[BrooklynGreyM3]

New member here. I just placed an order for the new M3 G80. I'm definitely getting the front end covered in PPF (XPEL). I'm not sure if I should get the rest of the car ceramic coated. I've never done this but I've heard people swear by it that this is a good thing for a car of this price. I plan to keep this car at least 8+ years. Any opinions out there that have done this? Thanks in advance guys.

[ZTJ53]

I personally think it’s worth every penny. I’ve had numerous cars coated and swear by it. I use Gyeon products for both ceramic coatings and their products in general. My detailer in the UK charges me around £550 to do the ceramic coating and that’s including all of the wheels, calipers, glass etc. He will also do multi stage paint correction before applying any product. It gives you a good five years protection as long as you look after it properly. It makes the car so much easier to clean and the gloss/beading is unreal.

[robby818]

I usually have ceramic coating applied (unless i buy a white car). The majority of the cost is from the amount of time spent by the detailer performing paint correction. Even on a brand new car, the paint will benefit from polishing. At a reputable detailer, it takes 2-3 days for the paint correction work to be done. The ceramic coating then adds a layer of protection on top of the correction that makes the paint look glossier and offers a bit of protection, but the real reason why the car looks so good is the paint correction process that precedes the ceramic coating.

Ceramic coating in the US costs $1300 on an X5. The one downside to ceramic coatings is that you can't polish on top of them. Even a light polish will remove the coating. So, rather than ceramic coat, you could just take it to a detail shop for a one step paint correction every 2 years and pay $300-400. The nice thing about that approach is the polishing will completely remove light swirl marks, whereas with ceramic you just have to live with them or else pay to have the coating re-applied. Ceramic coating is not armor, you will still get light scratches from normal washing or driving, although less so than on the clear coat.

[BrooklynGreyM3]

Originally Posted by ZTJ53

I personally think it’s worth every penny. I’ve had numerous cars coated and swear by it. I use Gyeon products for both ceramic coatings and their products in general. My detailer in the UK charges me around £550 to do the ceramic coating and that’s including all of the wheels, calipers, glass etc. He will also do multi stage paint correction before applying any product. It gives you a good five years protection as long as you look after it properly. It makes the car so much easier to clean and the gloss/beading is unreal.

Thanks for the information. I found a reputable guy here in Germany who will apply multiple layers on the car, calipers, and wheels for 700€

[BrooklynGreyM3]

Originally Posted by robby818

I usually have ceramic coating applied (unless i buy a white car). The majority of the cost is from the amount of time spent by the detailer performing paint correction. Even on a brand new car, the paint will benefit from polishing. At a reputable detailer, it takes 2-3 days for the paint correction work to be done. The ceramic coating then adds a layer of protection on top of the correction that makes the paint look glossier and offers a bit of protection, but the real reason why the car looks so good is the paint correction process that precedes the ceramic coating.

Ceramic coating in the US costs $1300 on an X5. The one downside to ceramic coatings is that you can't polish on top of them. Even a light polish will remove the coating. So, rather than ceramic coat, you could just take it to a detail shop for a one step paint correction every 2 years and pay $300-400. The nice thing about that approach is the polishing will completely remove light swirl marks, whereas with ceramic you just have to live with them or else pay to have the coating re-applied. Ceramic coating is not armor, you will still get light scratches from normal washing or driving, although less so than on the clear coat.

Nice! Thanks for your advice. My car will be delivered from Munich straight to the dealer which is next to the detail shop. Other than a proper wash there shouldn't be anything to remove from a brand new paint job.

[irunalot]

You will be surprised at how much correction new factory paint needs. I've had the last 4 cars I've purchased coated with Ceramic Pro Gold. Even the new cars with that protective plastic on the panels needed days of correction.

[SickGTR]

If you can afford it, wrap the whole car!!!!

[Nkr15]

Has anyone ceramic coated their car themselves? I bought a sonax cc36 kit. Wondering if I did the paint correction myself (assuming it went well) it would turn out the same way and I would save $2,000? I am aware since I am not a professional it may take me a few days to complete this successfully.

[robby818]

Originally Posted by Nkr15

Has anyone ceramic coated their car themselves? I bought a sonax cc36 kit. Wondering if I did the paint correction myself (assuming it went well) it would turn out the same way and I would save $2,000? I am aware since I am not a professional it may take me a few days to complete this successfully.

https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1761153

From the X5 forum, this user did it and got great results. If you have never used paint correction tools and polishes, it would be wise to practice on an older car before you started on a new M3 or M4.

