Headlight upgrade for SR5 in 2025

What is the consensus on the best headlight upgrade available now for an SR5 with stock halogens? New OEM LED units, or, I see there's new headlights from morimoto, the XB Evo and hybrid option, both over a grand. Do they actually outperform the OEM LED units?

I've been waiting for months for a used set of OEM LED units to pop up locally, but i don't think the required adapter harness that was produced by a member here is still available.

I'd like to get this upgrade done before winter and the associated 5pm sunsets get here

 

@Puppypunter

 

Lots of good info on this thread.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-hid-vs-led-vs-halogen-h11-projector-headlights.589465/

 

Based on information and data from the Morimoto engineers’ comments in the thread linked above, the evos edge out the OEMs slightly in distance while the OEMs have better illumination on the sides.
On Toyota parts sites sales, you can get OEM for around 1k, while the evos are solidly stuck at 1.5k.
Check out yoshis comments in that thread. He posted some pretty easy to understand graphics on performance comparisons

 

Some people have been seeing the top coat delaminating on their oem leds after about 4 years. My driver side has, it’s on the top side of the light where nothing shines through.
So that’s a good excuse to try the new morimotto.

 

I think the Evis went up in price? I could be wrong, been a bit since I checked. But as to making the OEM LEDs work in the SR5 @PoorWhiteBoi I can help you there. I still make the harnesses. You can find more here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/sr-to-oem-led-conversion-harnesses-v2-most-current-thread-dec-2023.819431/
Feel free to PM me with any questions. I understand the functionality of the Morimotos pretty decent as well, but I know nothing of their actual performance besides I hear good things.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/oem-and-after-market-3rd-gen-parts.865740/#post-30839669

 

I've gone through that before, learned to upgrade the halogen bulbs thanks to the thread. The new morimoto units were talked about months ago in the thread but haven't been tested I guess, so I figured I'd make a separate post about it.

 

I went down the rabbit hole that is automotive lighting a few years back when I had a set of hid projectors retrofitted in my first car. I used morimoto mini d2s 5.0 projectors for that project (this part isn't too relevant buuttt) from what I've learned is that morimoto makes some great light products, especially projector retrofit kits and full headlight assemblies like the Evos in that they provide brighter output and proper beam patterns which is equally as important if not more so then pure output. (That is in direct contrast to the other big brand in aftermarket headlights, Alpharex, which has some of the worst beam patterns on the market and is not recommended at all by anyone who knows even a little bit about lighting.) as for morimotos, my experience and the experience of the headlight junkies is that while their products have amazing performance, quality is hit or miss. Fortunately most vendors that sell morimoto products usually offer a great warranty and back it up. From everything I've seen on the morimotos, you can't go wrong buying a set, but I would still recommend Oem. Performance is still great and you get the peace of mind that it's an oem part and, personally, I like the oem look and weirdly, I prefer the looks of a decent set of reflector LEDs over projectors but that's just preference. As for the adapter for the oem LEDs, the quality of it is directly tied to how many puppies puppypunter gets to punt (frfr no lies). I haven't had any issues with my adapter in the 3 years since I swapped out my halogens for the led units.

 

@PoorWhiteBoi I just got an email from the dealer I bought my headlights from. They are running 25% off with free shipping. So you can do OEM LEDs for right around $1100. That’s the lowest I’ve seen for these. The 25% sale kind of comes and goes randomly from what I can tell.
https://autoparts.toyotaofdecatur.com/

 

Wow thanks for the headsup!

Can anyone else confirm these part numbers? For the trd OR [none PRO] units. I feel like putting anything labeled trd pro on an sr5 is just goofy
8115004290
81110-04290

 

the morimotos are simply the best option. but. your obviously paying for that premium. i went with them over the oem leds because with the optional superchargers the high beam pattern is amazing. the heated lenses melt snow off in the winter where the oem leds can ice over. plus i just like the look of them. i have them paired with the matching evo foglights and i couldn't ask for any better lighting without adding auxiliary lighting