[rainmn60]

I had my new X5 ceramic coated the day after I took delivery. I didn’t want the dealer to do it nor did I want to pay an absorbent amount money for someone who is most likely a shop car cleaner doing it. I used a local reputable car detailer, who used a Qyeon product. I had this done on my previous X5 and the product lasted well beyond what I would have expected. I was very happy with the result and why I chose to get it done on my new car. If you’re in CT or nearby I know of of someone that I would highly recommend. Since no paint correction was necessary, I didn’t have to pay for any prep process other than the coating.

[cobramite]

I'll stick an Adams Carnuba wax every few months to maintain a shine with real depth vs the wet superficial coated look of PPF which I find unappealing with the exception of the matte tone materials that are quite pleasing to look at and a consideration.
To each his own and I know what works for me. Maybe I'll just wait for the next whiz bang automotive surface treatment as the product of the month stuff currently offered is not what many of us are interested in.

[Sleeper]

Originally Posted by cobramite

I'll stick an Adams Carnuba wax every few months to maintain a shine with real depth vs the wet superficial coated look of PPF which I find unappealing with the exception of the matte tone materials that are quite pleasing to look at and a consideration.
To each his own and I know what works for me. Maybe I'll just wait for the next whiz bang automotive surface treatment as the product of the month stuff currently offered is not what many of us are interested in.

“Superficial coated look” is a new one for me. Maybe you’ve only seen low quality PPF but the better brands (Suntek, XPEL, STEK etc) aren’t visible at all in terms of finish or clarity (or shouldn’t be, especially with wrapped edges).

Anyway, like you said, to each his own. I used to machine polish and then wax or coat my cars by hand as well - tough not to introduce swirls or hologramming even doing that, but it did look great. PPF just makes it so much easier (IMO).

[Mixitt]

I applied CARPRO CQUARTZ UK 3.0 to my 2019 40i and over 4 years ago and it's still beading. Looks great. "Miss Daisy" has been garaged but subjected to the extreme heat and UV of central Texas a lot.

Did it to my Z4 too.

[Mixitt]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

i wasn't impressed with dealer-provided ceramic coating on my wife's 2020 545i. when i got my 2021 X5, i had it done by a local detailer and really liked it. my wife liked it too, so we got her 2023 530e coated there. night and day difference between a reputable detailer and a dealership product (some dealerships outsource to a detailer...ours doesn't). i perform top coats annually myself

I wouldn't trust a detail shop and sure as hell won't piss off my money. The most "difficult" step is a good prep. Clay if you must, good shampoo with Dawn, water and a bucket. Last step I did was to wipe down each panel with a dilute solution of iso. alcohol, then on with the the UK 3.0 coating. Plenty of YouTube videos showing side by side products after periods of time and heavy weathering stresses.

[Mixitt]

Originally Posted by cobramite

I'll stick an Adams Carnuba wax every few months to maintain a shine with real depth vs the wet superficial coated look of PPF which I find unappealing with the exception of the matte tone materials that are quite pleasing to look at and a consideration.
To each his own and I know what works for me. Maybe I'll just wait for the next whiz bang automotive surface treatment as the product of the month stuff currently offered is not what many of us are interested in.

Shiny Ribs chemistry has come a long way. Have you tried some good ol fashion Turtle Wax? Boyz in the hood steal swear by it.

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by Mixitt

Shiny Ribs chemistry has come a long way. Have you tried some good ol fashion Turtle Wax? Boyz in the hood steal swear by it.

We have great results with Adams products and sometimes use S100. I have friend and relatives who do same and are completely satisfied with great looking vehicles.
My daughter and son in law have an Aventador, 488, Urus, and a Range Sport which are all maintained with Carnauba Waxes and no PPF. They all look absolutely fantastic.
Turtle Wax was hot stuff back when I was in high school, haven't used it since. Carnauba Wax works great for many of us. Anyone who finds that amusing is just demonstrating their lack of knowledge and general ignorance regarding vehicle finish treatments.

[JennyMac]

Now I am all stressed out, I pulled the trigger today on PPF (full front) and ceramic coating. They are backed up one month so end of Oct. I am in Ohio with pot holes and salt in the winter so feel like I should do it. Place comes highly recommended so hope I am happy!

[machop]

I did PPF on my Tesla 2 years ago, now looking back hard to say if it’s worth it. So for my new x5 I am gonna use some ceremic coating spray. And that’s it.

I also do not want leave my brand new car at detailed shop for 1 or 2 days.

[Mixitt]

Originally Posted by cobramite

Carnauba Wax works great for many of us. Anyone who finds that amusing is just demonstrating their lack of knowledge and general ignorance regarding vehicle finish treatments.

Ya think? Enjoy your wax job.

Again, it's all about chemistry and weather/wear stresses. Carnauba does not hold up to summer heat, reason why you're applying it so often. "Every few months"?

It's crap compared to the new polymers and nano tech coatings available these days.

2.5 year later coatings test in the brutal east Texas town of Tyler. CQuartz is still holding up well.
Failure chart at 9:30 in.

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by Mixitt

Ya think? Enjoy your wax job.

