Best way to protect new LX600?
07-17-24, 09:30 AM
#1
10th Gear
Thread Starter
Best way to protect new LX600?
Hey all,
Sort of new to nice vehicles. I'm used to simply not worrying about paint and running my vehicle through a decent soft touch car wash.
Well, enter 2023 LX600 F Sport. Unfortunately, I live in the woods with a fair amount of tree cover, and do not have a garage. I drive this vehicle about half of the week. If you were in my position, what do you think is the best way to preserve the vehicles finish? Ceramic coating? Using a car cover? Vinyl wrap? Don't worry about it and just wash and wax every couple weeks?
I want to maintain the vehicles value as much as possible obviously, but I'm at the dealership now and they don't really know what to say either. They say ceramic coating isn't very good for the money, but I don't know. They also say using a car cover twice a week or so might scratch the finish, just the act of putting it on and taking it off.
So, all you experts, what say you? Ceramic? Vinyl? Car cover? Combination of the three? Something else that I haven't considered?
Thanks for the help.
Sort of new to nice vehicles. I'm used to simply not worrying about paint and running my vehicle through a decent soft touch car wash.
Well, enter 2023 LX600 F Sport. Unfortunately, I live in the woods with a fair amount of tree cover, and do not have a garage. I drive this vehicle about half of the week. If you were in my position, what do you think is the best way to preserve the vehicles finish? Ceramic coating? Using a car cover? Vinyl wrap? Don't worry about it and just wash and wax every couple weeks?
I want to maintain the vehicles value as much as possible obviously, but I'm at the dealership now and they don't really know what to say either. They say ceramic coating isn't very good for the money, but I don't know. They also say using a car cover twice a week or so might scratch the finish, just the act of putting it on and taking it off.
So, all you experts, what say you? Ceramic? Vinyl? Car cover? Combination of the three? Something else that I haven't considered?
Thanks for the help.
07-17-24, 12:48 PM
#2
Everything.
Protect it (prep wash/clean, correction, then coating or a high performance Last Step Product/LSP - honestly I'd leave the correction & coating to somebody who knows what he's doing since the last thing that you want to be doing is learn on a new and very expensive vehicle), then just wash it properly and as safely as you can. Use something nice (including nice to use - easy spread, no streaking, nice smell, etc) as a final drying aid / sacrificial topper on top of the coating if you don't mind sacrificing / (likely permanently) clogging its hydrophobics - the coating is there to protect the clear from very light marring, physical and chemical bonding (rail dust, tree sap, bird poop, water spots/etching, etc), hydrophobics are a very small part of that and don't really indicate a failed coating. If there are any areas where you suspect likely damage (rock chips at the front from highway driving or something else offroad/tree-related), PPF - which won't really save you from hail / falling branches if you're worried about that.
Interior, especially leather - plenty written on the topic here, the tl:dr is - KEEP IT CLEAN and perhaps use, very sparingly, a protectant of sorts. Your leather has a polyurethane top coat not unlike your car's clear coat. Don't use aggressive cleaners, you should be primarily worried about vacuuming dirt off of all the crevices (with, say, the help of a brush to dislodge it), then you can use a leather cleaner or just a damp towel wipe, then (maybe) a protectant. Said protectant's job is primarily to protect the leather from body sweat (most important bit) and abrasion (and maybe UV), not to nourish it or to make it look shinier (which it can't NOT do, but using a light amount shouldn't really make it noticeable - and shiny leather typically means dirty/soiled leather) or anything else, really. Perhaps also keep it out of direct sunlight as much as possible. If you stay reasonably on top of all that, given that you're starting with a(n almost?) brand new vehicle, you should never, ever have to use all-purpose cleaner or (heaven forbid) magic eraser-like sponges (that abrade your leather's clear away - ask me how I know) or even leather-specific degreasers or whatever. If you're worried about wrinkles - cardio & diet if you need it, there really isn't any other way.
Finally - welcome down the rabbit hole. A word of advice - perfect is the enemy of good. Don't overcomplicate things - even the old wash & wax, when done correctly and regularly, is plenty - it used to protect way less durable paint systems, after all.
p.s. If anything, I'd be worried and reading about the engine - seems like a very unusual weak point for a Toyota, but it is what it is. Let's hope it never comes to that.
