Ceramic Nano Coating or PPF

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2017 CX-5 GT
First time poster as well as first time Mazda owner here. Just bought a brand new CX-5 GT Machine Gray Metallic (3 weeks old).
I'm looking into a PPF shield for the entire front end as well as a ceramic coating.

Looking to you guys for advice, is this warranted for the MGM paint? I've read that the red paint is thin (or most of Mazdas' paint for that matter).
I can get the full front PPF (hood, bumper, fenders) and 2 layers of the ceramic nano coating for $2200 USD and wondering if all of this is necessary and/or needed?
She's the first new car I've ever owned and I want to take care of her as best I can.
 
The film will provide the better protection. The ceramic coating will provide the better look. So it depends on your priorities.
 
First time poster as well as first time Mazda owner here. Just bought a brand new CX-5 GT Machine Gray Metallic (3 weeks old).
I'm looking into a PPF shield for the entire front end as well as a ceramic coating.

Looking to you guys for advice, is this warranted for the MGM paint? I've read that the red paint is thin (or most of Mazdas' paint for that matter).
I can get the full front PPF (hood, bumper, fenders) and 2 layers of the ceramic nano coating for $2200 USD and wondering if all of this is necessary and/or needed?
She's the first new car I've ever owned and I want to take care of her as best I can.

I don't think you will ever get $2200 back on the investment. I also don't think Mazda paint is any thinner or weaker then other mass produced cars in similar price point (just want to rule out high end ultra luxury). All car manufacturers are buying their paints from one of the major suppliers. All have to follow the recommended prep and paint procedures.

If you keep the car for a long time, chipped paint is expected when you sell it. So the ceramic coatings and films are to help delay the inevitable. They may help a bit if you resell in under 3 years, but not $2200 of increased value.

I worry more about door dings in parking lots, or a rock hitting my expensive windshield then i do some hood chips.

Everyone has their own concerns though
 
First time poster as well as first time Mazda owner here. Just bought a brand new CX-5 GT Machine Gray Metallic (3 weeks old).
I'm looking into a PPF shield for the entire front end as well as a ceramic coating.

Looking to you guys for advice, is this warranted for the MGM paint? I've read that the red paint is thin (or most of Mazdas' paint for that matter).
I can get the full front PPF (hood, bumper, fenders) and 2 layers of the ceramic nano coating for $2200 USD and wondering if all of this is necessary and/or needed?
She's the first new car I've ever owned and I want to take care of her as best I can.

The PPF or other clear films will ( help ) in protecting your paint from stone chips etc, ceramic coatings will not, ceramic coatings will provide better and longer protection then waxes or other coatings, that being said a vehicle with ceramic coating applied can still be scratched, get swirls, get water spots, get etched paint from bird droppings. Like any other paint finish with or without a coating, care should be taken on how the vehicle is washed and maintained to keep the finish looking its best.
 
Nothing beats 3 to 4 times clay/polish/wax. Period.

Ceramic coating are a joke for the price. I was quoted 5 year protection for $900. My detailing routing costs me $100 a pop or $300 / yearly. Do the maths - the final 2 years 4th and 5th. seems to be worth it. But did you know these coatings suffer from the same problems as normal waxing? Automated car wash - swirl marks, bird droppings, scratches, water spots, regular cleaning/dusting is still required. I can guarantee you - after 3 years you'll end up doing ceramic coating again. They are like battery warranties - they say 84 months but last around 3 to 4 at most. If you want E2E protection then the detailers stater must car wash at their place / similar place only. Charge: $40. Do the Maths. Worth it? Definitely not in my book.
 
You will never get the $2,200 back during resale. Any add-ons are mostly lost when it comes to sell the vehicle years later.

A nicely maintained vehicle with a clean interior, clean exterior with no dents and a good maintenance record will help the cars value but the $2,200 for the coatings will never see a ROI.

Just park away from idiots in parking lots, the walking distance will do your health good as well as your vehicle will thank you for it. Keep a longer distance on highways and don't follow too closely will help with rock chips.
 
Nothing beats 3 to 4 times clay/polish/wax. Period.

Ceramic coating are a joke for the price. I was quoted 5 year protection for $900. My detailing routing costs me $100 a pop or $300 / yearly. Do the maths - the final 2 years 4th and 5th. seems to be worth it. But did you know these coatings suffer from the same problems as normal waxing? Automated car wash - swirl marks, bird droppings, scratches, water spots, regular cleaning/dusting is still required. I can guarantee you - after 3 years you'll end up doing ceramic coating again. They are like battery warranties - they say 84 months but last around 3 to 4 at most. If you want E2E protection then the detailers stater must car wash at their place / similar place only. Charge: $40. Do the Maths. Worth it? Definitely not in my book.

