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Are LED headlights worth $900?

iznthesky

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LED’s are one of the few “perks” on your jeep that you will use EVERY day ! Just like you appreciate a premium stereo daily as you drive, the LEDs are certainly worth it. A good set of JW’s cost an arm & a leg. Currently there is no substitute for the rear LED tail lights. Even if you convert the regular tail lights to LED’s. They are not going to look as beautiful as the stock jeep LED’s. DEFINITELY worth the expensive!
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Yammyhaha

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I have LED lights on my Audi. I will never go back to HID or halogen. The difference driving at night is amazing and they should last years. I ordered a Sahara for my wife and the LED lights were a must. Also got the cold weather package. If I'm going to spend the money, I might as well get the necessary items or I would be kicking myself down the road. Sure, there are knockoffs, but they don't have an FCA warranty.
 

Wanderingwheelz

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And the other responses will be folks that didn't buy them claiming people who bought them feel the need to defend them? :D They're good lights. There is no reason not to get LED lights which are common modern technology. Except maybe cost. If you really can't afford it, you have to look at things to cut. Good headlights should not be 1st on your cut list. Get the LEDs. They're cool. They're super bright. I get flashed all the time. But I give it 100% probability there'll be a guy claiming this is just defending... ;)

You didn't just share your opinion and say you didn't care for them, which would have been fair. You said that if you actually claim to like them it's only because you're defending your decision to overspend $900 and thus the only correct response is yours. From my read of this thread, almost everyone who got them likes them. But that's just a lot of people defending their overspend? Come on. I couldn't see seriously buying a $40k-$50k Rubi and not getting LED's today.

If you can afford a new Rubi, you should not skip the LED package. Of the 6 packages, this would be my #2 (out of 6) recommendation!
If I had gotten them I’d have liked them too. I was an early adopter of LED lighting with an Audi over 10 years ago and I can still remember people ohhing and ahhing over them to this day. I mean CONSTANTLY. They’re cooler than halogen headlights- I get that. Believe me.

Even now my other vehicles all have LEDs. I just didn’t see the need for the additional expense on my Wrangler since it’ll only be driven a few thousand miles a year, max. And probably more than 90% of the time during the day. If I had a Wrangler for my daily driver I would absolutely have ponied up the additional clams for LEDs. I wouldn’t have bought a Sport, anyway.. as a daily driver the Sahara is the one to buy in my humble opinion.
 

VolCntry73

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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
Yes, the LED's are worth it, in my opinion. Besides...it's a $45K+ vehicle. I'm not going to lose sleep over $900 for much better lighting.

I did not get the factory headliners, and don't regret it. I got the HotHeads instead....happy that I went that route.
 
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jeepingib

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Bulb swaps are not something that should be considered for safety reasons. The halogen lights in the JL are a reflector based design. The engineers that developed the lights determined which bulb they would use and then modeled the surfaces of the reflector based on the location of the filament for that bulb. It is rather precise in order for it to work right. A mm off and the light doesn't work well at all. That's where the problem with the LED or HID drop ins comes. They aren't manufactured to put the light source in the same location as the filament of the halogen bulb. Which causes all kinds of wonky reflections from the housing. Now from the drivers seat you might not notice this. Because the lights are brighter than stock. But the scatter is going to cause other drivers hell when they are driving in the other direction. I recommend that you check out HID planet and look into doing a retrofit with a proper projector if you want better lighting and have the halogen lights from the factory. Or headlight junkies on FB if you prefer.

But the factory LED lights for the JL are pretty decent. They have a defined cutoff with some width. And there isn't a lot of foreground light so long as you aren't the jackass that drives with the fogs on when they aren't needed. High beams are okay, but not the best. Definitely worth the 900 dollars in my opinion.

The factory headliner however is not worth the money. I wish that I wouldn't have gotten it. The Hotheads version looks to be much better though and I will probably go that route.

Jeep Wrangler JL Are LED headlights worth $900? hid-idiot
 

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Matthew/E36

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Yes they are worth it, expensive but worth it. Before I ordered mine, I saw them at night and drove one with LED's at night. That's all it took. The LED lights are bright and crisp and well focused. One thing to consider. Good aftermarket LED's are slightly less but you have to install them or have them installed. If you order or buy one with factory LED package they are covered under the new car factory warranty. If anything happens, they fix it, not you. Just more peace of mind. If you're going to spend the money for a new Jeep, get what you really want. We ordered ours and it was one of the top three must haves.
Is the housing the exact same between the stock and LED. The reflector housing should be designed for the light...meaning just plugging in a different source (LED into a halogen slot) will not result in the same beam pattern. But that is assuming the housings are designed for the LEDs like european type cars.
 

