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Review: Sylvania Silverstar/ZEVO LED Exterior Lighting Upgrade Zane Merva Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com 9/14/15 Are you looking for more visibility and a distinctive look for your vehicle when the sun goes down? We installed replacement SilverStar headlight bulbs to see better at night and ZEVO LED marker bulbs to give Project Sierra a high tech look. Here’s how it went. Product Reviewed Sylvania SilverStar ZXE headlight bulbs (9005/H11) Sylvania ZEVO LED 194 Replacement Bulb Current Retail Cost SilverStar zXe H11: $49 / set SilverStar zXe 9005: $51 / set ZEVO 194 LED: $9.85 x 6 = $59 Total Cost ~ $159 (as of 9/14/2015) Editor's Note: This product was provided at no cost for the purposes of a review. We only publish our honest opinions and give no consideration for the gratis product. What are they? Replacement headlight and marker light bulbs that shine brighter and with a whiter color temperature than stock. The LED bulbs will also never need replaced. Tested On 2011 GMC Sierra All-Terrain Extended Cab SLT SilverStar zXe Headlight Bulbs The SilverStar zXe bulbs are Sylvania’s premium headlight bulbs. Sold in pairs, our Sierra takes H11 for the low beams and 9005 type bulbs for the high beams. SilverStar zXe bulbs are supposed to be the brightest whitest and most "Xenon like" bulbs that Sylvania offers. They provide the bright daylight colored light closer in the spectrum to HID systems without going over the top and having a fake blue tint that only serves to annoy oncoming traffic. Updated: Sylvania has clarified to us that the SilverStar Ultra is the brightest downroad bulb, while zXe bulbs have the highest/whitest color temperature. Installation is as easy as replacing any other headlight bulb. We had the best results on our 2011 using small hands and removing the air filter assembly. ZEVO LED Marker Bulbs Our trucks have around a half dozen mini-bulbs used around the exterior as marker lights. In some new vehicles, these bulbs are now LED. LED's bulbs are brighter, have a high-tech look, and never burn out. Our Sierra came from the factory with 194-sized incandescent marker bulbs that give off a dim yellow light. Even the rear license plate lighting used two of these little outdated bulbs. Thankfully replacing all of them is very easy. Our truck has two 194 bulbs in the headlights, two in the tail lights, and two to illuminate the rear plate at night. We started in the rear and removed the tail light housings using a Phillips head screwdriver. The license plate bulb housings pop out by squeezing a few tabs located behind the bumper. The four bulbs in the rear took under 15 minutes to swap out. The headlight marker bulbs are slightly harder to get to. They reside on the side of the headlight housing, tucked tightly in the front fenders. We used a pair of needle nose pliers to very carefully remove and replace the bulbs up front. Stock vs Sylvania The stock headlight bulbs (left in each photo) vs the SilverStar zXe bulbs (right in each photo). The Sylvania bulbs have a blue tint that can only be seen during the day. That blue tint on the bulbs translates to a slight blue hue in the headlight housing during the day. At night the blue tint isn't apparent. The stock 194 marker light and license plate bulbs are light and fragile. The ZEVO led replacements are sturdy and feel heavier duty. The right/driver side headlight is still stock. The left/passenger side is a SilverStar zXe bulb. The stock halogen bulb light looks yellow and dimmer in comparison. Replacing the 194 marker light bulb in each tail light is a quick job. The reward is a significantly brighter 6000k white light. Stock on left, ZEVO LED on right. The LED bulbs are so much brighter that you can see the light spilling over into the lower part of the taillight. At first we thought this might be a problem but ending up deciding we liked the more aftermarket look it gave our truck. Up close, it's even more obvious that the rear tail lamps benefit from the brighter ZEVO LED bulbs. The stock marker lights are almost unnoticeable. The LED bulbs are unmistakable. The result is the most dramatic when illuminating the rear license plate. The stock 194 bulb(left photo) is yellow and dim. The Sylvania ZEVO LED bulb is much brighter and gives the exterior a better overall appearance. Side by side, it's easy to see the ZEVO LED bulb (left) is a big upgrade in brightness from the stock bulb(right). Since LED's never burn out, you'll most likely never have to replace them again. Conclusion We replaced 10 bulbs on our 2011 Sierra during this lighting makeover. We began enjoying the results the first night and we noticed the difference immediately. Just by looking at the photos above, we’re sure you can too, and that says a lot considering it is very hard to photograph the lights in a way that accurately represents them in real life. The biggest reason that someone would want to buy SilverStar zXe bulbs is for the exterior look they give your vehicle. Sure, the whiter color temperature light is easier on the eyes when driving at night. We'd even go as far to say that we could see the road better because of this. However, in our test, there was not much discernible difference in overall brightness over stock. After all, they both use the same wattage and the same reflective housing. Sylvania offers the SilverStar Ultra line of bulbs for enthusiasts who value brightness over color temperature. In other words, don't expect this upgrade to be as bright as a HID upgrade which adds extra power to the lights. Where SilverStar zXe bulbs really "shine" is that from outside a vehicle, the headlights have a very crisp, almost HID like appearance. The ZEVO LED 194 bulbs are similar in nature. Completely hidden to the driver, LED marker bulbs are great because they will never burn out and they look better and brighter than stock. However, with that said, the brighter corner marker lighting really stands out and we've fallen in love with the modern look. We are looking forward to expanding our exterior makeover to LED tail light and backup bulbs someday in the future. Right now Sylvania doesn't make a set of LED brake light bulbs that are street legal for our Sierra but promises a solution. On the other hand, Sylvania does have backup light bulbs that fit and we're testing them now. We're also excited to share our thoughts of the ZEVO LED Pixelated DRL with you soon.
