raptor22

oh WOW that's awesome!! didn't know that.

me too! but from the pics of the 2011 IS in another thread, it doesn't seem like it...

Wish

I Think Range Rover has them too

MBTC

I don't think these are standard on all 2011 IS models, they will be an option (I think if you "upgrade" to HID you will get LED as well).

I put upgrade in quotes because I specifically wanted to make sure I did not get HID headlights with my IS. My last car had them, and they are of dubious value. You don't really see more at night, and when they go out you are spending hundreds to replace the bulb (or depending on the car and how you do it, maybe not hundreds but a lot more than a halogen). Some people get 10 years out of them, some people 12 months.
And are they really any better? I know they are supposedly brighter and I guess they are a little bit, but more than anything they are just bling factor, and brightness doesn't do you any good unless you can aim the lights higher.

Now with LEDs... to me it is just something else to go wrong that adds no real value other than to make my car look in season around christmas. That "one more thing to go wrong" is a costly habit to get into.

This morning, I was behind some guy in a newish Ford. When I first came to a stop behind him, his middle brake light (the one behind the windshield) was full -on.. It was the red LED type. So suddenly one in the middle starts blinking and flickering. Then it went out (presumably permanently because I didn't see it come back on).

Even if he's under warranty, it would bug me to have to go to the dealership to diagnose/fix one little LED light. And if he's not under warranty, the dealer will probably fleece him.

So, I like to keep things simple.... less things to go wrong. If they give me a car with LEDs I will ask if I can pay a little bit to have them taken off, if it will simply my life a bit.

axis77

Well I think there very nice, yes Audi has them but I think its going to be the statusquo going forward, just like when car companies started going with LED taillights...I have a 2007 and for the first time I kind of feel the itch for replacing with a 2011, since I cant afford a ISF

ScKcBc

iTrader: (2)

DDMtuning sells replacement bulbs for $20. Thats a pair too.

OEM Hid's are nice because you dont have to install anything, find somewhere to mount a box, etc...

You prob noticed that because 3rd brake lights often have less sensitive switches so he was probably barely on the brakes. It's doubtful you happened to notice that blow on the same day you'd have a thread to use the story and comment about it. Or maybe it was just a ****ty aftermarket, which goes against what your saying anyway.

Along with HID's in the lexus, you get a few other options as well AFAIK. If a car I'm can come with HID's, chances are I try to get them, that way i don't have to change them. It's like buying a car that comes with or without a supercharger. I'm gonna try to get the supercharged version, even if I plan on modding the car anyway

MBTC

It's funny, as I was typing that, I just had a feeling someone was going to think I made that story up out of thin air. I can assure you the story is true, it really did happen this morning, and in a relatively civil forum like this it is much better to give people the benefit of the doubt than to insinuate they're a liar, especially when they are a guy in their 40's who really has no motivation to come on here and say anything that's untrue.

Anyway, the "coincidence" you detected is most likely a side effect of the fact that I clicked on a thread about LEDs later in the afternoon after seeing the LED brake light go out right before my eyes this morning. It was memorable because I had not seen that happen yet, and it was actually kind of funny to watch it flicker and go out.

And no, I don't think he was going weak on the brakes pedal, because as I said this was only one of many of the tiny individual LED lights in the line of 10 or so that make up the rear window breaklight in that particular Ford. It's always possible that it was aftermarket POS light, but this was an almost brand new Taurus or something (oddly I didn't pay much attention to the model because American cars are ugly to my eyes). In this part of town, there was about a 70% chance his car was a rental because its near the airport. If it wasn't a rental, it was probably just a guy who recently bought the sedan, most older guys (he looked 60+) don't go around modding Tauruses right after they drive them off the lot.

Keep in mind I'm not saying Lexus LEDs (or any other particular ones) are pieces of crap or whatever, I'm just saying its an extra item to go wrong and they do sort of look like inappropriately placed christmas tree lights to some folks eye.