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Are LED headlights worth $900?

DanW

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No-one's mentioned why LED lights are worth $900. I have them on another car, and I think brighter lights are nice, but I could have done far more useful things with the money. If you need bright lights (eye problems, drive many hours at night in low or no light areas, buy them. If your need for 'the look' is worth $900 (rather than steel bumpers or a great new suit), then you must buy.
Ok, I'll bite. The regular JL lights are decent. Not bad, not great. The LED's are MUCH brighter and have a better light spread both with the fog lights and to the sides. LED tail lights are brighter. You'll never have to replace a bulb on the LED's, as they are rated for 50k hours. LED daytime running lights are brighter. LED turn signals are brighter. Yes, I also think they look good, but that's not as big a deal, to me. The brights on the LEDs are bright enough that you might not need to upgrade with auxillary lighting for off roading, unless you plan to do a bunch of it. I said earlier that a 10" Inspired Engineering light bar barely added anything at a distance. The brights on the headlights are VERY good and reach way out. Also, with the Tazer JL, I've got my driving lights set to stay on with the brights, so that helps for off-road lighting, too.

Is it worth it? Before anyone gets all Jack Benny about that, go back and think about how much more you spend for a Rubi or Sahara over a base Sport. It is just as hard to justify that as it is 900 bucks for LEDs.

The 900 bucks was worth it to me (or whatever I paid for them at 1% below invoice). In fact, having lived with them, if I were ordering another JL, I would consider them critical.

As for the headliners, I've never lived with them and for at least half the year, I have the soft top on, so I have a hard time seeing that 500 bucks as being as well spent as the 900 for the LED's.

Would I buy a JL without the LEDs? Hell yes. My YJ had no air, soft top with zip windows, no insulation under the carpet or in the body, a 4 cylinder, and a 5 speed and vinyl seats. I had as much fun with that $12,000 (new) Jeep as I did with my $35k JK or my $48k JL. Options are nice, but if I had to save $$$ to get into the most basic Sport I could afford, I'd do it, even with base headlights.
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BillG

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Thanks everyone for all your opinions, I was on the fence about the LED lights but it seems that most people are happy with them. My biggest concern was that the LED lights were a gimmicky option that didn’t provide much benefit over halogen lights.

One other question for all of you. I got the invoice back from koons jeep in MD and it all looks good except that the destination fee is $1495. This seems a bit high is this a normal charge for destination fee?
Destination is high , but it’s set by FCA. It’s the same if your Jeep is going to Alaska or across town in Toledo. It is what it is.
For what it’s worth, I found this bill of lading in my Jeep that will show you the actual cost of transport.
 

Shooting or Jeeping

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You’ll love the LEDs. Period. I’ve had 3 wranglers and this the first one that’s able to drive at night off the lot.

I’ll say this, if lighting wasn’t a big issue- why would there be so many aftermarket options for it? Fact is, a good setup will cost more than the 900 bucks and it wouldn’t have a factory warranty.
 

KostasJlu

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100% worth it, and covered under factory warranty. Something you won’t get with aftermarket led’s
 

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Wanderingwheelz

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x2... My advice is to go to the biggest Jeep dealer near you that has both LED equipped JLs and standard ones. Go at night. Drive therm and make a decision based off fact not the opinion of biased people. Make your own decision. The internet is full of "experts" who will tell you whatever they own is the best. Go see it for yourself, for me $900 is a lot of money and I want proof of why I'm spending that much.
Seems so sensible. :)

Good call.
 

Spank

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Hi Everyone, long time reader first time poster. I’m in the process of ordering my 2019 Rubi (through Craig at Koons) and I’m wanted to get the collective opinion of the forum on two options. wondering if the LED headlights are really worth the extra $900. Won’t some kind of LED aftermarket lights be available forb1/5th the cost?
If you really don't want to shell out $900, just wait for the aftermarket to provide. I absolutely loved my JW Speaker LED lights I had in my JK and both the fronts and rears didn't come anywhere near $900. They'll definitely be releasing some variation of those lights for the JL at some point and they'll at least marginally better than the OEM ones.
 

paulr

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Worth every penny. If you look at the prices for the parts separately just ONE tail light is $250 for OEM. For the $900 you get headlights, fogs, tail lights, running lights, turn signals, halos. It’s a steal.

Oh my JK I spent more on just LED headlights and fog lights.
 

gspfunk

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I read thru a lot of this thread, but not all of it....

My take is this: There ARE aftermarket headlight (complete units) options out there, and several good ones (JL Speaker & Moromoto, for instance). That being said, every wrangler I’ve priced recently has the LED lights with it. Factory lights go thru tons of testing, and though there will be issues with some, Jeep can’t afford to have poor quality lights and a massive safety recall.

Plus, like mentioned, the headlights aren’t all you get.
 

Covet

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Hi Everyone, long time reader first time poster. I’m in the process of ordering my 2019 Rubi (through Craig at Koons) and I’m wanted to get the collective opinion of the forum on two options. wondering if the LED headlights are really worth the extra $900. Won’t some kind of LED aftermarket lights be available forb1/5th the cost?

Also is the hardtop headliner worth it? I had a 97 Sahara back in the day and it didn’t seem that noisy with the hardtop.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks-mike
My JL came with the LED package so I didn’t really pick it. I wanted it, and found the JL I wanted and it came with it = win! I bought some aftermarket LEDs for my Tacoma (previous vehicle) and liked the light output, but... first time it snowed the aftermarket Taco leds showed their true colors. By the time I pulled in the garage the lenses on my taco had frozen over with the lights on. The aftermarket lights ran really cold. On longer drives I had to stop at gas stations to scrape the ice off my headlights. I am hoping the JL factory ones do better, but it will still be a couple months before I get to really test them out. So far the upgrade has been totally worth it!
 

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thecritter

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Get the LEDs they are awesome also get ready to flash your lights to show you are on low beam. I leave mine on high now so can dim them to show oncoming traffic they are dimmed on country roads that is. I don't have any experience with the JL halogen but they are 1000 X better than our Excursion, H3 or 2015 Chevy truck.
 

Sunin-Retired

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So if it comes down to pure logic, it would dictate that you already get adequate lighting standard with the rubicon, you do not get a lower level of the cold weather pkg and thus you should skip the LED pkg and get cold weather.

Now from a cool factor I had to get the LEDs. I went with, led, tow, cold, freedom, infotainment.

2dr Rubi OTD for 42.5k
 
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graniterubi2dr

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So if it comes down to pure logic, it would dictate that you already get adequate lighting standard with the rubicon, you do not get a lower level of the cold weather pkg and thus you should skip the LED pkg and get cold weather.

Now from a cool factor I had to get the LEDs. I went with, led, tow, cold, freedom, infotainment.

2dr Rubi OTD for 42.5k
Hi that is sound logic. people really seem to like the led package and I do remember the light output on my 97 was not great.

What’s the freedom package? I didn’t see it
 

MYAMIA

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Hi Everyone, long time reader first time poster. I’m in the process of ordering my 2019 Rubi (through Craig at Koons) and I’m wanted to get the collective opinion of the forum on two options. wondering if the LED headlights are really worth the extra $900. Won’t some kind of LED aftermarket lights be available forb1/5th the cost?

Also is the hardtop headliner worth it? I had a 97 Sahara back in the day and it didn’t seem that noisy with the hardtop.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks-mike
Go for it, It is worth it. Remember is not only the front lights, but the interior, the tail lights, etc.
 

Shots

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Hmm, I don't think I've ever heard of a freedom package either. Might be using the wrong name for a package like dual top or something?
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