PPF or Ceramic?

[smilepak]

Which one of the two if you have to chose one?

And why?

 

[joebruin77]

I did a full Xpel PPF when I took delivery of my P3D in Dec 2018. I wanted the most protection possible from rock chips, scratches, and swirl marks. PPF has self healing capabilities. Ceramic coatings do not self heal and they can still be scratched.

After 3 1/2 years, the paint looks awesome. Recently, several people commented on how my car looks brand new.

 

[jling0311]

I choose PPF for a couple reasons.

1. I plan on keeping the car for 10+ years
2. I hate the sight of rock chips on my car.
3. I had the money (7.5k) to do it.
4. I choose Xpel Stealth that made the color matte and I love the way it looks.
5. I'm lazy and don't have to clean the car. All I really have to do is hose it down and it's done. *although I should still wash it like a regular car* it makes it a lot easier.

Ceramic coat doesn't protect the paint. PPF does.

 

[Nosken]

My 2016 Model S with 135,000 mikes. I am in Northern California, and take the car skiing 2-3 times a week in brutal winters. The windshield has tons of chips and little nicks, but the paint is perfect. Very easy to clean. Full XPel gloss including front lights.

 

[dsgerbc]

PPF, then ceramic

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

One is tape, the other is wax. It's like asking to choose between dietary supplements or Twitter. The only thing they have in common is internet hype and the fact that neither really does what it claims to do.

PPF makes your paint look worse on day one, it yellow/hazes/peels over the years, and there's a significant possibility of it damaging the paint during installation or removal. However, it is really great for preventing small rock chips and is ideal for rocker panels, pretty good for front bumpers, and not so good anywhere else.

"Ceramic" is much easier to apply than standard wax and lasts longer, maybe 3-6 months. But there's nothing "ceramic" or "hard" about it unless you want to get pedantic about chemistry. It also doesn't get "installed" as unscrupulous shops will lead you to believe - you just smear it on. FYI, most sunscreen is also "ceramic", but sunscreen actually uses large quantities of titanium dioxide as the primary means of blocking UV light. Ceramic window tints do the same using graphite powder instead of dye to perform their primary function. But ceramic paint coatings are just silicone-ish smears with a sprinkle of graphite powder thrown in for color depth and marketing buzzword.

So I'd answer your question with "both": Telsa's $50 PPF kit and a bottle of Turtle Wax.

 

[UncertainTimes]

Neither because it’s a waste of money and does nothing for resale value. Car sits outside all the time so it’s dirty all the time. I could tell you there’s a million dollars worth of diamond/platinum/graphene/gold and you couldn’t tell because it’s always covered in dirt, bird poop, pollen etc.

 

[santua]

If you are going to keep the car for a long time, maybe consider front and rockers PPF. Doing the whole car makes absolutely no sense. It's a Tesla, not a SE Ferrari. Do keep in mind, that there are films that tend to yellow over time which makes the car look horrible. Also, if you do PPF, make sure you get a really good installer.

Ceramic will protect your paint and give it a good hydrophobic buffer which should make it easier to clean, but it will not protect your car from scratches, much fewer rock chips.

 

[joebruin77]

One is tape, the other is wax. It's like asking to choose between dietary supplements or Twitter. The only thing they have in common is internet hype and the fact that neither really does what it claims to do.

PPF makes your paint look worse on day one, it yellow/hazes/peels over the years, and there's a significant possibility of it damaging the paint during installation or removal. However, it is really great for preventing small rock chips and is ideal for rocker panels, pretty good for front bumpers, and not so good anywhere else.

"Ceramic" is much easier to apply than standard wax and lasts longer, maybe 3-6 months. But there's nothing "ceramic" or "hard" about it unless you want to get pedantic about chemistry. It also doesn't get "installed" as unscrupulous shops will lead you to believe - you just smear it on. FYI, most sunscreen is also "ceramic", but sunscreen actually uses large quantities of titanium dioxide as the primary means of blocking UV light. Ceramic window tints do the same using graphite powder instead of dye to perform their primary function. But ceramic paint coatings are just silicone-ish smears with a sprinkle of graphite powder thrown in for color depth and marketing buzzword.

So I'd answer your question with "both": Telsa's $50 PPF kit and a bottle of Turtle Wax.

I agree with you that a bottle of Turtle Wax Seal and Shine is an adequate form of paint protection for many people. I also agree with you that there are people out there making unrealistic claims about all sorts of car care products.