[PhrogFixer01]

Originally Posted by Nkr15

Has anyone ceramic coated their car themselves? I bought a sonax cc36 kit. Wondering if I did the paint correction myself (assuming it went well) it would turn out the same way and I would save $2,000? I am aware since I am not a professional it may take me a few days to complete this successfully.

I have applied ceramic to at least three cars now. It can be a bit nerve racking but my first car I did was my X5M. It is a several day process regardless of being a pro shop or yourself. Take your time and go slow with paint correction and actual application. Work portions of a panel at a time and be sure to use a good paint prep cleaner right before application. I'm about to do my 4th car soon and not sure I'll ever pay the price for someone else to do it. The product I use is about $125 and takes a solid weekend to do it right. I'm just not convinced the difference is worth the price difference even with my invested time. If you mess up with application you compound it out and reapply.

[Nkr15]

Originally Posted by PhrogFixer01

I have applied ceramic to at least three cars now. It can be a bit nerve racking but my first car I did was my X5M. It is a several day process regardless of being a pro shop or yourself. Take your time and go slow with paint correction and actual application. Work portions of a panel at a time and be sure to use a good paint prep cleaner right before application. I'm about to do my 4th car soon and not sure I'll ever pay the price for someone else to do it. The product I use is about $125 and takes a solid weekend to do it right. I'm just not convinced the difference is worth the price difference even with my invested time. If you mess up with application you compound it out and reapply.

Awesome thanks for the great post. Yeah I think I will go down the same route. Plus I am in the Bay Area so all the shops here charge 2-3x the price vs other areas. I also read that if you do go to a shop and they give you a 5 year "warranty" you have to take the car there yearly in order to have the warranty stay active. I'd rather just apply the consumer grade stuff myself every 2 years and save all the money. Weekend projects are fun if you have a garage.

[safridi]

PPF (xpel) worked really well for me. I used to take frequent trips from PA to NY (3 hours) and on my front bumper you can see the little rock chips and pebbles lodged into the film.

[PhrogFixer01]

Originally Posted by Nkr15

Awesome thanks for the great post. Yeah I think I will go down the same route. Plus I am in the Bay Area so all the shops here charge 2-3x the price vs other areas. I also read that if you do go to a shop and they give you a 5 year "warranty" you have to take the car there yearly in order to have the warranty stay active. I'd rather just apply the consumer grade stuff myself every 2 years and save all the money. Weekend projects are fun if you have a garage.

No problem. That is about the time you can expect from the consumer grade too; two years. My M340 was 18 months in and was going to need to be reapplied this spring if I hadn't just traded it for my M550. As long as you maintain it well it will last two years. Most manufacturers now have products that compliment the coating itself. Not sure if you have decided on a brand but I have been using Wolfgang products for about 15 years now and have nothing bad to say about them. Easy to work with and have a full line of products to include the complimenting products as mentioned above.

[npcars]

Originally Posted by robby818

I usually have ceramic coating applied (unless i buy a white car). The majority of the cost is from the amount of time spent by the detailer performing paint correction. Even on a brand new car, the paint will benefit from polishing. At a reputable detailer, it takes 2-3 days for the paint correction work to be done. The ceramic coating then adds a layer of protection on top of the correction that makes the paint look glossier and offers a bit of protection, but the real reason why the car looks so good is the paint correction process that precedes the ceramic coating.

Ceramic coating in the US costs $1300 on an X5. The one downside to ceramic coatings is that you can't polish on top of them. Even a light polish will remove the coating. So, rather than ceramic coat, you could just take it to a detail shop for a one step paint correction every 2 years and pay $300-400. The nice thing about that approach is the polishing will completely remove light swirl marks, whereas with ceramic you just have to live with them or else pay to have the coating re-applied. Ceramic coating is not armor, you will still get light scratches from normal washing or driving, although less so than on the clear coat.

@robby818 Hey, I'm very curious as to why you mention "unless I buy a white car" with regard to ceramic coating? Can you elaborate on this? Looking into getting it done on my AW CS, so I'm doing research as best as I can. Thanks!

[robby818]

Originally Posted by npcars

@robby818 Hey, I'm very curious as to why you mention "unless I buy a white car" with regard to ceramic coating? Can you elaborate on this? Looking into getting it done on my AW CS, so I'm doing research as best as I can. Thanks!