If you want ceramic and are competent enough to clean/polish your own car, then watch videos and do your own ceramic for cost of materials.
 
If you want ceramic and are competent enough to clean/polish your own car, then watch videos and do your own ceramic for cost of materials.

Alphadog - ceramic coats go on really thin and very liquid. Its actually not easy to apply. I found waxing considerably easier and more forgiving. In fact, detail shops undergo training for the real good ceramic coating OptiCoat, for example - on how to apply it.
 
Get the car detailed, paint corrected if it needs it and then apply a high quality clear bra/PPF. A full front that includes the full hood, front bumper, fenders, and mirror caps should only cost about $900-$1200. Thats using 3M Pro V3, Xpel Ultimate, or HEXIS Bodyfence. Suntek and Madico are good too. It should last you about 5 years. I would change it out by that time. If you do you shouldnt have any issues removing it off of factory paint.
 
Alphadog - ceramic coats go on really thin and very liquid. Its actually not easy to apply. I found waxing considerably easier and more forgiving. In fact, detail shops undergo training for the real good ceramic coating OptiCoat, for example - on how to apply it.

If you say so. I watched enough you tube videos that i would do it myself before spending the crazy money i habe seen quoted. But then i have wet sanded and buffed entire cars, and sprayed a bit of paint.

The only thing i see involved is time and attention to detail. Every product has training, that doesn’t make it hard to do. Maybe the detail shops can do it faster and more efficiently, but there are enough tutorials online that a competent person shoulld get great results.

It is like installing accessories - do you let the ”trained” dealer mechanic do it, or do it yourself? I do it myself.
 
Get the car detailed, paint corrected if it needs it and then apply a high quality clear bra/PPF. A full front that includes the full hood, front bumper, fenders, and mirror caps should only cost about $900-$1200. That’s using 3M Pro V3, Xpel Ultimate, or HEXIS Bodyfence. Suntek and Madico are good too. It should last you about 5 years. I would change it out by that time. If you do you shouldn’t have any issues removing it off of factory paint.

Now that - is a different beast. Those films are super strong. Somewhere here there's a thread of a guy @ Aus. who drove over horrible conditions and had 3M VentureShield (I think) and nada - nothing. Those things self heal also, I think.
 
I have the nose mask. Horrible looking. Rhino. But when I am going to God Forsaken places where I know will be hit by stone chips, etc. and / or a long +200 mile drive I put that thing on. I never, ever keep it on more than few days at a stretch as I have heard causes issues to the underlying paint. The OEM is pretty good and reasonably priced. Fits : perfect. Mine was tough putting on, initially but stretched a bit and now within 5 min. I have it on - usually during snow as my roads get a heavy dose of salt.
I also have the hood deflector which BTW looks like a piece of plastic doing nothing but I have no idea why - I have ZERO scratches/dents/chips on my hood after putting it on. The only one I have was before I put that flat deflector (repeat - flat). BTW: Mazda says nose mask and deflector do not work but I have had zero problems.
 
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Yup theyre self healing (light scratches heal with heat), self cleaning (bugs wont stick) and hydrophobic to a certain degree. HEXIS Bodyfence is also optically clear so you can apply it to your windshield to prevent rock chips there
 
Get the car detailed, paint corrected if it needs it and then apply a high quality clear bra/PPF. A full front that includes the full hood, front bumper, fenders, and mirror caps should only cost about $900-$1200. That’s using 3M Pro V3, Xpel Ultimate, or HEXIS Bodyfence. Suntek and Madico are good too. It should last you about 5 years. I would change it out by that time. If you do you shouldn’t have any issues removing it off of factory paint.
This is my vote, too, although I'd do full roof, it doesn't cost much more, and you DO take rocks there in the CX5 due to shape of the vehicle.
 
I came to you guys for good sound advice and it looks like I've got that. Where I live and all of the rocks that I know will be kicked up on the highways, I feel like the PPF is the best investment.
 
This is my vote, too, although I'd do full roof, it doesn't cost much more, and you DO take rocks there in the CX5 due to shape of the vehicle.

If he has moon roof - then the OEM moon roof deflector $70 USD helps a lot.
 
