[MomoM3]

Originally Posted by jane477

Man that thing is expensive. I personally do not know anybody who would need full body ceramic but basically everyone I know are living in the city

Full body PPF you mean? Some folks w real Individual paint seem to opt for full PPF.

$3500 for front end PPF and full ceramic seems about right TBH

[Chicago Beemer]

My X7 Went today for PPF and Ceramic Coat in Illinois with Luminescent Detailing Co.
Will keep you guys posted as how it comes out.

[Wild Blue]

Originally Posted by Chicago Beemer

My X7 Went today for PPF and Ceramic Coat in Illinois with Luminescent Detailing Co.
Will keep you guys posted as how it comes out.

Awesome.

I just got a quote from a local dealer in Alaska to do a matte finish X7.
- $2200 front end film
- $7000 full body film
- $600 full body 2-year ceramic coat

All in XPEL, to preserve the factory matte finish

[NOVA99]

OP- the point of a lease is to drive it like you stole it. I have had over a dozen leased vehicles and never once paid a damage, overuse, or deposit fee. I turned in 4-50i (4.8s) X5s of all vintage over the years, all in Black Sapphire and they were very well used, pitted, chipped, and door dinged. Dealer snapped a few photos on the iPad, signed with my finger and walked away. The point I am trying to make is real life use like the above is expected and acknowledged with BMWFS leases. Fuck they even give you a ding-o-meter to measure the dents and scratches.! Just make sure it has decent, OEM like tires especially if RF when you return it. They will nail you on tires so I hear in the forums. My tires are top notch, I don't fuck with shit tires. Forego the Xpel and Ceramic and drive it, wash it with a Brillo pad. Rinse repeat. Life's too short to blow $8k on a protection program to protect BMWs car, not yours.

[Chicago Beemer]

Wild Blue
I am getting full front xpel ppf.
Full x7 Ceramic Pro with life time warranty and 4 coats.
Total is $3750. Still in shop will send pics as I get through..

[stockguru]

I struggled with the decision on ppf all last week. I think I'm ending up skipping it. For $7k all around install or $3k front, it seems more expensive than to just get the car repainted if there are issues.

What am I not understanding on the economics here?

[ComingInHot]

Originally Posted by stockguru

I struggled with the decision on ppf all last week. I think I'm ending up skipping it. For $7k all around install or $3k front, it seems more expensive than to just get the car repainted if there are issues.

What am I not understanding on the economics here?

I feel you on this, I'm struggling with the same thing. I know ceramic is great but I have mixed feelings on the PPF. I may just do the front clip in the end and see how that goes and years from now I can say if it was worth the effort or not. I have TB II so I do want to keep it good but I do understand it's a car driving around sooooo things happen. Maybe someone with long term experience can weigh in.

[BMW-TX]

I think it comes down to how OCD/anal/bothered you are by rock chips/scratches/imperfections/etc. In Houston, the roads are bad and construction is everywhere - you get 18 wheelers spraying rocks and dirt all over the place. My 2001 330Ci was unprotected - owned it for 6 years and had all sorts of pitting, rock chips all over the front of the hood and bumper by year 3. It bothered me all the time because I keep my cars clean and wash them every couple weeks (if not every week). That car was silver so it "hid" the damage well.

Since that time, all of my cars have been black and I've always gotten the full front coverage with PPF (full hood, bumper, fenders, sideview mirrors). (You see the road rash much more easily on a dark car.) I keep my cars in great condition and own them for 7-9 years. When I sell them/trade it in, do I get "extra" value for the front being in pristine condition? Probably not/not enough to recover the cost. But the car always looks great. It has also protected it from the random bird droppings if I'm not able to get to it quick enough - has certainly saved my paint a couple times (e.g. droppings ate away at the PPF but the underlying paint was largely undamaged).

I also go the extra step of getting ceramic coating for the full car (over the PPF), including the wheels. The coating definitely helps with the brake dust and makes it easier to clean. While I can wash my car frequently enough, I don't have time to wax it often.

[MomoM3]

Originally Posted by NOVA99

OP- the point of a lease is to drive it like you stole it. I have had over a dozen leased vehicles and never once paid a damage, overuse, or deposit fee. I turned in 4-50i (4.8s) X5s of all vintage over the years, all in Black Sapphire and they were very well used, pitted, chipped, and door dinged. Dealer snapped a few photos on the iPad, signed with my finger and walked away. The point I am trying to make is real life use like the above is expected and acknowledged with BMWFS leases. Fuck they even give you a ding-o-meter to measure the dents and scratches.! Just make sure it has decent, OEM like tires especially if RF when you return it. They will nail you on tires so I hear in the forums. My tires are top notch, I don't fuck with shit tires. Forego the Xpel and Ceramic and drive it, wash it with a Brillo pad. Rinse repeat. Life's too short to blow $8k on a protection program to protect BMWs car, not yours.

To each their own but that's not at all the way i see it or care for my cars. Even if the car is a lease, I personally would take care of it as if I actually owned it. Maybe I'm just far too much of a perfectionist and OCD but a curbed rim, door ding, or chipped up front bumper isn't something I would be ok with. I even break the car in the right way and do all service on schedule.

My lease cars get front PPF and full ceramic. I don't mind the cost. It helps keep the car looking perfect and easier to clean. Not saying this makes financial sense on a lease, but from my perspective it keeps me happy.

[MomoM3]

Originally Posted by ComingInHot

I feel you on this, I'm struggling with the same thing. I know ceramic is great but I have mixed feelings on the PPF. I may just do the front clip in the end and see how that goes and years from now I can say if it was worth the effort or not. I have TB II so I do want to keep it good but I do understand it's a car driving around sooooo things happen. Maybe someone with long term experience can weigh in.