Protect it (prep wash/clean, correction, then coating or a high performance Last Step Product/LSP - honestly I'd leave the correction & coating to somebody who knows what he's doing since the last thing that you want to be doing is learn on a new and very expensive vehicle), then just wash it properly and as safely as you can. Use something nice (including nice to use - easy spread, no streaking, nice smell, etc) as a final drying aid / sacrificial topper on top of the coating if you don't mind sacrificing / (likely permanently) clogging its hydrophobics - the coating is there to protect the clear from very light marring, physical and chemical bonding (rail dust, tree sap, bird poop, water spots/etching, etc), hydrophobics are a very small part of that and don't really indicate a failed coating. If there are any areas where you suspect likely damage (rock chips at the front from highway driving or something else offroad/tree-related), PPF - which won't really save you from hail / falling branches if you're worried about that.
Interior, especially leather - plenty written on the topic here, the tl:dr is - KEEP IT CLEAN and perhaps use, very sparingly, a protectant of sorts. Your leather has a polyurethane top coat not unlike your car's clear coat. Don't use aggressive cleaners, you should be primarily worried about vacuuming dirt off of all the crevices (with, say, the help of a brush to dislodge it), then you can use a leather cleaner or just a damp towel wipe, then (maybe) a protectant. Said protectant's job is primarily to protect the leather from body sweat (most important bit) and abrasion (and maybe UV), not to nourish it or to make it look shinier (which it can't NOT do, but using a light amount shouldn't really make it noticeable - and shiny leather typically means dirty/soiled leather) or anything else, really. Perhaps also keep it out of direct sunlight as much as possible. If you stay reasonably on top of all that, given that you're starting with a(n almost?) brand new vehicle, you should never, ever have to use all-purpose cleaner or (heaven forbid) magic eraser-like sponges (that abrade your leather's clear away - ask me how I know) or even leather-specific degreasers or whatever. If you're worried about wrinkles - cardio & diet if you need it, there really isn't any other way.
Finally - welcome down the rabbit hole. A word of advice - perfect is the enemy of good. Don't overcomplicate things - even the old wash & wax, when done correctly and regularly, is plenty - it used to protect way less durable paint systems, after all.
p.s. If anything, I'd be worried and reading about the engine - seems like a very unusual weak point for a Toyota, but it is what it is. Let's hope it never comes to that.
Last edited by Lwerewolf; 07-17-24 at 12:53 PM.
07-17-24, 03:46 PM
#3
10th Gear
Thread Starter
Everything.
Protect it (prep wash/clean, correction, then coating or a high performance Last Step Product/LSP - honestly I'd leave the correction & coating to somebody who knows what he's doing since the last thing that you want to be doing is learn on a new and very expensive vehicle), then just wash it properly and as safely as you can. Use something nice (including nice to use - easy spread, no streaking, nice smell, etc) as a final drying aid / sacrificial topper on top of the coating if you don't mind sacrificing / (likely permanently) clogging its hydrophobics - the coating is there to protect the clear from very light marring, physical and chemical bonding (rail dust, tree sap, bird poop, water spots/etching, etc), hydrophobics are a very small part of that and don't really indicate a failed coating. If there are any areas where you suspect likely damage (rock chips at the front from highway driving or something else offroad/tree-related), PPF - which won't really save you from hail / falling branches if you're worried about that.
Interior, especially leather - plenty written on the topic here, the tl:dr is - KEEP IT CLEAN and perhaps use, very sparingly, a protectant of sorts. Your leather has a polyurethane top coat not unlike your car's clear coat. Don't use aggressive cleaners, you should be primarily worried about vacuuming dirt off of all the crevices (with, say, the help of a brush to dislodge it), then you can use a leather cleaner or just a damp towel wipe, then (maybe) a protectant. Said protectant's job is primarily to protect the leather from body sweat (most important bit) and abrasion (and maybe UV), not to nourish it or to make it look shinier (which it can't NOT do, but using a light amount shouldn't really make it noticeable - and shiny leather typically means dirty/soiled leather) or anything else, really. Perhaps also keep it out of direct sunlight as much as possible. If you stay reasonably on top of all that, given that you're starting with a(n almost?) brand new vehicle, you should never, ever have to use all-purpose cleaner or (heaven forbid) magic eraser-like sponges (that abrade your leather's clear away - ask me how I know) or even leather-specific degreasers or whatever. If you're worried about wrinkles - cardio & diet if you need it, there really isn't any other way.
