bedard had a good article). White = more glare on snow/rain since snow/rain has more a blue tint to it. Yellow is actually a better snow-rain color, but not that good in the clear, where a little whiter is better. Only reason carmakers went to HID is greater light output per watt, so they're doing the equivalent of installing illegally-high-wattage bulbs (as far as light output). Well, that and the "coolness" factor.
The above imho, YMMV, and that said, I do like the contrasting
"look" of the IS300 lights, but I'm not a big fan of driving HIDS and even less a fan of driving toward someone who has 'em. Give me a tightly-focused halogen anyday.
