[manutod]

Originally Posted by BDB77

Has anyone had a ceramic coating professionally applied to an X7 recently? I'm curious as to what sort of prices people are paying and what's reasonable for paint correction and a top tier coating from a professional detailer?

I'm also based in AZ if anyone has recommends for this state?

Thank you

I have a quote for Modesta bc-08 for $1200 & bc-05 for $2200 - includes decon, paint correction, coating on the body, wheels, and windshield.

I will be getting it done in a week or two.

[BDB77]

Originally Posted by manutod

I have a quote for Modesta bc-08 for $1200 & bc-08 for $2200 - includes decon, paint correction, coating on the body, wheels, and windshield.

I will be getting it done in a week or two.

Thank you and good to know. I'm not sure why, but I'm seeing literally double that here in AZ. I've never had ceramic coating done before and trying to get an idea on what's fair.

[manutod]

Just got my X7 back - it got SunTek Evolve tint, Modesta BC-05 ceramic coating on body, windshield, wheels, calipers, wheel barrels.

[Streetdaddy]

I just did my entire car…. Its a lot of work. I would say worth $1500

[khai37]

Any recommendations for Philly area? looking to do ceramic coat my x7 and wheels

[Bimmerfun82]

PPF front and hood and ceramic coat the paint and wheels.

[thenew3]

Originally Posted by BDB77

Thank you and good to know. I'm not sure why, but I'm seeing literally double that here in AZ. I've never had ceramic coating done before and trying to get an idea on what's fair.

Same here in CA, all quotes I've gotten for Ceramic run around $4k-$5k for full car, with annual $500 "Maintenance" visits.

[blutob2]

Originally Posted by thenew3

Same here in CA, all quotes I've gotten for Ceramic run around $4k-$5k for full car, with annual $500 "Maintenance" visits.

Holy hell. I paid like $1200 here in KC, MO area. That was for Xpel too and it's a great business that I have used multiple times for tint, PPF and wrap. $4K+ sounds insane.

[thenew3]

Originally Posted by blutob2

Holy hell. I paid like $1200 here in KC, MO area. That was for Xpel too and it's a great business that I have used multiple times for tint, PPF and wrap. $4K+ sounds insane.

The price I listed above is for ceramic coating. $4k+ for full car coating plus need to go back at least once a year for a $500-$1k "Maintenance" in order to maintain the 3yr or 5 yr warranty of the coating.

For PPF, the shops near by quoted $8k for full car PPF. $3k for just the front end (front bumper, 1/3 hood, quarter panels). $5k for everything before the B piller.

[blutob2]

Originally Posted by thenew3

The price I listed above is for ceramic coating. $4k+ for full car coating plus need to go back at least once a year for a $500-$1k "Maintenance" in order to maintain the 3yr or 5 yr warranty of the coating.

For PPF, the shops near by quoted $8k for full car PPF. $3k for just the front end (front bumper, 1/3 hood, quarter panels). $5k for everything before the B piller.

Yeah once again, holy hell. My frontal PPF, also Xpel, was only around $1100. I paid around $2600 for window tint, PPF and ceramic.

I was also told the annual maintenance is pretty much not needed and doesn't affect the warranty/guarantee. They gave me a bottle that I can do myself, it's just a booster to use every 6 months or so. I'm going on 18 months now and it's still holding up very well.

[thenew3]

Originally Posted by blutob2

Yeah once again, holy hell. My frontal PPF, also Xpel, was only around $1100. I paid around $2600 for window tint, PPF and ceramic.

I was also told the annual maintenance is pretty much not needed and doesn't affect the warranty/guarantee. They gave me a bottle that I can do myself, it's just a booster to use every 6 months or so. I'm going on 18 months now and it's still holding up very well.

$2600 for everything is great price. Just full glass tint will run from $1100-$2500 depending on the type of tint chosen around here.

[blutob2]

Originally Posted by thenew3

$2600 for everything is great price. Just full glass tint will run from $1100-$2500 depending on the type of tint chosen around here.

And that's why I don't live in CA! I enjoy my business trips to San Diego but that was good enough, haha.

[Kr0m3assass1n]

Just got her back from a 5 year coating. TOTALLY worth it.

Carbon black rules!

[RSouthern]

I realize this is an old thread with some recent activity, but I wanted to add my 2 cents to the general discussion since I've had ppf on all my cars and have many friends with ceramic coats on wheels and bodies, and wanted to make sure current and future readers understand the benefits of each.

PPF: this is a clear plastic film (think thick cling/Saran wrap) applied by a specialist, usually pre-cut to your vehicles to save cost but sometimes fully custom cut. It comes in either gloss or matte finishes and provides a thick physical barrier to your car's paint that reduces or avoids scratches and rock chips and usually has "self healing" in the sun or under a heat gun to remove minor surface scratches (causes the film to stretch). This is very effective in protecting paint and at a minimum should be applied to the front of your vehicle (hood, rearview mirrors, headlights, front bumper, front fenders). One thing to be aware of is PPF can't stick to unpainted plastic, so things like lower plastic trim (under front splitter or on some rocker panels) will have no protection. If you don't do a full PPF, which can be expensive, at least consider/ask having ppf placed on the lower part of the rear bumpers, where the rear tires kick up dirt and debris. Also on any high wear areas, like door sills and door handle cups. Also if it's not financially challenging, do the full hood instead of the front half of the hood, it just looks better and adds a bit more protection. PPF will yellow over time if it's left in the sun. It seems like it's good for 7 years or so until it yellows, however I have PPF on my Lotus Elise and BMW M5 that I've had on for 13 years and it hasn't yellowed yet, but both are garage queens. Most PPFs these days come with a ceramic coat already applied on the top surface, so you don't need to do an additional ceramic coat. One final thought on PPF - I don't worry about doing paint correction when using PPF since I usually do the PPF when the car is new (within a week of taking delivery). If you have had the car for a few months, you should probably at least use a clay bar to remove the embedded dirt, then PPF over the clean paint. Don't worry about waxing that area first since most installers use rubbing alcohol to install the film and that will dissolve most waxes.