For $2200 the question is what type of coating is going to be applied? There are two very distinct types of coatings out there, Professional coatings and Prosumer coatings. The Prosumer coatings are going to cost about $100 for the actual product and most last between 2-5 years if properly maintained. They are easy to apply and remove with a polisher and some compound. The Professional coatings are very similar to the Prosumer ones but they are much more durable and usually will have a 10-15 year life span. As an average consumer we are not allowed to buy these, they need to be purchased and installed by qualified installers. Why? Because they are super hard and durable. If a mistake is made and there is streaking or uneven spots when applying a professional coating the only way to remove it is to wet sand the product off, buff the sanding marks out and reapply the product. That's not something the manufactures want customers doing as there is potential for greatly damaging the vehicle if not done correctly.

I have to disagree with Bminada on that coatings aren't worth it. I think they are. both of my vehicles are coated, My sister in law's car and her husbands I coated and I coated my father in laws Mini in the fall as well. I used Gtechniq Crystal Serum light topped with EXO V3 which runs about $120 for the combo in the 30ml size. That's enough product to do 2 full coats on all but maybe the largest vehicles like a suburban or something similar. The coatings still need to be properly maintained with frequent washes, just like you would wash a non coated car, but the washes are much easier to do since the dirt doesn't stick all that well to the coating. Using something like CarPro Reset as your wash is a good idea as it's designed for coated cars and helps maintain and restore the hydrophobic properties of the coating. There's also several easy to use coating toppers such as Carpro reload, Gyeon Wet Coat, Gyeon Bathe +, McKee's Hydro Blue SiO2, McKee's SiO2 wash, Kamakazie Overcoat. Most of these products are simply car washes that add a bit of SiO2 coating back to the car or are basically spray on products that add SiO2 coating onto the car. They are not harder to use then your typical quick detailer or spray wax.

Yes, the initial time investment to coat your own car is high, or expensive since the car needs to be polished and prepped correctly before applying the coating, it's labor intensive but after that you don't have to do much to the cars finish, no waxing every 3-4 months or anything like that. Wash the car, drive the car, once a year use a SiO2 wash or coating topper and your good to go. It's much less time spent actually waxing the car. So for me it's worth it. Plus it does add a bit of durability to the finish to protect against swirls and marring from washing and stuff like that. A Coating will not stop rock chips.

For Rock chips a PPF is the way to go. I have the front of my car covered in PPF Hood, fenders, bumper and mirrors. They also threw in door cups which protect behind the door handles from scratches and what not. I got the PPF applied within a month of owning the car and then coated everything including the PPF. It's been 3 years now and I'll likely redo the coating this spring when it warms up a bit. I used Optimum Gloss coat which says 2-3 years top and the hood and roof are still holding up great but the lower parts of the doors are showing signs of failure from the road debris and spray kicked up on them from Wisconsin winters.
 
For $2200 the question is what type of coating is going to be applied? There are two very distinct types of coatings out there, Professional coatings and Prosumer coatings. The Prosumer coatings are going to cost about $100 for the actual product and most last between 2-5 years if properly maintained. They are easy to apply and remove with a polisher and some compound. The Professional coatings are very similar to the Prosumer ones but they are much more durable and usually will have a 10-15 year life span. As an average consumer we are not allowed to buy these, they need to be purchased and installed by qualified installers. Why? Because they are super hard and durable. If a mistake is made and there is streaking or uneven spots when applying a professional coating the only way to remove it is to wet sand the product off, buff the sanding marks out and reapply the product. That's not something the manufactures want customers doing as there is potential for greatly damaging the vehicle if not done correctly.

I have to disagree with Bminada on that coatings aren't worth it. I think they are. both of my vehicles are coated, My sister in law's car and her husbands I coated and I coated my father in laws Mini in the fall as well. I used Gtechniq Crystal Serum light topped with EXO V3 which runs about $120 for the combo in the 30ml size. That's enough product to do 2 full coats on all but maybe the largest vehicles like a suburban or something similar. The coatings still need to be properly maintained with frequent washes, just like you would wash a non coated car, but the washes are much easier to do since the dirt doesn't stick all that well to the coating. Using something like CarPro Reset as your wash is a good idea as it's designed for coated cars and helps maintain and restore the hydrophobic properties of the coating. There's also several easy to use coating toppers such as Carpro reload, Gyeon Wet Coat, Gyeon Bathe +, McKee's Hydro Blue SiO2, McKee's SiO2 wash, Kamakazie Overcoat. Most of these products are simply car washes that add a bit of SiO2 coating back to the car or are basically spray on products that add SiO2 coating onto the car. They are not harder to use then your typical quick detailer or spray wax.

