LED Headlamp Feedback Requested

[Dan Halen]

Hi, all. We have a member on Fourtitude who ordered an A3 with LED headlamps. It arrived, and he drove it and said the headlamps suck... bad enough that he's likely to refuse the car, actually.

This may be the first LED headlamp car in the US, so we don't have much to compare to. He did say that he feels the HIDs are much brighter with a better spread. Anyway, have any of you driven an LED headlamp A3 and compared it to, say, an A6 with LEDs? Really any type of feedback you can offer would be appreciated. LED A3s aren't likely to end up just sitting on lots here, so we won't have much opportunity to test them, unfortunately.

Thanks!

 

[veeeight]

Different strokes.

The A6 has very advanced Matrix LED arrays, and as far as I know, can't yet be imported into the US due to FMVSS regulations not catching up with technology yet.

The A3 has no such advanced array, just regular bright LEDs, so won't compare at all to the A6.

Folk with LED headlamps will tell you how wonderful they are, I tested some, and wasn't blown away by them, compared with the the HIDs available on the A3.

They are good, comparable, certainly not worse than HIDs, but personally I didn't think they were worth the option price, considering they were simple LEDs and not the Matrix LEDs available on A6 A8.

 

[the_lecht_rocks]

ultimate brightness, great night clarity and fantastic penetration. i like mine and they look great too !

i paid £400 more for mine - would not have paid the £795 though !

 

[SJC]

ultimate brightness, great night clarity and fantastic penetration. i like mine and they look great too !

i paid £400 more for mine - would not have paid the £795 though !

Did you get this option reduced as part of comfort pack? As when I went into do this. Computer said no

 

[seniorjj]

Did you get this option reduced as part of comfort pack? As when I went into do this. Computer said no

Some manage discount, some don't. In theory you should do, as the LED pack and the comfort pack both have the Auto lights - so you are paying twice for the same thing

 

[the_lecht_rocks]

motorway signage reflection / refraction with LED is ridiculous. even on dipped beam. the LED kelvin rating forces incredible definition and brightness.
good lights recommended and also low power, higher availability, lowest MTBF, etc.

 

[mjcourtney]

lowest MTBF, etc.

Think you mean higher

 

[the_lecht_rocks]

ha, yes, lowest failure rate, highest availability ! well spotted !

 

[James Chr]

In my opinion they are great lights. Clean and bright with good spread. Great high beam. I love the low speed turn thing where they show you where you are turning. To be completely frank they are probably not much better in reality than the Xenons on my old Golf R, but they do have a great "cool" factor, and I love the new and the interesting. It is hard to see why you would reject them, unless you had aircraft landing lights on your prior drive.

4 stars. I would have them again.

 

[Dan Halen]

Different strokes.

The A6 has very advanced Matrix LED arrays, and as far as I know, can't yet be imported into the US due to FMVSS regulations not catching up with technology yet.

The A3 has no such advanced array, just regular bright LEDs, so won't compare at all to the A6.

Folk with LED headlamps will tell you how wonderful they are, I tested some, and wasn't blown away by them, compared with the the HIDs available on the A3.

They are good, comparable, certainly not worse than HIDs, but personally I didn't think they were worth the option price, considering they were simple LEDs and not the Matrix LEDs available on A6 A8.

We may not have the fanciest A6 LEDs, but our A6 does have LEDs as an option.

Thanks for the responses so far, guys! My main reason for wanting the LEDs is to get the cooler turn signal integration. I just want to be sure that they're not a massive step backward from HIDs overall.

 

[the_lecht_rocks]

We may not have the fanciest A6 LEDs, but our A6 does have LEDs as an option.

Thanks for the responses so far, guys! My main reason for wanting the LEDs is to get the cooler turn signal integration. I just want to be sure that they're not a massive step backward from HIDs overall.

step backwards ? step forwards imho !

 

[Dan Halen]

In my opinion they are great lights. Clean and bright with good spread. Great high beam. I love the low speed turn thing where they show you where you are turning. To be completely frank they are probably not much better in reality than the Xenons on my old Golf R, but they do have a great "cool" factor, and I love the new and the interesting. It is hard to see why you would reject them, unless you had aircraft landing lights on your prior drive.

4 stars. I would have them again.

Thanks, James. You don't see a massive difference in coverage distance as compared the your Golf R?

 

[seniorjj]

Thanks, James. You don't see a massive difference in coverage distance as compared the your Golf R?

