Upon reading, it seems as if the 50W (or 55W) kits seem to run the bulb at an higher output, causing the bulb to burn out quicker. My goal is to match the DRLs as close as possible. The bulb Im looking at is the H11A rated at 5500 Kelvin. That would quickly become a major gripe with owners. Im looking to buy a Morimoto HID kit but am stuck in deciding between the 35W or 50W. Most people don't want a luxury car who's headlight bulbs burn out 2-6 times faster. It's the cost/reliability/benefit ratio that they look at as well. Unlike individuals who don't car what the laws are, they have businesses to run. Of course they're going to be brighter than stock, even on 'luxury' cars, because the manufactures don't want to push theirs at 55w.

It's only a matter of time before someone installs 1000w high pressure sodium or metal halide bulbs in air-cooled glass enclosures because they feel the 'need' to have them, and you know, just so long as they're not blinding me in the opposite lane, I'll be happy that they're happy. The low/high beam patterns count for so much more, and there are appropriate times to use each. Not only do they want to conform to the laws and guidelines of the authorities, they're not worried about their customers outrunning their headlights at high speeds, because the light output and coverage patterns are adequate already. That's an area where technological advancement is preferred over brute force. With 'luxury' cars and high-end sports cars, 35w is good enough. I guess that they could play the 'mine's bigger than yours' game, push them at 70w, and leave a bay open at their dealerships exclusively for bulb replacement. That would quickly become a major gripe with owners. Click to expand.Of course they're going to be brighter than stock, even on 'luxury' cars, because the manufactures don't want to push theirs at 55w.

35w hid vs 55w halogen