Duuude. You are getting TBII like I am. I am taking delivery of my X7 with zero dealer prep. I want the car with all the shipping protection still on it like I did with my M3. I will drive it straight to the detailer the minute i leave the dealer and get front ppf with full ceramic. It's maybe $3500 and very well worth the expense.

Your TBII will look like new 3 years later and you won't even think about the money at that point.

[ComingInHot]

Originally Posted by MomoM3

Duuude. You are getting TBII like I am. I am taking delivery of my X7 with zero dealer prep. I want the car with all the shipping protection still on it like I did with my M3. I will drive it straight to the detailer the minute i leave the dealer and get front ppf with full ceramic. It's maybe $3500 and very well worth the expense.

Your TBII will look like new 3 years later and you won't even think about the money at that point.

Lol Your response was very funny to me!! That's what I am doing as well!! I know the money in it is basically a loss but my OCD car self is what is driving the exact same plan. I was being wishy washy on the PPF because let's face it, money doesn't grow on trees, but BMW-TX and your response really helped me make up my mind on getting the front done. Thanks!

[Wanderer73]

Originally Posted by ComingInHot

Lol Your response was very funny to me!! That's what I am doing as well!! I know the money in it is basically a loss but my OCD car self is what is driving the exact same plan. I was being wishy washy on the PPF because let's face it, money doesn't grow on trees, but BMW-TX and your response really helped me make up my mind on getting the front done. Thanks!

We're all in good company. I did front PPF and full ceramic.

[Wild Blue]

Originally Posted by stockguru

I struggled with the decision on ppf all last week. I think I'm ending up skipping it. For $7k all around install or $3k front, it seems more expensive than to just get the car repainted if there are issues.

What am I not understanding on the economics here?

Depends on whether you're leasing or buying. Length of planned ownership.

As BMW-TX said above, if you drive roads that get a lot of rocks (as we do in Alaska), rock chips can be a real bitch.

And in my case, looking at matte finish paint, the salons are recommending full PPF protection, as a scratch on matte can't be repaired/repainted like non-matte can.

[MomoM3]

Originally Posted by ComingInHot

Lol Your response was very funny to me!! That's what I am doing as well!! I know the money in it is basically a loss but my OCD car self is what is driving the exact same plan. I was being wishy washy on the PPF because let's face it, money doesn't grow on trees, but BMW-TX and your response really helped me make up my mind on getting the front done. Thanks!

Haha. If I had to pick PPF or Ceramic, I'd pick front-end PPF since it actually protects the car from rock chips. Ceramic is nice for easy washing and showroom shine but won't protect against road debris. Ceramic goes on top of the PPF so if you get ceramic first, the PPF may not stick as well.

Also, so much can go wrong if you wait a few weeks post-delivery which is why I take it immediately to the detailer.

[BMW-TX]

Originally Posted by MomoM3

Haha. If I had to pick PPF or Ceramic, I'd pick front-end PPF since it actually protects the car from rock chips. Ceramic is nice for easy washing and showroom shine but won't protect against road debris. Ceramic goes on top of the PPF so if you get ceramic first, the PPF may not stick as well.

Also, so much can go wrong if you wait a few weeks post-delivery which is why I take it immediately to the detailer.

100% agree. I made a big deal telling the dealership to NOT take off the protective film from the factory (and don't wash since that may damage the paint and create more work for the prep process), since I'd be driving it directly to the PPF/ceramic coating installer. Someone couldn't follow directions and did it anyway - dealership was apologetic and ended up flat bedding the X7 directly there. If you're going to this, sooner the better before you experience any front end damage.

[ComingInHot]

Originally Posted by BMW-TX

100% agree. I made a big deal telling the dealership to NOT take off the protective film from the factory (and don't wash since that may damage the paint and create more work for the prep process), since I'd be driving it directly to the PPF/ceramic coating installer. Someone couldn't follow directions and did it anyway - dealership was apologetic and ended up flat bedding the X7 directly there. If you're going to this, sooner the better before you experience any front end damage.

You brought up something there I wanted to double check....should you drive the vehicle for hours with all the covers/protective white film on the body or will there be heat issues or other concerns? Example below:

[BMW-TX]

Finally picked the car up today. STEK full front PPF + Modesta ceramic coating for entire car and wheels. Hard to argue with the shine and peace of mind knowing it's properly protected.

[Heimdall]

Originally Posted by ComingInHot

You brought up something there I wanted to double check....should you drive the vehicle for hours with all the covers/protective white film on the body or will there be heat issues or other concerns? Example below:

I would remove it before the drive
It's not Intended to be long driven with that on.
I know it's scary as hell, but keeping it might make it harder to remove Vs a simple buff if it's removed.
My 2 cents.

[ComingInHot]

Originally Posted by BMW-TX

Finally picked the car up today. STEK full front PPF + Modesta ceramic coating for entire car and wheels. Hard to argue with the shine and peace of mind knowing it's properly protected.

That's super shinny which level Modesta is that?

[ComingInHot]

Originally Posted by Heimdall

I would remove it before the drive
It's not Intended to be long driven with that on.
I know it's scary as hell, but keeping it might make it harder to remove Vs a simple buff if it's removed.
My 2 cents.

Just the one on the hood, not the others you mean... correct?

[AlwaysColdinMN]

Anybody have experience with Xpel's ceramic coating ... Fusion Plus? I take delivery on my 2021 X7 ~mid August (estimated completion 8/8) and will then get the Xpel PPF and a ceramic coating. Modesta and Ceramic Pro seem like commonly used, high quality options but I don't hear much about Fusion Plus. Maybe because it is relatively new. Or maybe because it's no good. Anyone here tried it out?

[Resjudicata]

Both.