Topic: New car - wax, sealant, polish, ceramic ???

[PJungnitsch]

Hmm. Might just give it a good coating of the spray on ceramic right away, have been very impressed by the turtle wax stuff

Then have a look at used Crosstreks and see if their front ends have chipped up before I think about 3M

Thinking about adding the mudflaps and maybe the seatback protector

The main money though would go into some nice winter wheels and the best studded Hakka's I can find

[HeliDriver]

I can’t decide on the mudflaps. Don’t really want the rally-wannabe look, but those Rokblokz and the like sure seem effective. I think I’ll try to find some that I can mount without having them stick too far out. The OEM ones look way better, but are so tiny I don’t know how effective they’ll be. 

[JohnnyMac]

I can’t decide on the mudflaps. Don’t really want the rally-wannabe look, but those Rokblokz and the like sure seem effective. I think I’ll try to find some that I can mount without having them stick too far out. The OEM ones look way better, but are so tiny I don’t know how effective they’ll be. 

Doesn’t weathertech make mud flaps?  Might be more discreet.

[HeliDriver]

^^ I believe they do, but not for the Crosstrek. Planning to buy a set of their floor liners though.

[Firm]

I had my IS-F ceramic coated.

None of my other cars were/are ceramic coated.

My IS-F didn't look any "better" than my other cars.

All it really saved me was not having to do a polish once per year.

As long as I'm still able to polish once per year and quick detail spray as needed, the cost/results of ceramic just isn't worth it to me.

Yeah, ceramic coating seems to be just a 'really good wax' in terms of it's performance. Still susceptible to contaminants, swirls, etc. For my cars that are exposed to the elements I do a polish usually 2-3 times a year, and that tends to keep them looking really good and well protected all the time. If I notice contaminants I'll run it with a claybar, if there's swirls or something I'll correct it with a little compound...but usually keeping it polished and waxed, and just generally being careful with the paint, minimizes the necessary effort.

Course, when I get a car (new to me), I'll spend like 2 days on a full correction procedure....once it's done, if you maintain it, you won't have to do it again.

Typical car I can polish from start to finish in about 45 minutes...Doing it twice a year that's less than 2 hours of my time. Plus, it a good opportunity to really go over the car and touch up any chips, or anything else like that. 

[JG20]

I can’t decide on the mudflaps. Don’t really want the rally-wannabe look, but those Rokblokz and the like sure seem effective. I think I’ll try to find some that I can mount without having them stick too far out. The OEM ones look way better, but are so tiny I don’t know how effective they’ll be. 

Pretty sure Rokblokz come in 2 sizes. The shorter ones might be more your style. I have Rally Armor on my STI and they're very effective.

[ktm525]

Speaking of Subaru paint, I couldn’t believe the orange peel on that black Crosstrek in the showroom.

I’m not someone who cares much about stuff like that, or even notices it generally, but that was just Whoa! 

I expect mine to be the same and if it is I won’t care. Certainly won’t be spending any extra $$$ for shiny protection potions and whatnot.

Yeah the paint didn't look great on the one I looked at either. Hondas, Kias, Hyundai all looked bad too. Outside of some wax and maybe limited 3M this thing won't see much love. I'll probably just run it through the auto wash too. Freedom from caring!

[Jaeger]

Probably stating the obvious, but if you are someone who enjoys spending 2 days doing paint correction on a new car, then polishing it 3 times a year, plus adding fresh coats of wax / sealant as needed, then ceramic coating is absolutely not for you.

[Layne]

Probably stating the obvious, but if you are someone who enjoys spending 2 days doing paint correction on a new car, then polishing it 3 times a year, plus adding fresh coats of wax / sealant as needed, then ceramic coating is absolutely not for you.

If you are a car aficionado and have something worth polishing then it can be enjoyable.

If you aren’t and are driving something merely “meh” then your way may have some merit.

[Jaeger]

Probably stating the obvious, but if you are someone who enjoys spending 2 days doing paint correction on a new car, then polishing it 3 times a year, plus adding fresh coats of wax / sealant as needed, then ceramic coating is absolutely not for you.

If you are a car aficionado and have something worth polishing then it can be enjoyable.

If you aren’t and are driving something merely “meh” then your way may have some merit.

Not surprised that you see the world in such binary terms.  It.... fits. 

Here's another category beyond your two (and there are no doubt several more) - You are a car aficionado driving something worth polishing but don't enjoy the time-consuming process of advanced detailing. You would rather devote your free time to other activities and you can afford to pay someone to professionally protect your worth-polishing car, so you, y'know, do that.  Oy, vey. 

Pretty sure TheHire qualifies as a car enthusiast, owning SEVERAL somethings "worth polishing" and he has them all ceramic coated.

[Firm]

Probably stating the obvious, but if you are someone who enjoys spending 2 days doing paint correction on a new car, then polishing it 3 times a year, plus adding fresh coats of wax / sealant as needed, then ceramic coating is absolutely not for you.

If you are a car aficionado and have something worth polishing then it can be enjoyable.

If you aren’t and are driving something merely “meh” then your way may have some merit.

Yep. I might not have been totally clear either.....I always buy used cars, and usually on the older side, so just about every car I get comes to me with the paint heavily neglected. That's why I spend two days on paint correction to get it where I want it. That part is enjoyable as it's more restorative, usually with dramatic improvements, than maintenance.

The 2-3 times a year I polish is not necessarily enjoyable, it's a chore like anything, but takes 45-75 minutes depending on the size of car and my pace. Definitely not a big deal.

I assume a *new* car wouldn't/shouldn't need 2 days of paint correction, in fact I'd hope you could get away with a quick clay bar and polish for the initial starting point and then just maintain it from there.

