Originally Posted by 97-SC300

Being in NJ, I would be more concerned about getting the underside as well as body cavities sprayed with some type of wax based undercoating/rust protection product. Leaving all those areas exposed to road salt and other ice melting chemicals will be the worst thing for your car. Road salt will do nothing to damage your Lexus paint, so with a coating or without, the outside painted surfaces are totally fine for the winter time. Coating with OC or CQ just makes the maintenance and washing easier and protects from swirls to a degree.