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Hello, TMC! After years of ogling and dreaming, I have finally taken the plunge and anticipate delivery before Christmas. WOOT.

I have always necessarily driven SUVs -- current car is a Highlander hybrid, which is great actually -- and am anxious to see if the Model S is as good in snow as advertised and can handle drifts and rough roads at low speed. I live in a, shall we say, less-maintained area, and typically I break the trail for my husband to get out into civilization. I drive a lot, about 30k a year, and while the Highlander got 30 mpg in AWD, I really want to see what total electric can do for me and for the earth.

My biggest concern is range. I do a lot of cross-country driving, not all of it along the current Supercharger lines. I have faith, but a little anxiety, too.

So now that I'm getting a dream car, I'm trying to learn how to best protect this kind of significant investment. Can anyone hear tell me about Opti-Coat and whether or not it's worth the cost?

Thanks! I look forward to learning tips from all of you!
 
Hello, TMC! After years of ogling and dreaming, I have finally taken the plunge and anticipate delivery before Christmas. WOOT.

I have always necessarily driven SUVs -- current car is a Highlander hybrid, which is great actually -- and am anxious to see if the Model S is as good in snow as advertised and can handle drifts and rough roads at low speed. I live in a, shall we say, less-maintained area, and typically I break the trail for my husband to get out into civilization. I drive a lot, about 30k a year, and while the Highlander got 30 mpg in AWD, I really want to see what total electric can do for me and for the earth.

My biggest concern is range. I do a lot of cross-country driving, not all of it along the current Supercharger lines. I have faith, but a little anxiety, too.

So now that I'm getting a dream car, I'm trying to learn how to best protect this kind of significant investment. Can anyone hear tell me about Opti-Coat and whether or not it's worth the cost?

Thanks! I look forward to learning tips from all of you!

I don't know much about Opti-coat. But, after some waffling, I decided that if I'm going to spend 100K+ on a car, the added 5K for a complete Xpel wrap could be worth it. And it has been. I drove it through a particularly rough Canadian winter and the paint is still flawless. That has not been the case with any other car I've had. And on top of that, the car looks freshly waxed every time you wash it.

I don't understand the logic of repainting. It will cost you as much in the long run, and then you have to watch the paint chips accumulating until the next paint job.
 
Hmm. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have Opti Coat Pro Plus on my car and have never thought of it as any sort of meaningful protection. I got it because now the car never needs to be waxed and looks awesome after a basic wash - either water or waterless. I doubt it would do much to prevent a rock chip or scratch.
 
I had OptiCoat on my previous MS and now I have Suntek (competitor to Xpel). I wouldn't consider OptiCoat in the same category as any of the clear wrap. OptiCoat is more of a replacement for waxing.

Xpel/Suntek is expensive around here. About $7k for full coverage. I spent half that and had the roof, hood, a-pillars, front fenders, and mirrors covered. Instead of going to a cheaper place that uses pre-cut templates, I selected a local guy (who is great, btw) because his hand cut application produced superb looking edges. If I had it to do over again, though, I'd consider going to Austin where the Xpel factory applicator place quoted me <$4k for the entire car. For about the same money, I think I'd rather have the peace of mind of full coverage rather than the bragging rights of superlative looking edges on the 30% that I did cover.

I completely agree with the attitude that a $100k car justifies a $5k paint protection effort. I don't care what the paint looks like on my beater SUV. On my Tesla, I do care.
 
I had OptiCoat on my previous MS and now I have Suntek (competitor to Xpel). I wouldn't consider OptiCoat in the same category as any of the clear wrap. OptiCoat is more of a replacement for waxing.

Xpel/Suntek is expensive around here. About $7k for full coverage. I spent half that and had the roof, hood, a-pillars, front fenders, and mirrors covered. Instead of going to a cheaper place that uses pre-cut templates, I selected a local guy (who is great, btw) because his hand cut application produced superb looking edges. If I had it to do over again, though, I'd consider going to Austin where the Xpel factory applicator place quoted me <$4k for the entire car. For about the same money, I think I'd rather have the peace of mind of full coverage rather than the bragging rights of superlative looking edges on the 30% that I did cover.

I completely agree with the attitude that a $100k car justifies a $5k paint protection effort. I don't care what the paint looks like on my beater SUV. On my Tesla, I do care.

Do you have a line on that Austin shop? Does the ~4K include paint correction before sealing?
 
Hello, TMC! After years of ogling and dreaming, I have finally taken the plunge and anticipate delivery before Christmas. WOOT.

I have always necessarily driven SUVs -- current car is a Highlander hybrid, which is great actually -- and am anxious to see if the Model S is as good in snow as advertised and can handle drifts and rough roads at low speed. I live in a, shall we say, less-maintained area, and typically I break the trail for my husband to get out into civilization. I drive a lot, about 30k a year, and while the Highlander got 30 mpg in AWD, I really want to see what total electric can do for me and for the earth.

