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 had reached the point where nighttime driving with the standard fitted H7 lamps was becoming doubtful for me: I no longer felt safe. I live in Finland where in winter road markings disappear and it’s not always easy to see the edge of the road. Plus there can be moose and reindeer wandering in the road. In winter it’s dark all through the day. I considered buying a LED light bar but decided to try the easier cheaper option of brighter headlamp bulbs first. Amazon supplied the bulbs and I fitted them. To the inexperienced this is not easy due to constricted space around the engine, my freezing fingers, and the fact that it’s impossible to *see* whether the parts marry up correctly. It’s a question of physically feeling ones way. I struggled to insert the bulbs correctly at first. So I stopped and I looked up a YouTube video for guidance on correct fitting of H7 bulb in a VW Golf. This was a great help. Once I had understood that the indented side of the bulb unit faced upwards my problem was solved. From there on it was straightforward.I live in the inner city where there’s street lighting everywhere so at first I could not determine whether the new lamps are significantly more powerful. Recently I drove 100 km into the countryside and was able to really appreciate the difference. I was able to see absolutely all that I needed to see. My confidence returned. No longer was I having a stressed white-knuckle nighttime driving experience.I have yet to drive with these new lamps in really dark *rainy* conditions but I assume they’ll perform well.I have nothing to say about the product’s longevity yet. It’s too soon to say. But if they get me through a single winter I will not regret the small expenditure that the change represents. I have read other reviews which express disappointment with the short life span of these bulbs. This remains to be seen.

Super brighteasy to installgreat product

These are about as good as an incandescent bulb can get and not much behind more expensive +150% bulbs. I changed from the Philips Vision Plus (plus 50%) which I had used in previous car 2008-2013. They match the Osram Nightbreaker Plus H7s in the dip beam very well. The colour and output is very good in range and spread. They are definitely needed in these nights when many cars have HIDs and newer cars have LED or laser light generators now. A standard halogen bulb is now like a pre-halogen gas bulb was.This type of bulb often receives criticism for poor life. My experience is different. I get good life from bulbs yet voltage to the bulbs is typically just over 14.0 volts.My tips for good bulb life are simple.Install carefully using either kitchen roll or nitrile gloves to prevent finger printing the quartz glass.Install correctly. If the bulb contacts it's holder correctly, more heat is dissipated into the reflector. Not only that, a good beam image is assured.Switch lights on and off as required. Do not rely on auto on and off function. The reason is even a soft start alternator can create a voltage spike at switch-off. This hugely reduces bulb life to a few weeks from what I've witnessed from others (clots).They are so good, I have no intention of converting to a dubious aftermarket HID kit which will likely produce a substandard beam image and cause dazzle. In fairness, the upgrade is more like half of what is claimed (+130% looks more like +65% to me). Of course, I only trust OE manufacturers to ensure correct geometry and lasting quality. I've seen the results which cheap varieties can produce.They may be bettered by very bright LEDs (of dubious legality and often beam image) which need to be bright due to narrow waveband of LED light but they can at least defrost/melt snow from the headlamp lenses in very cold weather.

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.