Halogen or HID

I believe that's correct. If your headlight are not the blueish color they are not HIDs.

 

Don't worry, be happy. There have been a lot of problems with expensive HID headlights.

JeffD

 

Best advice to you imo is to go with the OEM bulbs. If you buy aftermarket bulbs especially the brighter whiter one's they will burn out faster.

And yes, you are better off with the halogen's. Lot's of problems with the HID's on the Prius.

 

OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer, usually available at the dealer. Can be found online, but be aware there are a lot of copy cat look alike being made today.

I don't have the exact brand name or part # for the OEM bulb, however you can buy the OEM bulb here for $20.65 each

2009 TOYOTA PRIUS Parts - AutoNation Toyota Gulf Freeway Parts

 

There are NOT alot of problems with the stock HID setup. It has been discussed many times before. There was a service manual problem that made the entire headlight assembly a single replacement item. So if the bulb goes out, the manual said replace the $400 ballast and the $100 bulb and in some cases the plastic housing too! Obviously not needed, but some techs are pretty dumb and it happened. This is where the $1200 headlight replacement comes from, which Toyota repaid to owners after a class action suit.

HID bulbs last longer and shine brighter than halogens. They cost $50 to $100 per bulb but will outlast and outshine any halogen making them cheaper in the long run. They also only consume 35W per bulb instead of the 55W per bulb that halogens do.

As for you replacing your halogens, it depends on what your goals are. If you want the most light output, get standard normal yellowy lights like those that came with it. If you want it to look brighter, the white/blue halogens are better but burn out much faster. Also realize that the colour shift of the light produces less lumenous output especially when followed by a tinted glass to change the colour more. However the human eyes have sensitive detectors in the blue band (S-band cones) just like the more abundant red/green bands which tricks your mind into thinking that there is more light when something is blue-ish or white-ish because more cones are now used. So blue-er lights even though they are dimmer and burn out quicker, do seem brighter to most people's eyes which can make them safer to drive with. And the good ones are $35/pair or more.