Matthew/E36

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Bulb swaps are not something that should be considered for safety reasons. The halogen lights in the JL are a reflector based design. The engineers that developed the lights determined which bulb they would use and then modeled the surfaces of the reflector based on the location of the filament for that bulb. It is rather precise in order for it to work right. A mm off and the light doesn't work well at all. That's where the problem with the LED or HID drop ins comes. They aren't manufactured to put the light source in the same location as the filament of the halogen bulb. Which causes all kinds of wonky reflections from the housing. Now from the drivers seat you might not notice this. Because the lights are brighter than stock. But the scatter is going to cause other drivers hell when they are driving in the other direction. I recommend that you check out HID planet and look into doing a retrofit with a proper projector if you want better lighting and have the halogen lights from the factory. Or headlight junkies on FB if you prefer.

But the factory LED lights for the JL are pretty decent. They have a defined cutoff with some width. And there isn't a lot of foreground light so long as you aren't the jackass that drives with the fogs on when they aren't needed. High beams are okay, but not the best. Definitely worth the 900 dollars in my opinion.

The factory headliner however is not worth the money. I wish that I wouldn't have gotten it. The Hotheads version looks to be much better though and I will probably go that route.

hid-idiot.webp
Ha...good summary. I just responded similar. The light type is just one factor in the LED package assuming FCA designed the reflectors/housings for the LEDs. I thought that was the case since they were visibly different.
 

SouthLeb

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I'd try LED Bulbs (that install directly into your halogen lamps) before paying $900 for LED light assemblies. I have Mopar LED fog assemblies (MSRP $210 each fog light) for my Rubicon bumper (couldn't use stock halogen sport fogs) and then I purchased LED bulbs for under $150...and they are about the same intensity as the Mopar LED assemblies.

At this point, I'll never convert my Headlamps to LED assemblies as I like the little Jeep cutout in the Halogen lamp and the LED bulbs are actually LEDs...without having to replace my Halogen lamps.

There are more affordable ways to get LED headlights than replacing the lamps altogether. As for Rear LED lights...I'm not concerned with that, so I haven't even started searching for them.

But hope you find what you're looking for! :)
Thanks TaiMc.
I am trying to stay within a budget. I would like to have the cold weather pkg but I can live without it. It does get cold in TN but not like up north.
 

BillG

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Thanks TaiMc.
I am trying to stay within a budget. I would like to have the cold weather pkg but I can live without it. It does get cold in TN but not like up north.
I’m also in TN. I got the cold weather pkg not for the temps, but for back issues. It’s like having a heating pad on long drives.
The passenger seat can also help keep your burger and fries warm in the summer ;).
I do love my LED lights though. Deer. Cows. Kids.
 

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jayteal

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I have the standard halogen on my jl and they are pleanty brite enough. So much so I had to aim them down a bit because people kept brighting me.
Agreed. I can't justify an extra $900 when the halogens on my JLUR are plenty bright enough for me. In fact, they're the brightest headlights I've ever had. Plus I think the halogen fogs are better in the fog and snow but that's my opinion from spending most of my life on the east coast before moving to Texas. I'd rather buy some LED or high end halogen bulbs and save the cash for something like a winch or cash towards a soft top. Sure the LEDs look "high end" blah blah blah but I'll be happy in the minority Halogen club.
 

ChrispyJL

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Meh IMO not really.
I can take my JLU to Lightworkz and with that $900 can get LED in every Bulb, and an HID projector retrofit, then fill the tank with gas and go out for a gourmet dinner.

I am not a fan of LED headlights, had a very expensive set on my old Cherokee, and they didn't produce enough heat in winter to melt snow and ice, something to think about if you live in cold snowy areas, not saying the OEM ones won't melt snow and ice, but LEDs in general do not produce much heat.

I think $900 is a bit steep, but most MOPAR are overpriced to the moon.
 

CanAmMick

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The LED package, in my opinion, is definitely worth it. While $900 is a lot of money, aftermarket headlight options can be quite expensive, too. Check out the cost of JW Speaker or any other major headlight products, and you'll see that even the aftermarket stuff is expensive. Plus, the LED package offers a full set of LED's, not just the headlights. They're the first Jeep Wrangler headlights, on any Jeep I've owned, that actually light up the road. Good luck with your decision!
I totally agree! There is no way I would want regular lights on this Jeep. With all the critters we have running around here at night in Wyoming we need every bit of light that we can get. I also have my Tazer set so I can use the fog lights while the high beam are on. And with all of that, I could always use some additional LED lights.
 

DravenGSX

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After driving my JLUR with LEDs for a week, I can barely tell that the headlights are even on in my '16 Longhorn Ram. These are, by far, the best headlights I have ever had. They're amazing, and worth every penny in my book.
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