When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Lot of great PPF film discussion over on the Auto Detailing Forum Go to Forums -> Lexus Special Interest Forums. I got mine done. Full front. Did I need it? I have no idea. Did I want it? Yes.
I got my ES300h completely wrapped in Xpel Ultimate for peace of mind. And opted for ceramic coating over the film to avoid yellowing due to pearl white paint shade.
I got my ES300h completely wrapped in Xpel Ultimate for peace of mind. And opted for ceramic coating over the film to avoid yellowing due to pearl white paint shade.
Waste of money. I've had many show-quality cars after 10 years of ownership look brand new with just wax. If you drive in a particularly rocky area and behind cars following closely a lot, i suppose you could do the front bumper and hood. But just realize they fade and yellow over time and the paint will discolor and fade at a different rate. Requiring heavy paint correction to blend the adjacent panels.
Been there done that.
Drive the car in all its glory the way its meant to be enjoyed. They're just road cars. They're not ferraris.
Waste of money. I've had many show-quality cars after 10 years of ownership look brand new with just wax. If you drive in a particularly rocky area and behind cars following closely a lot, i suppose you could do the front bumper and hood. But just realize they fade and yellow over time and the paint will discolor and fade at a different rate. Requiring heavy paint correction to blend the adjacent panels.
Been there done that.
Drive the car in all its glory the way its meant to be enjoyed. They're just road cars. They're not ferraris.
My GS has the factory clear bra. 4 years, no discoloration, no rock chips. You will get rock chips from highway driving no matter how careful you are, rocks come flying out of nowhere sometimes.
Worth doing full hood and front bumper if you care about your car's paint. Paint protection film has come a long way since they first came out and don't have the issues you mentioned. Also ceramic coating the car is 100% worth it, dirt doesn't stick to the car easily and you can pretty much wash the car with water alone. Also great protection against swirl marks/scratches.
My GS has the factory clear bra. 4 years, no discoloration, no rock chips. You will get rock chips from highway driving no matter how careful you are, rocks come flying out of nowhere sometimes.
Worth doing full hood and front bumper if you care about your car's paint. Paint protection film has come a long way since they first came out and don't have the issues you mentioned. Also ceramic coating the car is 100% worth it, dirt doesn't stick to the car easily and you can pretty much wash the car with water alone. Also great protection against swirl marks/scratches.
You cant avoid stone chips for sure but is it worth 3Gs to prevent it? No thanks. I'll spend $20 on a bottle of touch up paint.
$800-1000 for full hood and bumper. I bought my car used came that way, definitely worth it. The factory option was only $500 for PPF, but not full hood.
As someone who is quite particular about fits and finishes, I choose to get paint protection film. Regardless of where you drive, having stones and other objects thrown up to the car or even churned up by the wheels of your own car are a reality.
With many of the beautiful colors available on today's cars, especially the multi-stage pearl finishes, touching up even a very small stone nick and getting an acceptable color match is close to impossible. Having a paint protection film package with good coverage on the car frees me from having to worry about getting stone nicks and having to deal with trying to do an acceptable job with the color match.
The way to get a decent price on a paint protection film package is to buy it at the time you buy the car and to leave it for the last item in negotiations for the price of that car. Ordinarily, paint protection film is a high markup and large profit item, but a dealer is not going risk losing the sale of a car by refusing, at the end of the negotiations, to sell a paint protection film package at a reasonable price.
On my 2017 ES, I have paint protection film covering the full front bumper, the full hood, the full front fenders, both mirrors, the door handle cups, and the door edges. I was able to get that package by leaving it as the last item in the negotiations for a around $1100, which is less than half of the advertised price for that amount of coverage.
The quality of the films being used today is much better than it was several years ago. The films from the best manufacturers are resistant to yellowing, and, with the highest quality products, they come with warranties of as much as 10 years against fading or other product failure.
Originally Posted by peasodos
$800-1000 for full hood and bumper. I bought my car used came that way, definitely worth it. The factory option was only $500 for PPF, but not full hood.
The $500 paint protection film package that is offered by Lexus actually only covers the front portion of the hood and the front portion of the front fenders. There is no coverage at all on the bumper, which may actually be the most vulnerable spot on the car. As I explained above, it is possible to get much more extensive coverage for not that much more money.
You cant avoid stone chips for sure but is it worth 3Gs to prevent it? No thanks. I'll spend $20 on a bottle of touch up paint.
To be honest, it really depends on our personal preference. To me it is worth spending 3Gs because my car is protected from swirl marks and from light scratches which will definitely be accumulated over a period of time because the film has self healing properties. I'll rather pay to replace a section of damaged film instead of getting the panel repainted and risk paint mismatch.
To me it is worth spending 3Gs because my car is protected from swirl marks and from light scratches which will definitely be accumulated over a period of time because the film has self healing properties.
Yes, the self-healing properties of the film are a big plus.
I've also noticed that, when bugs are smashed up on and collect on the bumper and hood, they clean off much more easily from the film than they do from the painted surfaces of the car. Similarly, tree sap and bird droppings that would otherwise have the potential of contaminating the paint clean off of the film very easily.
To be honest, it really depends on our personal preference. To me it is worth spending 3Gs because my car is protected from swirl marks and from light scratches which will definitely be accumulated over a period of time because the film has self healing properties. I'll rather pay to replace a section of damaged film instead of getting the panel repainted and risk paint mismatch.
For me, I generally replace my car after five years so it truly is a waste of money to throw $3Gs at something like this. I also have white cars so the swirl marks and scratches are much less visible. Personal preference though for sure.
For me personally buying the car new is truly a waste of money I would rather purchase it 3 years used for 55% off the MSRP, then use some of the remainders for mods, and bank the rest. Then keep the car for 5-10 years.
For me personally buying the car new is truly a waste of money I would rather purchase it 3 years used for 55% off the MSRP, then use some of the remainders for mods, and bank the rest. Then keep the car for 5-10 years.
You're spot on but I still prefer the new car experience and I'm willing to sacrifice the dough for that.
02-11-19, 05:55 PM
