2009 WRX headlights

One of the first things I noticed was that the low beams of the WRX are hard to get use to. It's a common thing on newer cars that have projectors. There is what is called a "cutoff", a threshold where light is cut off. I guess the cutoff is so that you don't blind oncoming drivers. I did quite a bit of research and weighed my options and have come up with this so far:

1. Brighter stock type bulbs
2. HID conversion kit
3. HIR
4. HID retrofit

I went for the path of least resistance and bought some Osram "night breakers" they are just brighter bulbs that fit the factory harness. $56 - Ebay

FAIL! much better but I want more.
HIR is a technology that was developed by GE and then Toshiba. HIR produces about 75%the light output of HID at 25% the cost.

These lights will fit in my harnesses with little or no modification. If anything, I think you file off a tab or something.
Here is all the information you will need and also a place that sells them. I may use HIR for my high beams and get some HID ballasts for the lows. I could then use the night breakers bulbs in my foglights.


HID conversion kits is a topic of many wars in the Subaru, and I assume other, online communities. The debate is that the projector lens in the WRX was made for a halogen type bulb with a horizontal filament therefore the focal point and cutoff is not compatible with the vertical filament of the HID bulb, creating bleedoff, hot spots, etc. While I agree, I have seen the results and I don't think it looks that bad. The goal is to have a nice clean cutoff line without much light bleeding over the top. This is an example good cutoff. You can buy Acura TSX or Honda s2000 projectors and do your own retrofit but it is not a direct bolt on and it costs $200 for the used parts.

If I get HID I will be getting a 35W 5000k HID kit from DDMTuning 35W will not overheat my wiring and the 5000k has the most light output. The higher the number the bluer the color but the less output, 4200K to 5000K has the most light output.

For now, I am living with the Osram night breakers but I think I will do an HID conversion kit and HIR high beams. None of these options will change cutoff, which I was originally opposed to, because it is designed that way.