2017~2025: Protect CX-5’s paint with ceramic coatings, worth it?
- Thread starter Rick507
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In my personal experience with Mazdas as recently as 2013, the paint is thin and particularly susceptible to chipping and scratches.
A proper ceramic coating, when applied properly to a cleaned and prepared clear coat, should at least provide some resistance to that. A properly applied ceramic coating also makes cleaning the car a more simple proposition as things like bugs and bird poop are less likely to stick and/or cause paint damage. Buying a coating from ebay makes me skeptical as to the product's origins and legitimacy, and I'm assuming you at least know how to detail/claybar your own car.
Ceramic coatings offer very little in the ways of stone-chip resistance though, so keep that in mind.
A proper ceramic coating, when applied properly to a cleaned and prepared clear coat, should at least provide some resistance to that. A properly applied ceramic coating also makes cleaning the car a more simple proposition as things like bugs and bird poop are less likely to stick and/or cause paint damage. Buying a coating from ebay makes me skeptical as to the product's origins and legitimacy, and I'm assuming you at least know how to detail/claybar your own car.
Ceramic coatings offer very little in the ways of stone-chip resistance though, so keep that in mind.
It definitely is worth the investment but in my opinion should be applied by a 'detailer' who knows what they are doing. Certain steps must be carried out in order for the coating to adhere to the paint properly and give you a lasting protection along with aftercare by yourself.
Here is what he did to mine:
https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/109635-felt-blessed-one-2017-mazda-cx5.html
I also got PPF put on a few weeks after the coating on the front bumper, hood, fenders and door mirrors. Mazda's have a reputation for thin factory paint and no amount of ceramic coating will protect you from chips.
Yes Ceramic coatings are worth it. They basically add another very thin layer of clear coat to the car. They will not stop rock chips or anything like that. There are two categories of coatings out there. The first is professional coatings that require a certified installer to apply. The reason for this is that they are very hard when dried and can only be removed by wet sanding. If you make a mistake you will live with it for 10+ years. The pro coatings are more expensive since the installer will need to fully polish the paint to perfection before application and that is time consuming and expensive for the labor. The plus side to them is that they last a very long time, 10+ years in most cases. The other category is consumer or prosumer coatings. These typically will last between 2-5 years depending on coating and how they are maintained. They are easier to apply and can be polished off if a mistake is made.
I would not go with a generic coating you find on ebay. Stick to trusted brands such as Gtechniq, CarPro, Gyeon, and Optimum. I recently did my wife's black GLE350 with Gtechniq Crystal Serum light topped with gtechiniq EXO V3 and the results were stunning. I almost don't have to wash the car in the winter here as a trip to the coin op car wash and a blast from the high pressure gun will remove most of the dirt and it looks almost good as clean. It makes washes much easier and I don't have to wax the car for the next 4-5 years.
I would not go with a generic coating you find on ebay. Stick to trusted brands such as Gtechniq, CarPro, Gyeon, and Optimum. I recently did my wife's black GLE350 with Gtechniq Crystal Serum light topped with gtechiniq EXO V3 and the results were stunning. I almost don't have to wash the car in the winter here as a trip to the coin op car wash and a blast from the high pressure gun will remove most of the dirt and it looks almost good as clean. It makes washes much easier and I don't have to wax the car for the next 4-5 years.
Thanks for updating.
I went to a local IDA- International Detailing Center member,
https://www.instagram.com/blacklabel_pa
the detailer took about 12 hours detailing task, from decontaminating paint, clearing previous hand polishing marks, and other paint details, that where only noticeable when a hand lamp showed up.
Well, CarPro Ceramic coating definitely enhanced the shine. No more bugs in my car hood, nor the roof box. Meaning, washes are much easier.
After the coating job, my concern it’s to gain scratches marks back. Detailer commented me about a glossy clear car paint protection film, because it’s thicker, stain resistant and superior optical clarity. State that the wrap can be ceramic coated too. Meaning in armor like car finish.
Meanwhile I’ll will park far away from others to prevent door dings, stones or road debris propelled by the vehicles in front of me, and hoping to maintain flawless the original CX-5 paint. [emoji28]
By googling, car protective film seems to be trending vs. Ceramic coatings.
I went to a local IDA- International Detailing Center member,
https://www.instagram.com/blacklabel_pa
the detailer took about 12 hours detailing task, from decontaminating paint, clearing previous hand polishing marks, and other paint details, that where only noticeable when a hand lamp showed up.
Well, CarPro Ceramic coating definitely enhanced the shine. No more bugs in my car hood, nor the roof box. Meaning, washes are much easier.
After the coating job, my concern it’s to gain scratches marks back. Detailer commented me about a glossy clear car paint protection film, because it’s thicker, stain resistant and superior optical clarity. State that the wrap can be ceramic coated too. Meaning in armor like car finish.
Meanwhile I’ll will park far away from others to prevent door dings, stones or road debris propelled by the vehicles in front of me, and hoping to maintain flawless the original CX-5 paint. [emoji28]
By googling, car protective film seems to be trending vs. Ceramic coatings.
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I have both on my car. Within the first week of ownership I had the car in and had PPF applied to the front bumber, Hood, fenders and mirrors. They also threw in the door cups for free and I had my front windows tinted to 20%. About a week after that, to make sure the PPF was cured and there were no issues I lightly polished the paint from the dealers swirl o matic car washes that left marks and then coated the car with Optimum Gloss coat. It's been 3 years of daily driving in Wisconsin and it is just now starting to show some signs of coating failure, particularly on the lower parts of the door where road spray hits most often. This spring I plan on polishing off the remainder of the old coating and applying something else. Most likely I will go with either Gtechniq CSL and EXo V3 or Carpro Cquartz topped with their new Gliss.