One of the nice things about white is that is all but impossible to see micro scratches and the extra gloss provided by ceramic coatings is not as noticeable. Ceramic coating does make it is a little easier to clean dirt off of the paint but if you just use a ceramic spray or wax when you dry, it should be enough to repel dirt. If I had an Alpine white X5, I would just get it polished every year and not spend 1200-1500 for a ceramic coating.

[SickGTR]

Originally Posted by Twixx007

New member here. I just placed an order for the new M3 G80. I'm definitely getting the front end covered in PPF (XPEL). I'm not sure if I should get the rest of the car ceramic coated. I've never done this but I've heard people swear by it that this is a good thing for a car of this price. I plan to keep this car at least 8+ years. Any opinions out there that have done this? Thanks in advance guys.

Bud, I know it's steep but definitely look into wrapping the whole car! The money you save over your min 8 years of ownership, will save you money and time. Your paint is always perfect. All you do is wash/dry and boom!! Pristine once again. Then when you sell down the road, you have more value as well. My 2015 went from the dealer to the wrap. My GTR I had to do full paint correction then wrap. Best money I have spent on both Vehicles. I will do this on every new car I buy. Best of luck

[Nettles]

Originally Posted by robby818

One of the nice things about white is that is all but impossible to see micro scratches and the extra gloss provided by ceramic coatings is not as noticeable. Ceramic coating does make it is a little easier to clean dirt off of the paint but if you just use a ceramic spray or wax when you dry, it should be enough to repel dirt. If I had an Alpine white X5, I would just get it polished every year and not spend 1200-1500 for a ceramic coating.

You touch on an interesting topic with all types of sprays. I'm a huge advocate for sprays in general for ease of use and longevity. The hydrophobic properties won't match that of a coating, but given the delta in price it raises an eyebrow for sure.

I would recommend only doing a coating if it benefits YOU. Coatings make maintaining your car that much easier, but if you're not washing your car yourself then you're making your detailer's job easier. So you're paying them a fee to make their time/cost go down. Strange concept to me at least. A detailer's real value is still perfecting the paint. Outside of that it's a personal preference on how much money you want to spend.

[lch6257]

Originally Posted by robby818

One of the nice things about white is that is all but impossible to see micro scratches and the extra gloss provided by ceramic coatings is not as noticeable. Ceramic coating does make it is a little easier to clean dirt off of the paint but if you just use a ceramic spray or wax when you dry, it should be enough to repel dirt. If I had an Alpine white X5, I would just get it polished every year and not spend 1200-1500 for a ceramic coating.

I got my alpine white G80 ceramic coated this week, three coats, wheels pulled, barrels coated, calipers, grills side skirts, cf roof, laserlight lenses, glass, the works. I have never done ceramic coat before on any car. I nearly choked on the $1,200 investment plus tip. However, it is a night and day difference especially down in the UV sunshine state tropics of south Florida. The car shines WAY more than delivery and although I haven't had it back but for a few hours to flip it to tint shop, I can say the coating is worth the $$$$ on an Alpine White no question.

[npcars]

Originally Posted by lch6257

I got my alpine white G80 ceramic coated this week, three coats, wheels pulled, barrels coated, calipers, grills side skirts, cf roof, laserlight lenses, glass, the works. I have never done ceramic coat before on any car. I nearly choked on the $1,200 investment plus tip. However, it is a night and day difference especially down in the UV sunshine state tropics of south Florida. The car shines WAY more than delivery and although I haven't had it back but for a few hours to flip it to tint shop, I can say the coating is worth the $$$$ on an Alpine White no question.

I appreciate your first-hand account! Please share more pics if you have them!
I'm in Austin....the summers get pretty sunny here too 😂 🥵

[npcars]

Originally Posted by robby818

One of the nice things about white is that is all but impossible to see micro scratches and the extra gloss provided by ceramic coatings is not as noticeable. Ceramic coating does make it is a little easier to clean dirt off of the paint but if you just use a ceramic spray or wax when you dry, it should be enough to repel dirt. If I had an Alpine white X5, I would just get it polished every year and not spend 1200-1500 for a ceramic coating.

I see your point. Making me think I might just opt for a proper paint correction and then invest in a top tier spray. 🤔

[KevinGS]

I'm ordering Tanzanite, and I'm purchasing, so paint correction, PPPF and ceramic are all no-brainers for me.

[GOLFFRR]

may be a dumb question, however I have not researched much when it comes to ceramic coating on wheels. For those who have done this on their wheels (inside barrels) does the brake dust just wash off?