Again, it's all about chemistry and weather/wear stresses. Carnauba does not hold up to summer heat, reason why you're applying it so often. "Every few months"?

It's crap compared to the new polymers and nano tech coatings available these days.

2.5 year later coatings test in the brutal east Texas town of Tyler. CQuartz is still holding up well.
Failure chart at 9:30 in.

Thank You and yes I very much enjoy my Carnauba Wax job. You seem to be ignorant of the fact that our modern high grade non "ceramic" waxes are literally wipe on wipe off. Any uncompromised person who has difficulty with this is in terrible physical condition.
There is a new, latest, greatest, to be all, end all, super ceramic advertised on enthusiast sites every 2 weeks. Enjoy chasing your tail with the miracle shine of the month club.

[Boardmember]

Y’all have confirmed I will continue to follow this entertaining discussion. (If my position matters, you can read early on what I did. But I’m unbiased. Not too old to learn a thing or three.)

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by Boardmember

Y’all have confirmed I will continue to follow this entertaining discussion. (If my position matters, you can read early on what I did. But I’m unbiased. Not too old to learn a thing or three.)

Good mindset. Not always beneficial to follow the Pied Piper. Do your own research and make your own decision. Lots of props for these extremely profitable treatments by those who market and offer them.

[CGG]

The main advantage of a ceramic coating is the paint correction and paint polishing that takes place before the ceramic is applied. The major cost of a ceramic coating is not in the ceramic coating itself but in the many hours it can take to correct and polish the paint. It can easily take 6-8 hours to do the paint correction and polish - perhaps more for a SUV.

There is no way that a coat of wax or sealant or whatever on uncorrected paint will look as good as a car that has been corrected, and polished. It just won't look as good because it can't.

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by CGG

The main advantage of a ceramic coating is the paint correction and paint polishing that takes place before the ceramic is applied. The major cost of a ceramic coating is not in the ceramic coating itself but in the many hours it can take to correct and polish the paint. It can easily take 6-8 hours to do the paint correction and polish - perhaps more for a SUV.

There is no way that a coat of wax or sealant or whatever on uncorrected paint will look as good as a car that has been corrected, and polished. It just won't look as good because it can't.

Hard pass here on the high school dropout grinding down my clear coat in some fashion. I can live a full and happy life with the minimal if any orange peel seen in current clear coats.

[LDT]

I’ll say again. Ceramic and PPF is done by only a very small % of enthusiasts. Most of us simply cannot comprehend how one can justify spending thousands of dollars in addition to the cost of a new car which presumably/absolutely has been professionally manufactured.

[leo923]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

I used ppf to transform my vehicle’s look. worth the cost? nope, but I have no regrets!

if doing both, ppf has to be applied first. if ceramic is applied first, then the ppf won’t adhere well. there’s also ceramic-infused ppf (2-in-1 product)

nZtiZia Curious how the look changed from this. Do you have before & after pictures?
I am getting Skyscraper as well but I LOVE the look of yours! More of what i imagined as opposed to the real life color on the lot.

[Lionel Hutz]

Originally Posted by CGG

The main advantage of a ceramic coating is the paint correction and paint polishing that takes place before the ceramic is applied. The major cost of a ceramic coating is not in the ceramic coating itself but in the many hours it can take to correct and polish the paint. It can easily take 6-8 hours to do the paint correction and polish - perhaps more for a SUV.

There is no way that a coat of wax or sealant or whatever on uncorrected paint will look as good as a car that has been corrected, and polished. It just won't look as good because it can't.

I'd say the main benefit on ceramic coating is durability/chemical resistance and hydrophobicity. Paint correction is just table stakes for a nice finish, like you say. You can get 80%+ of the benefit of a true ceramic coating with a quality spray "ceramic" though. Something like Adam's Graphene Boost or Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic is far easier to apply than a wax or sealant and will last 6-12 months. Products like McKee's HydroBlue don't even have to be buffed in--just mist on and blast with a hose. Phenomenal option for wheels or lazy detailing.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by leo923

nZtiZia Curious how the look changed from this. Do you have before & after pictures?
I am getting Skyscraper as well but I LOVE the look of yours! More of what i imagined as opposed to the real life color on the lot.

before and after

[leo923]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

I used ppf to transform my vehicle’s look. worth the cost? nope, but I have no regrets!

if doing both, ppf has to be applied first. if ceramic is applied first, then the ppf won’t adhere well. there’s also ceramic-infused ppf (2-in-1 product)

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

before and after

I refuse to believe that's even the same car!!!! wow

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by LDT

I’ll say again. Ceramic and PPF is done by only a very small % of enthusiasts. Most of us simply cannot comprehend how one can justify spending thousands of dollars in addition to the cost of a new car which presumably/absolutely has been professionally manufactured.

Agree, 100%.

[cobramite]

Originally Posted by leo923

I refuse to believe that's even the same car!!!! wow

Exactly, hard to believe that is the same X5. Transforming to a matte finish is just awesome. So cool. I am thinking about a similar tone over my Mineral White X6 after seeing a white matte finish Urus.