My biggest concern is range. I do a lot of cross-country driving, not all of it along the current Supercharger lines. I have faith, but a little anxiety, too.

So now that I'm getting a dream car, I'm trying to learn how to best protect this kind of significant investment. Can anyone hear tell me about Opti-Coat and whether or not it's worth the cost?

Thanks! I look forward to learning tips from all of you!

What did you get? AWD obviously, but what else?? This is the TMC forum, we live through each other's cars... I don't like Opti-coat - if installed/applied incorrectly it leaves haze spots on the paint that can't be removed. I didn't go with a wrap, but if you can't stand rock chips then I'd recommend it. Know this: Tesla does not have touch-up paint for Midnight silver! At least not in Houston! I have several rock chips that need attention and there's nothing I can do right now.
 
What did you get? AWD obviously, but what else?? This is the TMC forum, we live through each other's cars...
I'm glad you asked! I haven't gotten to run down a feature list with anyone yet!

Model S 85D, panoramic roof, grey interior with Next Gen seats, glossy obeche (I would have preferred matte but I'm getting an inventory car), black headliner, Autopilot, Smart Air, the subzero package (heated seats and HEATED STEERING WHEEL, I'm so excited), premium interior/lighting, and 19" Cyclone wheels (came on the inventory car -- and then I looked them up and saw an alleged range bonus, so woot). All packaged in multi-coat "why hello, officer" red.

The Smart Air suspension should get my new baby safely up and down my 1/3 mile gravel driveway, I hope. I'm not worried about rock chips (no one racing ahead of me!) but it's not the smoothest driveway you've seen.

Hmm. Maybe I'm wrong, but I have Opti Coat Pro Plus on my car and have never thought of it as any sort of meaningful protection. I got it because now the car never needs to be waxed and looks awesome after a basic wash - either water or waterless. I doubt it would do much to prevent a rock chip or scratch.

I probably phrased my question badly. I wasn't thinking the Opti-Coat would protect the paint from chips or scratches; the only marks on my Highlander are from incidents I suspect the plastic wrap couldn't save, such as another driver running it into a gate post or a passenger opening the door into a concrete post. (Ow.) But I want to keep the paint looking nice despite UV and winter salt, and I know myself -- I may have the best of intentions, but I just don't wax my cars. I'm hoping the Opti-coat can help with that. With that clarification, any further or revised opinions? Thanks!
 
Do you have a line on that Austin shop? Does the ~4K include paint correction before sealing?

It's the Xpel factory "store" (installation facility?)

8222 N. Lamar
Suite E40441
Austin


I talked to Lindsey back in March.


I don't know about any prep that might be included. When she and I spoke, my new MS was about to be delivered, so our entire conversation was in the context of covering a brand new car.

Entire car: $4k, 10-year warranty
10% off for AAA discount: $3600
An additional 10% off for being an active member of a car club
Add $107 for fog lights and headlights
With both discounts it could be as cheap as $3347 for entire car, with headlights and fog lights covered


Takes three to four days for full wrap.


I suspect they use template-produced pieces instead of hand trimming, which I though might have the potential for edges that were less attractive than what my local custom installer did. As I mentioned before, I could probably talk myself into full coverage with potentially less attractive edges for the same price. It's a tough call to make.
 
Shinteenah, I live in Indy too. I had a clear bra applied along with paint protection coating by the Ziebart shop in Castleton for about $1000 total. Did the same thing on my wife's Avalon Hybrid 2 years ago and the finish on that car still looks new. After 5 months my 85D finish is flawless.
 
...
I probably phrased my question badly. I wasn't thinking the Opti-Coat would protect the paint from chips or scratches; the only marks on my Highlander are from incidents I suspect the plastic wrap couldn't save, such as another driver running it into a gate post or a passenger opening the door into a concrete post. (Ow.) But I want to keep the paint looking nice despite UV and winter salt, and I know myself -- I may have the best of intentions, but I just don't wax my cars. I'm hoping the Opti-coat can help with that. With that clarification, any further or revised opinions? Thanks!

Opti-coat or C-Quartz will meet your expectations as a wax replacement to help keeping the car shinny and clean more easily...but if you are doing gravel roads, you need to be thinking about your own gravel projections unto the rear-quarter panels!

On gravel roads, your own front wheels will 'pepper' the back of your rear doors, the front of the rear panels as well as the bottom black finish under the doors.
Our service center in Montreal had one 'hello officer' multi-coat red in the showroom that was about a year old
and it was showing a lot of paint chips around that area and they were really obvious on the red color!

I had XPel-Ultimate put on the whole front-end, mirrors plus a half-circle in front of the rear wheel, so not the whole car, to save on money...
but mine was already used (a CPO) so covering everything didn't make that much sense.
The black plastic underneath the doors was already showing signs of wear.
Be weary though, when you don't do the whole car, depending on what you choose to cover, some demarcation line may show.
 
Picked it up today. Grinning stupidly.

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