Ceramic coating is basically a technically advanced wax that bonds with the clear coat. it is very thin (think a few microns) and does not provide protection from scratches, rock chips or swirl marks (these are just small scratches). It is very good at rejecting dust and water, so when the coating is fresh, water will bead up and roll off, taking surface dust with it. It won't protect from mud and bird droppings but will make clean up easier. Ceramic coatings need to be cared for. You usually need to apply some sort of refresh to it annually, which may be as simple as a spray on ceramic cleaner, usually sold by the installer or available from 3rd parties. Because the involvement of installing a ceramic coat is a lot lower than PPF, it's generally a lot cheaper to install. I like having ceramic coat on the front wheels since brake dust can be a problem and you can't apply PPF here obviously. I don't know if it works on brake calipers since these can get really hot and cook off anything other than power coated paint.

I just got my Porsche Taycan PPFed in the San Jose area and it was $1600 for the front (hood, front bumper, mirrors, fenders and rear bumper to catch the wheel fling). I did my wife's X7 in 2020 and it was around the same amount. We also did our i3 a few years ago and that was less (under $1000) since it's so much smaller. The X7 spends a lot of time outside and the PPF has protected from water spot damage and bird droppings. replacing the PPF is a lot less expensive than repainting!

I'm not a huge fan of full PPF since they will need to remove lights, door handles, emblems etc to wrap the film correctly, but there are some good arguments to be made to do this. I'm just not there yet.

I think the best middle ground, and what I have on all my vehicles, is PPF on the front and ceramic (or a good wax) over everything.

[blutob2]

Originally Posted by RSouthern

I realize this is an old thread with some recent activity, but I wanted to add my 2 cents to the general discussion since I've had ppf on all my cars and have many friends with ceramic coats on wheels and bodies, and wanted to make sure current and future readers understand the benefits of each....

All good inputs however couple disagreements. First, regarding no paint correction on a new vehicle. Even new cars can have a damaged paint job. This could be due to transportation or dealer f'ing with it prior to sale. But in the end, let the PPF or ceramic installer decide.

Also, I still think ceramic can help protect again swirl marks. Agreed on scratches and chips, but the coating is harder which adds protection for swirling at least.

Lastly, newer PPF is designed too not yellow. Older technology, sure, but the new stuff is not supposed to. Mine are garage kept too, but at least this is how the "good" stuff is marketed. I asked my buddy who owns a wrap business about this and he said same.

[RSouthern]

Originally Posted by blutob2

Even new cars can have a damaged paint job. This could be due to transportation or dealer f'ing with it prior to sale. But in the end, let the PPF or ceramic installer decide.

Also, I still think ceramic can help protect again swirl marks. Agreed on scratches and chips, but the coating is harder which adds protection for swirling at least.

Lastly, newer PPF is designed too not yellow. Older technology, sure, but the new stuff is not supposed to. Mine are garage kept too, but at least this is how the "good" stuff is marketed. I asked my buddy who owns a wrap business about this and he said same.

Fair points. I haven't seen badly damaged paint from new but yeah, agree it could happen so correction may be necessary.

Along those same lines, for anyone reading this, if a panel has been resprayed by the dealer, do not install PPF until it's had a chance to off gas! This takes about 2 week. Same thing if you get into an accident and have a panel replaced or some paint work done. And make sure that you get a good paint repair because if you eventually remove the PPF it could take the color coat with it if the base coat or prep wasn't done well.

I've still seen swirl marks on ceramic coated cars although it is reduced. Since one way swirls happen is grit stuck on the cloth or wash-mitt during a wash, it's like rubbing small rocks on the paint and ceramic won't do much to stop that. It helps but it's not impervious. Also, ceramic's effects fade over time so you need to stay on top of the maintenance and reapply the refresher before you get paint damage where the ceramic coat is worn off.

I'm also not sure how ceramic will perform with someone rubbing against your car with a bag (metal zipper) or jeans (rivets). I don't disagree that ceramic helps, but I think the benefits of it are oversold by a lot of installers. I still think of it as a good wax, just something that isn't permanent.

I also have some friends that do ppf installs, and they say that the old stuff yellowed faster, but even the new stuff will discolor in time. They are telling me ~7 years for the current XPEL line.

Regardless of yellowing, I still think (and have put my money where my mouth is) that PPF is the better protection and ceramic is better than a good wax, but still needs to be refreshed periodically, so I'd rather use a good wax and have some zen time while applying it and know I need to reapply it every month or so. I do use a ceramic spray like the Turtle Wax Ceramic spray as if it was a "detailer spray" to provide an extra layer of protection though and that's a lot cheaper than having a pro put on the ceramic coat.