i noticed my friends STi headlights were a lot brighter than mine.. are they HIDs? i was wondering if i could just buy the bulbs they put in sti's and replace mine..

It would help if you provided some information as to what car you own. And yes, the STI has HIDS. Depending on if it's the '04-'05 STI or the '06, you're dealing with either a reflector or projector light setup, respectively.

I would encourage you to read the HID FAQ (http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=664361) atop of this forum.

It should be really obvious if they are HID's. If they are and your's are not, they will look nothing alike.

yes and also you cannot buy just the bulbs. read the FAQ to better understand hids.