[SoCalJon]

Hey all... this will be our first "nice" car -- we've previously driven economy/intermediate vehicles from Dodge, Honda, Pontiac, Hyundai. Haven't really given any attention to paint protection.

We have a 330e on order, hoping to receive it by late Nov/early Dec.

Dealer will apply (mandatory markup option) some PPF on door handle cups, door edges, rear bumper, navigation touchscreen.

I don't know anything about other paint protection or ceramic coating, but I see a lot of you talking about it. I've done a little reading on the web, but mostly I've found marketing-speak that assumes you know what it is and why you need it. I'm hoping someone can explain the various options and help me decide what (if anything) I need and want to spend.

(While we're on the topic -- I'm not much of a "hand-wash-the-car-in-the-driveway-every-Saturday-morning-with-love,-care,-and-obsession" kind of guy. Much more likely to run through an automatic car wash once every 3-4 weeks. I'm having difficulty finding true touchless/brushless washes where I live. We used one on our last car for the first 7 years, and then the brushless option went away and we just gave up and went with the brushes. I'd welcome comment on this too... how much risk of paint damage do I face from brushes? Would ceramic coating minimize that risk?)

[RCook]

Just wash the car a few times with a Ceramic Coating car wash. I used TurtleWax. $15 on Amazon, also at O'Reillys.
Follow the YouTube video on how to do it. Specific way to wash.

After the second washing, i noticed that the car looks freshly waxes all the time. Dirt and bird poo comes off easier.
Wash by hand about once i month, run though gas station car wash each week or so.
Looks new afterwards.

Just gave away all my Groits Garage wax/cleaner/clay to someone. The new wash/wax is that good.

[Burrcold]

Honestly if you continue to use your current washing method, I wouldn't bother with ceramic coating. It's terrific if you wash your car fairly often, and not just rely on automated car washes. Also, if you only wash once every 3-4 weeks, you will notice that ceramic coating can actually make the look more dirty. Water spots will become your worst enemy.

[chrish.22]

Paint protection film is an actual piece of "invisible" film that covers the desired areas; generally the areas that are more prone to damage such as the front bumper. PPF is extremely beneficial, in my opinion, because it can save you from needing to repaint, or even replace complete parts of your car. Sometimes people even cover the whole car, but that gets expensive depending on not only the brand you go with, but also the installer. You also want someone who does it right and does it well.

Ceramic coating is an initially liquid solution that becomes a physical layer as well. Does it protect as well as PPF? No, but it does help make cleaning easier and can make the car look even more shiny/new.

Both of these are great options and some even put a ceramic coating on top of their ppf. PPF is generally more expensive, so I would say if you're not really someone who cares too much about the quality/aesthetics of the exterior, skip at least the ppf. A ceramic coating wouldn't help and if you have the time/knowledge, you could even do it yourself! For me, I have PPF on my front bumper, headlights, mirror caps, and b pillars as those are the areas I feel are most prone to "damage". However, I do care more about preserving that "new" look and keeping my car as nice as possible!

You mentioned you normally just take your car through automatic washes. A ceramic coating would help, but maybe not as much as you'd like. If you installed a PPF and took it through those automatic car washes, it would likely end up ripping/damaging your PPF over time. I hope this helps and congrats on the incoming car!

EDIT: Forgot to say, but you also mentioned it's your first "nice car". I would say it's better to regret something you did, than to regret something you didn't do...if you get the drift . Who knows, maybe this car will change you into that "hand wash in the driveway on saturday" type of person!

[Coconut]

PPF definitely worth at at least on the front bumper and headlights. Will prevent majority of rock chips and your bumper will be mark free for the most part 5+ years down the line. Cost is about $1k.

Professional ceramic coating is not worth it in my opinion. It won’t stop rock chips, bird bomb etchings, or scratches. The most it’ll do is reduce swirls during regular washes. It costs $1500+ And is basically wasted if you do end up polishing a panel. DIY ceramic coatings which only cost maybe $50-100 provides maybe 60-80% of the durability of a pro coating while being significantly cheaper are very much worth it. Think of it as a very long lasting durable wax.

[SoCalJon]

So here’s where I landed… the dealer will do XPEL as initially spec’ed (rear bumper sill, door edges, handle cups, touchscreen) PLUS full front (full hood, bumper, fenders), mirror caps, and rocker panels. $2500 all in, which includes their “mandatory” 995 basic. The 995 is obviously high, but $1500 for full front, mirror caps, and rocker panels seemed reasonable.

We will NOT do a professional ceramic coat.

Now I need to figure out the best way to keep car clean moving forward.

[G30M]

i had ceramic coating applied and it says "lifetime warranty", no maintenance needed

question is - how long does the coating last, and how do i know if it needs to be reapplied?

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by G99M5

i had ceramic coating applied and it says "lifetime warranty", no maintenance needed

question is - how long does the coating last, and how do i know if it needs to be reapplied?

Totally depends on the brand of coating. You will see it failing, the coating will degrade and lose its hydrophobic properties. And no coating lasts a lifetime lol and you do have to maintain it or it will fail even earlier. Read the fine print on that warranty.