Yes, the initial time investment to coat your own car is high, or expensive since the car needs to be polished and prepped correctly before applying the coating, it's labor intensive but after that you don't have to do much to the cars finish, no waxing every 3-4 months or anything like that. Wash the car, drive the car, once a year use a SiO2 wash or coating topper and your good to go. It's much less time spent actually waxing the car. So for me it's worth it. Plus it does add a bit of durability to the finish to protect against swirls and marring from washing and stuff like that. A Coating will not stop rock chips.

For Rock chips a PPF is the way to go. I have the front of my car covered in PPF Hood, fenders, bumper and mirrors. They also threw in door cups which protect behind the door handles from scratches and what not. I got the PPF applied within a month of owning the car and then coated everything including the PPF. It's been 3 years now and I'll likely redo the coating this spring when it warms up a bit. I used Optimum Gloss coat which says 2-3 years top and the hood and roof are still holding up great but the lower parts of the doors are showing signs of failure from the road debris and spray kicked up on them from Wisconsin winters.

That's a very detailed and good explanation. Yes - I meant the prosumer version - 3 to 5 years. I have too many friends having it, all done in various well reviewed professional detailing shops and few self executed. Here's my honest feedback - no matter how good it is with water and dirt at the end of the day it still requires almost same amount of washing and cleaning in terms of frequency. The wash process itself might be quicker. However, it does suffer from swirl marks, scratches, etc. A proper wash of a car which has such a coating is much costlier than a regular mom-and-pop type of a wash. In my area, they have a subscription service - $19 / month for unlimited washes. That won't fly with a coated car as if done - then car will have almost same amount of swirl marks, etc. as non coated car.

Therein lies the catch - I can happily was thrice an year, take it to this $19 car wash as many times as I want to and still have a very clean, very nice looking car with little to no swirl marks. Whereas - I opt for this fancy coating and spend quite a bit and automatically in the name of protecting it - do washes much more carefully and pay more too. Is it worth it in my book - no. A good double layer marine wax is also very hydrophobic and lasts usually 2 to more months.
 
I would recommend blackfire crystal seal or black fire crystal coating, google and watch some vids. Save your self a ton of money and enjoy your new ride for many years to come .
 
That's a very detailed and good explanation. Yes - I meant the prosumer version - 3 to 5 years. I have too many friends having it, all done in various well reviewed professional detailing shops and few self executed. Here's my honest feedback - no matter how good it is with water and dirt at the end of the day it still requires almost same amount of washing and cleaning in terms of frequency. The wash process itself might be quicker. However, it does suffer from swirl marks, scratches, etc. A proper wash of a car which has such a coating is much costlier than a regular mom-and-pop type of a wash. In my area, they have a subscription service - $19 / month for unlimited washes. That won't fly with a coated car as if done - then car will have almost same amount of swirl marks, etc. as non coated car.

Therein lies the catch - I can happily was thrice an year, take it to this $19 car wash as many times as I want to and still have a very clean, very nice looking car with little to no swirl marks. Whereas - I opt for this fancy coating and spend quite a bit and automatically in the name of protecting it - do washes much more carefully and pay more too. Is it worth it in my book - no. A good double layer marine wax is also very hydrophobic and lasts usually 2 to more months.

So what is about the mom and pop washes that makes you think it will scratch and swirl a coating but not the clear coat? Coatings are just like super durable coat of wax. Both a Prosumer coating and regular sealant of wax product are basically sacrificial layers that protect the paint underneath. If it's marring a coating, I guarantee it will be marring clear coat. And a "good Marine wax" wont stop that from happening, a coating like CSL or Cquartz is much harder and more durable then any wax product.

There's nothing special about washing a car with a coating. I use the same two buckets I always have with meguiar's Gold class car shampoo from Costco for my weekly or bi-weekly maintenance washes. The only thing different is that maybe once or twice a year it's a good idea to use something like CarPro Reset to help restore your coating and or use something like wetcoat or reload to boost the protection a bit. Which is really much easier and less time consuming then waxing your car every 2 months or so. Why would you spend more time and be careful to wash a coated car then you would a non coated car? I'm sorry, I'm just not understanding the logic here at all. The whole point of coatings is that they are easier to car for, aid in preventing swirls and scratches, makes washes easier and only need to applied every 3-5 years in stead of every couple of months like wax.
 
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