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Product Reviewed Sylvania Silverstar ZXE headlight bulbs (9005/H11) Sylvania ZEVO LED 194 Replacement Bulb Current Retail Cost Silverstar zXe H11: $49 / set Silverstar zXe 9005: $51 / set ZEVO 194 LED: $9.85 x 6 = $59 Total Cost ~ $159 (as of 9/14/2015) What are they? Replacement headlight and marker light bulbs that shine brighter and with a whiter color temperature than stock. The LED bulbs will also never need replaced. Tested On 2011 GMC Sierra All-Terrain Extended Cab SLT Silverstar zXe Headlight Bulbs The Silverstar zXe bulbs are Sylvania’s premium headlight bulbs. Sold in pairs, our Sierra takes H11 for the low beams and 9005 type bulbs for the high beams. Silverstar zXe bulbs are supposed to be the brightest and most "Xenon like" bulbs that Sylvania offers. They provide the bright daylight colored light closer in the spectrum to HID systems without going over the top and having a fake blue tint that only serves to annoy oncoming traffic. Installation is as easy as replacing any other headlight bulb. We had the best results on our 2011 using small hands and removing the air filter assembly. ZEVO LED Marker Bulbs Our trucks have around a half dozen mini-bulbs used around the exterior as marker lights. In some new vehicles, these bulbs are now LED. LED's bulbs are brighter, have a high-tech look, and never burn out. Our Sierra came from the factory with 194-sized incandescent marker bulbs that give off a dim yellow light. Even the rear license plate lighting used two of these little outdated bulbs. Thankfully replacing all of them is very easy. Our truck has two 194 bulbs in the headlights, two in the tail lights, and two to illuminate the rear plate at night. We started in the rear and removed the tail light housings using a Phillips head screwdriver. The license plate bulb housings pop out by squeezing a few tabs located behind the bumper. The four bulbs in the rear took under 15 minutes to swap out. The headlight marker bulbs are slightly harder to get to. They reside on the side of the headlight housing, tucked tightly in the front fenders. We used a pair of needle nose pliers to very carefully remove and replace the bulbs up front. Stock vs Sylvania The stock headlight bulbs (left in each photo) vs the Silverstar zXe bulbs (right in each photo). The Sylvania bulbs have a blue tint that can only be seen during the day. That blue tint on the bulbs translates to a slight blue hue in the headlight housing during the day. At night the blue tint isn't apparent. The stock 194 marker light and license plate bulbs are light and fragile. The ZEVO led replacements are sturdy and feel heavier duty. The right/driver side headlight is still stock. The left/passenger side is a Silverstar zXe bulb. The stock halogen bulb light looks yellow and dimmer in comparison. Replacing the 194 marker light bulb in each tail light is a quick job. The reward is a significantly brighter 6000k white light. Stock on left, ZEVO LED on right. The LED bulbs are so much brighter that you can see the light spilling over into the lower part of the taillight. At first we thought this might be a problem but ending up deciding we liked the more aftermarket look it gave our truck. Up close, it's even more obvious that the rear tail lamps benefit from the brighter ZEVO LED bulbs. The stock marker lights are almost unnoticeable. The LED bulbs are unmistakable. The result is the most dramatic when illuminating the rear license plate. The stock 194 bulb(left photo) is yellow and dim. The Sylvania ZEVO LED bulb is much brighter and gives the exterior a better overall appearance. Side by side, it's easy to see the ZEVO LED bulb (left) is a big upgrade in brightness from the stock bulb(right). Since LED's never burn out, you'll most likely never have to replace them again. Conclusion We replaced 10 bulbs on our 2011 Sierra during this lighting makeover. We began enjoying the results the first night and we noticed the difference immediately. Just by looking at the photos above, we’re sure you can too, and that says a lot considering it is very hard to photograph the lights in a way that accurately represents them in real life. The biggest reason that someone would want to buy Silverstar zXe bulbs is for the exterior look they give your vehicle. Sure, the whiter color temperature light is easier on the eyes when driving at night. We'd even go as far to say that we could see the road better because of this. However, in our test, there was not much discernible difference in overall brightness over stock. After all, they both use the same wattage and the same reflective housing. In other words, don't expect this upgrade to be as bright as a HID upgrade which adds extra power to the lights. Where Silverstar zXe bulbs really "shine" is that from outside a vehicle, the headlights have a very crisp, almost HID like appearance. The ZEVO LED 194 bulbs are similar in nature. Completely hidden to the driver, LED marker bulbs are great because they will never burn out and they look better and brighter than stock. However, with that said, the brighter corner marker lighting really stands out and we've fallen in love with the modern look. We are looking forward to expanding our exterior makeover to LED tail light and backup bulbs someday in the future. Right now Sylvania doesn't make a set of LED brake light bulbs that are street legal for our Sierra but promises a solution. On the other hand, Sylvania does have backup light bulbs that fit and we're testing them now. We're also excited to share our thoughts of the ZEVO LED Pixelated DRL with you soon.
