I took delivery of my 3rd EX/QX last week. Had an '08 EX35 for four years, then a '13 EX37 for the next four, now I've got a '17 QX50. I must say, they haven't changed very much, and frankly I prefered the things which they have changed the way they were before. Still, it's a great car at a great price.

Both of my EXs came with the Grand Touring Pkg. Because the dealers in my area didn't have any in stock with that package, I settled for one without it. Besides, most of what the package includes I don't want or care about. Two things that I did want though, is the Wheel Upgrade (which this car had as a standalone option) and the Xenon Headlights.

Hence my question: Can the halogen headlights be upgraded to have the same brightness as the Xenon ones? (I don't care about the swiveling. That was so subtle I can't believe it provides any real benefit)

I've searched these forums and read several posts on the subject, and noticed the highly accepted opinion that the Morimoto HID kit from theretrofitsource.com does a good job. Most of those posts were older, so I'd be interested in any opinions regarding durability etc from those that have had this for a while. Also if there are any that have since taken the crown due to price, ease of install, or performance. But that's just the low beams, right? What about the high beams. Those are different too, aren't they. I haven't driven my new car at night much, so I can't say for sure, but I thought the high beams were less bright than what I was used to.

The fog lights are yet another subject. I'm pretty sure that they changed the way they function. My were always on whenever the headlights were on before, but on the new car they go off when the high beams are on. And they seem to throw light to the sides much more than before. I haven't checked the color of them yet, but I always disliked how the bright Xenon headlights made the fog lights seem yellow and dull. Is there an easy way to make them match the color temp of the upgraded headlights?

Thanks in advance for any useful info you can provide.

TheOtherJeff wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:37 pm

Hence my question: Can the halogen headlights be upgraded to have the same brightness as the Xenon ones?

There are lots of details when it comes to headlight upgrades, but I'll try to keep it simple. Halogens can be more or less upgraded to have about the same brightness as the Xenon ones, but it's not ideal. This is because the projectors designed for halogen bulbs are not the same as those for Xenon bulbs, so the light disperson patterns won't be optimized if you do a plug-and-play HID upgrade. However, I had the halogens originally and I didn't think they put out enough light, so I installed a plug-and-play HID kit. I felt it was a huge improvement over the stock halogens.

TheOtherJeff wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:37 pm

What about the high beams. Those are different too, aren't they. I haven't driven my new car at night much, so I can't say for sure, but I thought the high beams were less bright than what I was used to.

I've never really had an issue with my high beams, so I've kept them stock. If you do feel the need to upgrade them, I'd say to go with LED instead of HID. The HIDs will probably have a higher output, but they have a slight delay when it comes to warmup. LEDs are pretty much instant on at full intensity, which would be preferable in a high beam. This also comes into play when you need to flash the high beams.

TheOtherJeff wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:37 pm

The fog lights are yet another subject. I'm pretty sure that they changed the way they function. My were always on whenever the headlights were on before, but on the new car they go off when the high beams are on.

I believe that US DOT regulations dictate that fog lights must turn off automatically when high beams come on. I don't know if it's any different in Canada.

TheOtherJeff wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:37 pm

I haven't checked the color of them yet, but I always disliked how the bright Xenon headlights made the fog lights seem yellow and dull. Is there an easy way to make them match the color temp of the upgraded headlights?

Changing the color (temp) of the fog lights shouldn't be too difficult, and it looks like you should have several options there. You can go with the cheaper option of tinted halogen bulbs; or the pricier options of HIDs or LEDs. It shouldn't be hard to find the same color temp as the ones you pick for your low beams. Personally, if I were to change the color of my fog lamps, I think I'd go with a deeper yellow color for more contrast between the low beams and fog lights.

Thanks for the quick reply!

So you've been happy with your HID upgrade? Good to hear.
Which did you use? How long have you had them? Are they problem free?

You suggest LED as possible High Beam replacement.
Why not LED for the Low beams?
Are there recommended replacements available with decent price, ease of installation, and performance?

Regarding the delay, don't the Xenon equipped cars also have Xenon high beams?
I didn't experience any noticeable delay in my EXs

Thanks again,


I just got this car, but will only have it for 3 years. So if I'm going to spend any time/money modifying it, I'd like to do it right away. I'd appreciate any input you guys can provide.

TheOtherJeff wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 26, 2017 11:44 am

So you've been happy with your HID upgrade? Good to hear.
Which did you use? How long have you had them? Are they problem free?

Yes, I've been happy with it. I went with the 35W, 4300K XenonDepot kit from KB Carstuff. I believe I've had them on the car for over 4 years. I did have one problem maybe 2 years ago when one of the bulbs started putting out pink light. I contacted the seller about it, and they sent me a replacement bulb. I haven't had any issues since.

TheOtherJeff wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 26, 2017 11:44 am

You suggest LED as possible High Beam replacement.
Why not LED for the Low beams?
Are there recommended replacements available with decent price, ease of installation, and performance?

When I was upgrading my low beams, the market for LED bulbs for headlights was just sprouting. At that time HID was a mature technology and aftermarket HID kits could be found pretty much anywhere.

If you're looking for the most light output you can get, I think HIDs would be the best option. LEDs don't seem to have quite the same amount of output as HIDs; but they can still put out more than halogen bulbs. I think one of the bigger concerns with LEDs used in a low beam application is their ability to dissipate heat. LEDs have been used in lower intensity and shorter run time applications for quite a few years, but haven't been put into a low beam application until more recently. Another potential issue with LEDs is worse light distribution.

There was a forum member who did try using LED replacement bulbs in his low beams, and he seemed pretty happy with them. See here:
kensun-and-opt7-led-conversion-kit-for- ... 11126.html

TheOtherJeff wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 26, 2017 11:44 am

Regarding the delay, don't the Xenon equipped cars also have Xenon high beams?
I didn't experience any noticeable delay in my EXs

The Xenon equipped EXs/QX50s still used halogen bulbs in their high beams. That's probably why you didn't notice any delays. If you didn't notice any warm up delay in the HID low beams, it's probably because the ballasts used in OEM HID setups tend to have a higher current draw at startup vs. aftermarket ballasts. This helps to minimize any warm up delays when turning the lights on.

Hello. I've also got a 17' qx50. I also did not like the halogens that came with the car, as they were too dim. I was slightly disappointed that my luxury vehicle did not come standard with HID's, when I see that even Toyota Corolla comes with HID standard now.

I switched mine out to the DDM tuning HID kit. I got the canbus kit (something about the newer ecu's needing this type of kit)

I am pretty satisfied with the switch, as they are noticeably brighter than the halogens that came with the car.

I have nothing more to say about the subject, unless you have more questions

several threads regarding replacement of Halogens with HID's

here one that I had started shortly after I got my 2011 EX35 ... at the time I was just getting tot know the car ... but knew I was not happy with the halogens...

post6664230.html?hilit=headlights#p6664230

I have the 2017 QX50 with every package including Tech. I would not own any car without the upgraded headlights. Let me tell you the headlights and fogs which I keep on together do a great job lighting up the road. The best investment I would always make on any car. Thank god my 01 LS430 has Xenons and also does a very good job lighting up the road.If I were you I'd do some research in this area. Before I purchased my car I asked about upgrading the headllights on the model without the lighting package. I was told it's an entirely different unit but I'm sure it could still be done. Good luck.