Finally - welcome down the rabbit hole. A word of advice - perfect is the enemy of good. Don't overcomplicate things - even the old wash & wax, when done correctly and regularly, is plenty - it used to protect way less durable paint systems, after all.
p.s. If anything, I'd be worried and reading about the engine - seems like a very unusual weak point for a Toyota, but it is what it is. Let's hope it never comes to that.
Protect it (prep wash/clean, correction, then coating or a high performance Last Step Product/LSP - honestly I'd leave the correction & coating to somebody who knows what he's doing since the last thing that you want to be doing is learn on a new and very expensive vehicle), then just wash it properly and as safely as you can. Use something nice (including nice to use - easy spread, no streaking, nice smell, etc) as a final drying aid / sacrificial topper on top of the coating if you don't mind sacrificing / (likely permanently) clogging its hydrophobics - the coating is there to protect the clear from very light marring, physical and chemical bonding (rail dust, tree sap, bird poop, water spots/etching, etc), hydrophobics are a very small part of that and don't really indicate a failed coating. If there are any areas where you suspect likely damage (rock chips at the front from highway driving or something else offroad/tree-related), PPF - which won't really save you from hail / falling branches if you're worried about that.
Interior, especially leather - plenty written on the topic here, the tl:dr is - KEEP IT CLEAN and perhaps use, very sparingly, a protectant of sorts. Your leather has a polyurethane top coat not unlike your car's clear coat. Don't use aggressive cleaners, you should be primarily worried about vacuuming dirt off of all the crevices (with, say, the help of a brush to dislodge it), then you can use a leather cleaner or just a damp towel wipe, then (maybe) a protectant. Said protectant's job is primarily to protect the leather from body sweat (most important bit) and abrasion (and maybe UV), not to nourish it or to make it look shinier (which it can't NOT do, but using a light amount shouldn't really make it noticeable - and shiny leather typically means dirty/soiled leather) or anything else, really. Perhaps also keep it out of direct sunlight as much as possible. If you stay reasonably on top of all that, given that you're starting with a(n almost?) brand new vehicle, you should never, ever have to use all-purpose cleaner or (heaven forbid) magic eraser-like sponges (that abrade your leather's clear away - ask me how I know) or even leather-specific degreasers or whatever. If you're worried about wrinkles - cardio & diet if you need it, there really isn't any other way.
Finally - welcome down the rabbit hole. A word of advice - perfect is the enemy of good. Don't overcomplicate things - even the old wash & wax, when done correctly and regularly, is plenty - it used to protect way less durable paint systems, after all.
p.s. If anything, I'd be worried and reading about the engine - seems like a very unusual weak point for a Toyota, but it is what it is. Let's hope it never comes to that.
Just curious if the cover and stuff like that was overkill.
No kidding about the engine - I was at the dealership today and they said they haven't seen anything come through for the LX yet. Hopefully it is not a matter of time....
07-18-24, 11:59 AM
#4
PPF going to be the best protection for the vehicle. If you can justify the cost of full PPF, which can cost $4,000 - $6,000, that would be #1.
For my car, I did full front PPF (front bumper, full hood, front fenders, headlights and mirrors) and then ceramic coated the whole car.
Cost for full front PPF for my car ('23 IS 350) was $1800 and getting the the car single stage polished and cermaic coated with Gtechniq CSL + EXO and HALO on the PPF'd parts was I think $800, so $2600 total.
Car covers are tricky because no matter what material the car cover is, it will scratch/mar the paint since anything between the cover and the paint (dirt, dust, pollen) will rub against the paint. I would only recommend car covers for longer term storage since you can clean the vehicle, put the cover on the clean car then forget about it. But since you are driving this car regularly, I would skip the car cover OR get one of those inflatable car things that you can drive into.
For my car, I did full front PPF (front bumper, full hood, front fenders, headlights and mirrors) and then ceramic coated the whole car.
Cost for full front PPF for my car ('23 IS 350) was $1800 and getting the the car single stage polished and cermaic coated with Gtechniq CSL + EXO and HALO on the PPF'd parts was I think $800, so $2600 total.
Car covers are tricky because no matter what material the car cover is, it will scratch/mar the paint since anything between the cover and the paint (dirt, dust, pollen) will rub against the paint. I would only recommend car covers for longer term storage since you can clean the vehicle, put the cover on the clean car then forget about it. But since you are driving this car regularly, I would skip the car cover OR get one of those inflatable car things that you can drive into.
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