But I disagree with you that PPF makes your paint look worse and that it yellows/hazes/peels over time. My Xpel PPF helps my paint look amazing. And that after 3 1/2 years of being parked outside 24/7. Plus like most reputable PPF manufacturers, Xpel PPF comes with a 10 year warranty. Things like yellowing and peeling used to happen with the first PPFs on the market a decade ago. The most recent PPFs are much more advanced and rarely have those problems. And if it happens, you can make a warranty claim. Xpel really stands behind their product, which is one reason I chose them.

While it is important to watch out for people making exaggerated claims about what ceramic coatings do, it is also important not to understate what they offer. A good quality consumer-grade ceramic coating can last a year or two. And professional-grade coatings can last 3 to 5 years. So they really do offer significantly more robust protection than a typical wax or sealant. And it does take some degree of skill to 1) polish and prep the paint before the coating is applied and 2) apply the coating itself.

 

[RTC05]

I am currently in this debate myself. With the exception of just wrapping it a different color. I get my Tesla June-July if it doesn’t change yet again. I have yet to decide on what I want to do and I have reached out for a few prices to know what to expect.

 

[Nosken]

I am currently in this debate myself. With the exception of just wrapping it a different color. I get my Tesla June-July if it doesn’t change yet again. I have yet to decide on what I want to do and I have reached out for a few prices to know what to expect.

Color wrap is barely PPF.
The film is much thinner and has little or no warrant. It does not self heal and provides very little protection.
I am in the same boat--I want a colored wrap, but have been so happy with my XPel clear for the last 5 years.

 

[ODWms]

Aren’t there some color change, proper PPFs that are legitimate paint protection?

 

[Candleflame]

I agree with you that a bottle of Turtle Wax Seal and Shine is an adequate form of paint protection for many people. I also agree with you that there are people out there making unrealistic claims about all sorts of car care products.

But I disagree with you that PPF makes your paint look worse and that it yellows/hazes/peels over time. My Xpel PPF helps my paint look amazing. And that after 3 1/2 years of being parked outside 24/7. Plus like most reputable PPF manufacturers, Xpel PPF comes with a 10 year warranty. Things like yellowing and peeling used to happen with the first PPFs on the market a decade ago. The most recent PPFs are much more advanced and rarely have those problems. And if it happens, you can make a warranty claim. Xpel really stands behind their product, which is one reason I chose them.

While it is important to watch out for people making exaggerated claims about what ceramic coatings do, it is also important not to understate what they offer. A good quality consumer-grade ceramic coating can last a year or two. And professional-grade coatings can last 3 to 5 years. So they really do offer significantly more robust protection than a typical wax or sealant. And it does take some degree of skill to 1) polish and prep the paint before the coating is applied and 2) apply the coating itself.

i got gtech serum ultra now. it does bead/sheet a bit better than i.e. seal and shine (particularly soaps will bead, whereas with seal and shine they wont). thats not the reason i got it though - the real reason to get it is that it does not have to be reapplied. reapplying sealants to cars (especially when they are driven a lot or in shitty weather) was shaving years of my life!

 

[ElDec3]

Aren’t there some color change, proper PPFs that are legitimate paint protection?

xpel stealth makes it matt/satin i beleive.....im looking to do this but after ceramic and paint correction done, then xpel stealth ppf..

 

[Gulfcoaster]

Which one of the two if you have to chose one?

And why?

Ceramic will not protect against stone chips and road rash debris at all. Ceramics do protect against fallout, bugs, bird crap, light halo swirls etc....For PPF I strongly suggest Xpel Ultimate Plus

 

[Ofarlig]

I've had both on different Model 3s and ceramic on my S, the S did great with just ceramic but that was a 2018 and my detailer said the paint was much harder than the 3 has. My 2020 3 had PPF and my 2021 3 has ceramic and the 3 really has poor paint, loads of paint chips and it gets scratches very easily.

Next car will most likely be another 3 and I will get PPF on that.

 

[BMWM3Man]

Been driving nicer cars than our Tesla's for 25 years and have never done either...waste of money IMHO. YMMV

 

[MJB-CO]

I did a DIY ceramic coat on my 3.
If I had a new Tesla I'd probably go with: New SunTek Ceramic-Style PPF is 2-in-1 Protection - Tesla Motors Club. It's a combination of both.

 

[RipVanFinkle]

PPF and ceramic.