I think they include auto extended range above 68mph and other speeds which u don't get with HID

 

[danilotto]

I am a very pleased by the LED headlamps of my S3. They worth every penny. You get a fantastic illumination hue, deep and light, the cornering light and do not forget the turning indicator embedded in the daylight lamp that is very very stilish. More than the ugly incandescent lamp in the HID headlight.

Someone with the HID lamps complains that the beam is too low by default.

 

[Stephen C]

I saw an S3 with LEDs for the first time recently, I have to say they look amazing when they're off - black with the aluminium fins inside. Haven't seen them on in person though.

 

[James Chr]

Thanks, James. You don't see a massive difference in coverage distance as compared the your Golf R?

I have only had them on high beam on one drive and the coverage was great. Possibly a little better than R. Most definitely not worse. The auto high-beam was a little freaky

 

[gtiller]

Yes, I am very pleased with my LED lights, although I am not sure that they are worth the price difference between the xenons if you only look at the light output.

They are the nearest to daylight colour I have driven with, and as mentioned previously they light signs much better.
I love the way they are linked to the gps and light side roads, and they 'move' with the shape of the road ahead if you are driving fast enough... they really make a lovely difference.
For me though, an important consideration is also the look - I think the LEDs give my S3 a real premium look, and it finishes the car off perfectly!

 

[Scotty2011]

Yes, I am very pleased with my LED lights, although I am not sure that they are worth the price difference between the xenons if you only look at the light output.

They are the nearest to daylight colour I have driven with, and as mentioned previously they light signs much better.
I love the way they are linked to the gps and light side roads, and they 'move' with the shape of the road ahead if you are driving fast enough... they really make a lovely difference.
For me though, an important consideration is also the look - I think the LEDs give my S3 a real premium look, and it finishes the car off perfectly!

Good comment! I am enjoying my LED headlights, they do have a distinctive look, especially with the indicators as LED strips like the DRLs. They are very handy when parallel parking or going up a narrow drive way. Glad I specced them.

 

[pat15312]

If you can afford LEDs, you should spec them for no other reason than they look cool. I couldn't really give a toss what their lighting ability is like compared to bi-xenons, I have a life to worry about...

 

[sameatworld]

I too like the led lights. But they are not as dynamic as the xenons which would constant be moving in line with the steering.

I actually like the fact that led headlights have much softer/blurrier cut off than the xenons. It makes it easier to see just beyond the breach of the low beam. The colour is also softer on the eye.

 

[PembsA3]

LED lights - brilliant! Literally. Definitely worth the money. My only gripe is that because the 'poor visibility lights' (fogs) are built into the main headlamp I am left with a pair of blank holes in the bumper where the fogs would be. It looks wrong and would have been better with plain honeycomb panels... (But a small price for very effective and great looking headlamps...)

 

[Scotty2011]

LED lights - brilliant! Literally. Definitely worth the money. My only gripe is that because the 'poor visibility lights' (fogs) are built into the main headlamp I am left with a pair of blank holes in the bumper where the fogs would be. It looks wrong and would have been better with plain honeycomb panels... (But a small price for very effective and great looking headlamps...)

Those blank holes do have a reason, they help cool the brakes and engine with the air flow!

 

[Flibble]

Those blank holes do have a reason, they help cool the brakes and engine with the air flow!

Isn't that only on S3? Assume they are just blanked off on A3s with LEDs.

 

[snakehips]

Isn't that only on S3? Assume they are just blanked off on A3s with LEDs.

Blanked off on mine. But surely Scotty was kidding anyway, as cars with fogs would therefore get less cooling.

 

[Flibble]

Blanked off on mine. But surely Scotty was kidding anyway, as cars with fogs would therefore get less cooling.

He's not kidding: they are air vents on the S3. S3s don't have fogs with any light config for this reason.

 

[snakehips]

He's not kidding: they are air vents on the S3. S3s don't have fogs with any light config for this reason.

Didn't know that, I stand corrected.

 

[Scotty2011]

Didn't know that, I stand corrected.

I initially thought they were air intakes for the engine but my dealer said they were actually for cooling brakes and the engine.

 

[Vertigo1]

I remember the old 8P 3.2V6 also had additional air intakes at the front.

 

[danilotto]

Hi all,

A bit OT but behind the additional air intakes I see another heat exchanger. For the gearbox I suppose