Just opening a thread for TECHNICAL discussion on how to improve lighting on Subarus.

The 2 subarus I've encountered have oem hids on stock hid headlight housing. These are the Forester SG9 (2007 model) and the newer Forester, a 2009 model. The oem bulbs are Philips 4300k which gives out the most light * around 3000 lumens per bulb vs. 1000 lumens for a stock 55w halogen bulb.

Other older Subarus can improve lighting by installing better halogen bulbs like Philips XP or Raybrigs or even PIAA. These are better performing bulbs, although more expensive (around 2k++ per pair) and even better is that they run on the stock power rating of 55w so no need to alter your harness.

My suggestion for improving stock lighting:

For older Subarus running on halogens> buy Philips XP,Osram Silverstars, PIAA or Raybrigs. These are the best performing brands out there in the market. Always go for a bulb near 4300k. You will get the most light on the road if the bulb temp is near 4300k. Just science.

For newer Subarus with stock HIDs> you can upgrade by retrofitting HID projectors. There are many projectors in the market right now, from LO performing bolt on projectors to hi performing projectors that will rival any OEM setup of expensive marquee brands.

For newer Subarus with existing HID Projector System> the stock projector of Subarus are mid-hi performing units. There are projectors that can outperform this and have bixenon output to boot so you can upgrade by changing this projectors. The ultimate is to have a quad setup, i.e 2 projectors per headlamps.

Some samples of upgraded lighting system for the Subaru:









output: