[Natemare13]

I'm looking to get my new 2024 X5 ceramic coated. I have two very different quotes.

One from an XPEL (who makes the XPel Fusion ceramic coating product) authorized installer for $1,500. Promising 3-5 years. Found them through the Xpel website when looking up installers.

Another from a standalone shop that has a reputation for working on high end cars. That shop will use NanoSkin (G5) and is asking $2,200. They were specific in that they take the wheels off and coat the calipers as well as inside the wheels (not just the face of the wheels).

$700 is a huge difference but maybe you all have experience to know taking the wheels off and coating inside of wheels + calipers is where that $700 is going and is fair price for that extra work?

[ppointer]

I only have experience with XPEL, which I have used on a couple of my cars. Particularly with my '22 540i, I took delivery in June, 2022. I went with PPF on the bumper and partial hood, then XPEL on everything including wheels. My price was similar to yours. It is still working quite well and I am very happy with it. Where I am getting some return on my investment is with bird poo, which readily washes off without leaving a trace.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Same here with Xpel Fusion, which I currently have on my X5

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Man I need to start detailing cars on the side. Absolutely amazes me, 1500 USD$+ for a 3-5 year coating is insane.

[arucano]

look at some samples of the work they have done. The preparation can make a large difference in the final finish, THEN ask yourself the question again.

[Nettles]

Just an fyi authorized installers does not guarantee any quality of work. There’s no accountability by xpel on the shop unless they get numerous complaints (I’d assume). Get to know the shop and ask questions. The best ones typically make you feel welcome and answer all those questions to really educate.

[louielouie]

Do these quotes include paint correction?

[Natemare13]

Originally Posted by louielouie

Do these quotes include paint correction?

$2,200 one does. But how much correction is needed on a brand new car a few miles off the lot?

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Natemare13

$2,200 one does. But how much correction is needed on a brand new car a few miles off the lot?

Depends. Usually not a whole lot but in most cases it is definitely not perfect or like 90% there. Under proper light or the sun you will see how bad the paint is to give you an idea.

[louielouie]

Originally Posted by Natemare13

$2,200 one does. But how much correction is needed on a brand new car a few miles off the lot?

If one includes paint correction and the other doesn't then you're comparing apples to oranges. The need for paint correction on a, "brand new" car can heavily vary. See below video for reference. Plenty of others from Larry on new cars.

It can be incredibly time intensive to maintain corrected paint. If you can't maintain it, it might not be worth paying for the service.

[P1]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Man I need to start detailing cars on the side. Absolutely amazes me, 1500 USD$+ for a 3-5 year coating is insane.

One of the most amazing scams, I agree. And people are still falling for it in 2024. It's unbelievable, isn't it?

A fool and his money...

[Clark_Kent]

How are they selling a ceramic coating with no paint correction? That's red flag numero uno. Shocking suckers are paying thousands for a ceramic coating in 2024. That market peaked in 2018. Smarten up fellas, you're being had.

[Natemare13]

Originally Posted by Clark_Kent

How are they selling a ceramic coating with no paint correction? That's red flag numero uno. Shocking suckers are paying thousands for a ceramic coating in 2024. That market peaked in 2018. Smarten up fellas, you're being had.

What part is the scam? Is the concept of ceramic coating the scam (the product itself) or are you saying it’s not worth the 1500-2200? And if so how much should it cost do you think?

[MADBMWX5MC]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Depends. Usually not a whole lot but in most cases it is definitely not perfect or like 90% there. Under proper light or the sun you will see how bad the paint is to give you an idea.

Could not a agreed more, they do come with swirls, just need to look closely.

[Clark_Kent]

Originally Posted by Natemare13

What part is the scam? Is the concept of ceramic coating the scam (the product itself) or are you saying it’s not worth the 1500-2200? And if so how much should it cost do you think?

It's the cost. There's no way it's worth what these detailers are charging. A savvy and enterprising detailer would undercut that entire market. And before someone comes in and says, "It's only worth what people are willing to pay!", I disagree. That sounds good in the context of an undergraduate Economics class, but the problem is that statement doesn't represent the entire market. It's only worth what some people are willing to pay.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Natemare13

What part is the scam? Is the concept of ceramic coating the scam (the product itself) or are you saying it’s not worth the 1500-2200? And if so how much should it cost do you think?

When I made my comment I was talking about the cost/value VS what it really costs. Like the ammount they charge VS cost is insane to me. I can't say how much they should charge just that the amount they are charging is pretty egregious IMO.

Let's take the Nanoskin for example, it's 100$ bottle for the coating if you buy it yourself and then you have correction and decontamination to do which of course takes labor time but can easily be done in a weekend, drinking a beer, etc you know, having fun (at least for me I enjoy DIY). That's all this is. You can do this in a weekend at your house somewhat easily for like 500$ or even less if you already have some detailing stuff. If you're starting from fresh you will have to learn online but trust me, it's not rocket science.

And apparently the other coating is 1500$ with no correction at all? WTF! How

But hey I guess that's the premium to pay to not work on your own stuff.

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

When I made my comment I was talking about the cost/value VS what it really costs. Like the ammount they charge VS cost is insane to me. I can't say how much they should charge just that the amount they are charging is pretty egregious IMO.

Let's take the Nanoskin for example, it's 100$ bottle for the coating if you buy it yourself and then you have correction and decontamination to do which of course takes labor time but can easily be done in a weekend, drinking a beer, etc you know, having fun (at least for me I enjoy DIY). That's all this is. You can do this in a weekend at your house somewhat easily for like 500$ or even less if you already have some detailing stuff. If you're starting from fresh you will have to learn online but trust me, it's not rocket science.

And apparently the other coating is 1500$ with no correction at all? WTF! How

But hey I guess that's the premium to pay to not work on your own stuff.

especially on a new car

basically if you are even asking OP question you had zero concept of paint correction or even what it should look like 100%, not an insult, but I don't either so clearly OP and I are not that anal.

Its not like painting a car where you can fuck up, i mean you can but just start over, or do it again in 6 months. Anything over 1k and I am being VERY generous is absoluete robbery. 3k, shit I could paint half the side of my car

[louielouie]

Originally Posted by G35POPPEDMYCHERRY

especially on a new car

basically if you are even asking OP question you had zero concept of paint correction or even what it should look like 100%, not an insult, but I don't either so clearly OP and I are not that anal.

Its not like painting a car where you can fuck up, i mean you can but just start over, or do it again in 6 months. Anything over 1k and I am being VERY generous is absoluete robbery. 3k, shit I could paint half the side of my car

You'll get a high spot from the coating and depending when you catch it, it'll be hard to remove but that's no reason to overpay for the service. If you've applied wax or sealant, you can apply coating. Also prep is time consuming but will play a part in the longevity of the product.

There's value in paint correction and not all detailers in this aspect are created equal but if you can't maintain the paint then it's not worth it. It's like paying to get graffiti removed from a wall - if you can't keep it off then it doesn't really matter if it was once perfect or not.

[TboneS54]

Not to mention that coatings are easier to apply than ever with very forgiving "wipe-off" times like 2-10 minutes.

[chris719]

Buy Gyeon Mohs Evo, do it yourself, save $2000. You don't need to do paint correction if you are happy with the amount of defects currently in the paint. Use Fireball Wax Off to prep the surface if not polishing, it is one of the only products that can remove old waxes and strong polymer sealants without polishing. Mohs Evo is a proven coating with high performance and low failure rate.

[JSKS76]

I'll chime in as I have done paint correction for a few of my cars as well as a few friend's car. Paint correction is a huge pain, it is very labor intensive, and it takes skills. For ceramic coating to be charged over $1k and not include paint correction is a rip imho. How much a paint correction is worth is subjective, it really depends on the quality of work and how many stages. For a good 2 stage correction, it is about 2 days of work, work that you wouldn't want to do when you are older and your back hurts, in a business that doesn't really scale up, so what would you charge for 2 days of work if it was your business? I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Also, I agree, a brand new car does need correction as it is just full of swirls. You may not notice it upon delivery as the dealer may apply a wax/sealant with lots of fillers, but it's really just masking the swirls. Just how little do you think they are paying the kid at the dealership to wash cars, and how many do you think they wash in a day?

[Namelss]

For your reference, I recently had a 2 stage paint correction, wheels removed, cleaned and all coated with Modesta BC-05.

My car is just over 2 years old but the paint was in pretty good shape as far as I can tell. My cost was $2250. Too much? Probably a little but it looks great and I didn't have to do it.