Xtravision or Nighthawk ?

mshu7 · Oct 17, 2011

One of the 9006 low-beam bulbs burned out on my Colorado yesterday. My Amazon.com basket needs some more stuff to get free shipping so I figure why not headlights. I don't want to spend a lot so that's why I'm choosing between these two types.

Both bulbs are around $20 for a pair. Which should I order?

oggb · Oct 17, 2011

Xtravision bulbs suck. They're hardly brighter than OEM halogens and their life span is terrible. I get between 3 and 6 months out of my low-beam lights using Xtravision bulbs.

barlowc · Oct 17, 2011

I ran GE Nighthawk 9007 bulbs in my 1998 and 1999 Pontiac Grand Prixs when I still had them. I liked them a lot. I preferred them to Sylvania SilverStars.

asiancivicmaniac · Oct 17, 2011

I put Night Hawks in my mom's car a few years ago, and without any empirical evidence, I think they are slightly brighter than the OEM Xtravisions.

dparm · Oct 17, 2011

Order the NightBreaker Plus or Xtreme Vision (online only). Massive improvement and still legal.

daves87rs · Oct 17, 2011

I've heard good things about the nighthawks, but my buddy uses the xtravisions with no issues.

Hokiefyd · Oct 18, 2011

I've used both and prefer the Xtravisions. The Nighthawks seemed to dim or yellow quickly for me. The Xtravisions stay bright and white for years, at least in my experience.

Klutch9 · Oct 18, 2011

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I've used both and prefer the Xtravisions. The Nighthawks seemed to dim or yellow quickly for me. The Xtravisions stay bright and white for years, at least in my experience.

+1 on the staying white and bright for years part.

mshu7 · Oct 18, 2011

Thanks for all the input guys! Much appreciated!

97f150 · Oct 18, 2011

I just replaced my 1.5 year old 9006 Xtravisions on my Ram with Nighthawks. The highbeam on the passengers side went out, but the regular low beams were still going 1.5 year later. IMO the Nighthawks are a tad brighter, this is my first time using them so I have no input on longevity. Nighthawks are not available in my area over the counter anywhere, that said, I would use them again, but if a low beam went out I would replace with what is available with no second guesses.

Also, I noticed a big difference over the OEM rated lights that were in the truck before, BUT that had a lot to do with the factory lens being so fogged up it looked like Christmas inside. The Xtravisions went in with a set of new housings.

Volvohead · Oct 22, 2011

Philips VisionPlus. Best balance between performance and longevity. Very good bulbs. A-zon has them for about $17/pr.

The older Xtravisions were good bulbs and lasted. But the newer ones just don't hold up in my experience. I've seen mixed reviews on the Nighthawks, but haven't used any lately to confirm.

mshu7 · Oct 24, 2011

Thanks for the good info 97f150 & Volvohead. I ended up just picking up 1 Xtravision bulb locally since I didn't want to wait for one to be shipped. I'll check out the VisionPlus bulbs the next time I need them. Thanks again.

Smokescreen · Oct 24, 2011

For my location the XV are ~$15, the NH are ~$25...the performance difference isn't worth double IMO.

mshu7 · Oct 24, 2011

From the reviews I've read, I would agree Smoke.

urchin · Oct 24, 2011

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Philips VisionPlus. Best balance between performance and longevity. Very good bulbs. A-zon has them for about $17/pr.

Yep Philips VisionPlus....

They have consistently rated excellent by "AutoExpress" in the UK. You can see the test at their website. www.autoexpress.co.uk

Volvohead · Oct 28, 2011

Originally Posted By: mshu7
Thanks for the good info 97f150 & Volvohead. I ended up just picking up 1 Xtravision bulb locally since I didn't want to wait for one to be shipped. I'll check out the VisionPlus bulbs the next time I need them. Thanks again.

How's the lumen balance?

I usually replace in pairs as the bulbs lose luminosity with age, and an elderly one can be significantly weaker than a fresh one.

mshu7 · Oct 29, 2011

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: mshu7
Thanks for the good info 97f150 & Volvohead. I ended up just picking up 1 Xtravision bulb locally since I didn't want to wait for one to be shipped. I'll check out the VisionPlus bulbs the next time I need them. Thanks again.

How's the lumen balance?

I usually replace in pairs as the bulbs lose luminosity with age, and an elderly one can be significantly weaker than a fresh one.

Normally, I would have replaced them both, but decided not to this time. I compared the new to the old against my garage door right after I put them in. It really took a lot of analyzing to see maybe a very slight difference in light output between the two. On the road, I cannot tell any difference though.

I'm going to do some more research on bulbs and probably order a pair online in the near future, when I am not w/o a working headlight like I was this time. I just didn't want to be driving around w/o a working headlight while I waited on a pair to ship.

Xtravision or Nighthawk ?

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