Philips 12258XV+S2 Philips X-tremeVision halogen headlamp H1 12258 XV+ 12V 55W P14,5s S2 +130% more light 45m longer beam, Set of 2

I installed these Philips lamps in mid 2018 and here in 2022 (and 30,000 miles later) they’re still working.The brightness compared with the factory original lamps was impressive, and marginally whiter too. However, this does gradually worsen over time as the lamp burns. Still, they’re road legal and do the job just fine.I have an Audi A3 2.0 TDI which means the space under the bonnet is limited - making fitting a little tricky. However, this isn’t Philips specific and will be the case for any other brand. Just be sure to look out for the pins and prongs on the base of the lamp - if the thing isn’t fitting properly, just check to ensure you’ve not bent any out of shape preventing them fitting properly! That got me for a good hour before I compared both lamps to realise the one I had tried to fit (and failed) has a slight bend. A small bit of finger pressure and we were good to go.

I've used these for 3 months now, and would say they are a slight upgrade on the factory fitted bulbs they replaced. The beam is certainly good, casting light a fair way into the distance, and we have noticed they are brighter than the originals, but it's hard to quantify if they are really 30% brighter. In terms of the quality of light, they are a good match to the originals, and do not have the blinding effect on other drivers that some of the blue/whiter high powered xenon or LED bulbs seem to have. In my book that's good news, so I'd recommend these as a solid replacement for blown factory fitted bulbs, or an upgrade/replacement for aged or underperforming bulbs.UPDATE: Having been pleased, but underwhelmed by fitting these, I noticed that one was apparently brighter than the other. Over the weekend I removed the less bright one took careful note of the direction of the filament in the bulb, and made sure I placed it so that the filament itself was at the top when fitted (which in the case of these bulbs meant that the indented “tab” was facing downwards). Instantly the situation improved to make each bulb equally bright, and the beam in front of the road suddenly lengthened & brightened considerably. I can now say there is a definite & significant improvement in the road illumination over the previous factory fitted bulbs, and I’ve changed my rating from 4 to 5 stars. Hope this has been helpful if it prevents you making the same mistake I did.UPDATE 2: - Last weekend, another driver of a similar car to mine approached me asking how I had "tuned" my headlights to be so much better than his :) ...so, must be noticeably different to other drivers as well as me.

There is some debate online whether these bulbs improve the vision at night or not. I side with the improved camp. The signs I approach seem brighter, the shadows less dark, and I think the range of the lights on full beam is improved. I drive an older model car in largely rural Scotland, so we have wet, dark days and nights in winter. I have been sufficiently impressed by these that I've replaced all our vehicles bulbs with them. I'm not sure I would pay full price, I would wait for an offer. However a worthwhile investment.Don't expect massive improvement on dipped lights though, they are brighter. However the design of the dip mechanism points the lights down when dipped at a specified angle for a stipulated legal range. so you aren't going to see any further on dipped lights. It's on full beam you'll see a difference, and in foul weather.

Super brighteasy to installgreat product

So far so good. Its a nice bright white light which was just what I was after.Installed them in to a 08 Toyota Yaris as one of my lights failed.Went for these as they are a trusted make and the write up seemed better than the basic ones.Having no experience changing car headlights before hand I was a little apprehensive. Putting them in was a little tricky as its a very tight space to work with. Especially the right hand side as the Yaris has a box right next to the headlight entrance. I managed to do it though with time and patience.For a Toyota Yaris 08 the process goes as follows.Pull off the rubber seal protecting the electric connection.Pull off the Electric Connection.Feel around inside for metal wires. Flick them out the way. (Its basically a latch that holds the bulb in)The bulb will fall out. (Pay attention to the metal pattern surrounding the bulb, it has some groves for the latch so the new bulb will need to be put back in the same way)Replace it with the new ones.Clamp the latch back on (Can be a little tricky doing it blind. Working out how the latch works with your fingers)Connect the electricPut on the electric seal.Done

*Update* 19/4/17.Near side bulb has just died. So yes they are a bit brighter but 6 months is not worth the expense in my opinion. This would equate to about £70ish per year on bulbs plus the hassle of swapping out the bulb itself. I'm not disappointed as a short life span is expected when pushing the limits of a design like this. Just thought potential buyers would be interested.These are supposed to be the best bulbs on the market before going to some sort of HID xenon setup. Given that the bulb is still 55w it's impressive how much brighter it is. It's not night and day compared to oe bulbs but noticeable on dark motorways. I found the most difference in the peripheral light giving much better visibility on approach to exits, they also do put more light onto the road and shines further ahead than the oe bulbs. They are also whiter than others but if you're looking for imitation xenons you would be disappointed.