[Jaeger]

I assume a *new* car wouldn't/shouldn't need 2 days of paint correction, in fact I'd hope you could get away with a quick clay bar and polish for the initial starting point and then just maintain it from there.

Questionable assumption.  A new car might not need two days of paint correction, but a quick clay bar and polish won't fix some the horrible orange peel that comes standard on far too many new cars.

And my point remains - someone willing to consistently devote the time that you spend on detailing your cars probably isn't a candidate for professional ceramic coating, as you are willing and able to get those results yourself and prefer to DIY.  Not sure why that proposition should be controversial, but.... autos.ca.....

[Firm]

Probably stating the obvious, but if you are someone who enjoys spending 2 days doing paint correction on a new car, then polishing it 3 times a year, plus adding fresh coats of wax / sealant as needed, then ceramic coating is absolutely not for you.

If you are a car aficionado and have something worth polishing then it can be enjoyable.

If you aren’t and are driving something merely “meh” then your way may have some merit.

Not surprised that you see the world in such binary terms.  It.... fits. 

Here's another category beyond your two (and there are no doubt several more) - You are a car aficionado driving something worth polishing but don't enjoy the time-consuming process of advanced detailing. You would rather devote your free time to other activities and you can afford to pay someone to professionally protect your worth-polishing car, so you, y'know, do that.  Oy, vey. 

Pretty sure TheHire qualifies as a car enthusiast, owning SEVERAL somethings "worth polishing" and he has them all ceramic coated.

I think you've gotta respect both approaches...But also recognize that The Hire is in the automotive business, so he's extremely well connected and that makes having a car ceramic coated a lot easier, logistically and $ wise.

The original question here was seeking advice; personally, I'll take advice from someone who has personally spent countless hours correcting and maintaining paint over someone who tosses a credit card at a detailer.

Edit: I'll also say that I don't think anyone on this forum is as well researched on this stuff as Ron - so I'd put a lot of weight in his opinion.

[Layne]

Probably stating the obvious, but if you are someone who enjoys spending 2 days doing paint correction on a new car, then polishing it 3 times a year, plus adding fresh coats of wax / sealant as needed, then ceramic coating is absolutely not for you.

If you are a car aficionado and have something worth polishing then it can be enjoyable.

If you aren’t and are driving something merely “meh” then your way may have some merit.

Not surprised that you see the world in such binary terms.  It.... fits. 

Here's another category beyond your two (and there are no doubt several more) - You are a car aficionado driving something worth polishing but don't enjoy the time-consuming process of advanced detailing. You would rather devote your free time to other activities and you can afford to pay someone to professionally protect your worth-polishing car, so you, y'know, do that.  Oy, vey. 

Pretty sure TheHire qualifies as a car enthusiast, owning SEVERAL somethings "worth polishing" and he has them all ceramic coated.

You can apply ceramic coating wax in 10 minutes after you wash your car.  The more times you apply it, the longer it lasts.  Much cheaper.

Yes but TheHire has a car worth ceramic coating.  Don’t forget that.

[PJungnitsch]

It may be more tempting to throw the money of ceramic at a used luxury vehicle bought for half price than a new 'commodity' type vehicle bought for list

[Jaeger]

I think you've gotta respect both approaches...

I agree - and I'd say that I do:

The value of ceramics is subjective - how much you value your time and how much you dislike polishing and waxing your car are not universal factors. Absolutely worth it to me. Might not be worth it to someone else.

That's certainly not saying that everyone SHOULD get ceramic coating or criticizing or being dismissive of those who don't.

But not everyone respects both approaches - saying that ceramics are reserved for those who drive something "meh" and aren't car aficionados is hardly respectful:

If you are a car aficionado and have something worth polishing then it can be enjoyable.

If you aren’t and are driving something merely “meh” then your way may have some merit.

As for Ron - no comment.

[Jaeger]

It may be more tempting to throw the money of ceramic at a used luxury vehicle bought for half price than a new 'commodity' type vehicle bought for list

Maybe, I dunno. You're certainly spending less of a percentage of your original purchase price to ceramic coat a new luxury car than a steeply-depreciated use one.  What's another $1500 to an $80k new luxury car buyer?

[Allen]

For me it's about convenience and the end result. In my younger days I used to enjoy prepping and waxing my vehicles, now it's just a chore I don't look forward to.

I like the results of the ceramic coatings and don't find the price that bad. $1,200 for something that lasts 5 years, versus $450 a year for full detailing and waxing. In that I replace my vehicles every 3 to 4 years it a no brainer.

I also don't look at it as something for more expensive vehicles , I have had  my wifes current HRV and previous vehicles done as well.

As others have said, each to their own, it's what's right for you, not others. 

[Layne]

I think you've gotta respect both approaches...

I agree - and I'd say that I do:

The value of ceramics is subjective - how much you value your time and how much you dislike polishing and waxing your car are not universal factors. Absolutely worth it to me. Might not be worth it to someone else.

That's certainly not saying that everyone SHOULD get ceramic coating or criticizing or being dismissive of those who don't.

But not everyone respects both approaches - saying that ceramics are reserved for those who drive something "meh" and aren't car aficionados is hardly respectful:

If you are a car aficionado and have something worth polishing then it can be enjoyable.

If you aren’t and are driving something merely “meh” then your way may have some merit.

As for Ron - no comment.

Oh relax.

My point was that to spend huge bucks on a used vehicle when you can just apply ceramic coating / wax in 10 minutes after every wash is certainly more cost efficient. 

Dying on EVERY hill isn't good for your heart.

[Layne]

It may be more tempting to throw the money of ceramic at a used luxury vehicle bought for half price than a new 'commodity' type vehicle bought for list

Not me.  I would want to protect the significant investment of an expensive new car.  I still wouldn't do ceramic - just initial paint correction and then Xpel but that is, again, me.