JDM-Fiend

That's exactly why I did it, I wanted a trusted brand. Make sure you check it before you go out, to ensure the beam pattern is similar. Passed through the MOT with flying colours and now I can see properly when driving at night.

No errors at all.

That's good to know, I'm unsure but I feel as though my car feels a bit unsettled currently. More so on long motorways drives. I'm going to get the bushings and suspension checked when I get the car serviced and MOTed next month. I'm also considering the same ISF/GSF LCA bushes. I think if I changed the shocks, I'd likely order the stock ones again from Amayama as they work out about £70 per corner, which isn't too bad.

Awesome thread, your IS250 looks fantastic. How are you finding the new shock and spring combo? How's the comfort and feel? Also, how much did they set you back?

I used one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07JN9MD28/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Bluetooth Audio for music now built into the car and you can skip songs direct from the steering wheel.

Looks fantastic, great job!

Mine too.

Yes, I definitely will update on this thread once it's MOT'd. I stand by what I said, the standard bulbs are shocking! Hardly lights up in front of the car, which is exacerbated by the other roads users as they'll have Xenon/HID's/LED/Laser etc and it kind of blocks out the halogen. I did consider the Osram and Philips upgrade and they aren't ruled out as it's trial and error - I'll know more after a period of time for use. Currently, they are definitely brighter and safe. That sounds more like a bulb issue in fairness, as I've had a HID IS250 previously and mine were super bright. Mine is definitely halogen, as I took the H11 bulbs out. True.

I think it's likely to do with the red tape. Also, the MOT laws would take ages to change if they would even change. I think it's all pretty hypocritical at times, as you get blinded by cars all the time. Fortunately, I've checked mine myself and at a garage and mine are more than fine.

No doubt, the standard ones are terrible. In bad rain, I'm afraid of driving with them. Yep, a decent proper white I'd call them. As mentioned above, the camera just picks it up that way. It's difficult to show, perhaps I'll take a pic when I'm out later. It will not be as much as factory fitted stuff, but I assure you it's a world of difference!

Bizarre in a good way! No memory and no electric steering column. Luckily, the ML system, rear camera and heated/cooled leathers were my main criteria. Perhaps the best specced SE ever haha

That's OK, only if anything simple was available. Nothing there for me really apart from what I've already mentioned. No parking sensors (but have the rear camera) on mine, but I do have heated/cooled leathers too. Wood trim isn't for me haha Thanks.

I recently bought an IS250 again, as they are such good all round cars. My only gripe with my recent purchase was the very dim Halogen bulbs due to having the SE version of the IS250. I did a lot of research and opted for some Philips Ultinon Pro3021 H11 LED bulbs that are 6000k colour temp, a decent white without being overpowering or 'bluish' which I've never liked. They cost £39.80 for the pair, which is fairly reasonable to me. They did have the 5000 series and the 9000 series, but you are looking at around £80 to £115 respectively. The lumens rating is higher on the model I've bought apparently, so that's the key reason for change and a proper beam pattern. The main thing is it's got a decent beam pattern with the step down and I'll be surprised if it doesn't pass the MOT (as they are technically not road legal). Overall, I'm extremely happy with them and I feel much safer driving with the newer bulbs in. Pics below: Wall pattern and brightness in the day time with one side done: Comparison of each side: Doesn't look blue at all in reality, it's just how the camera picked it up: Comparison of before and after: The night shots were too difficult to capture and make a comparison, but I'll see if there's some captures on my dashcam eventually.

Pic for anyone interested, the car was not clean:

Great, thanks - let me know prices with pics etc if possible. Any other SE-L upgrades I should consider? 😀