[Pott0120]

I have never had a reason to consider a protective clear coat until now. Is it worth it? What would it cost? What should be considered when deciding? What clear coats are recommended?

 

[Burutoo]

I just got XPEL PPF on my 2018 WRX. After having not gotten it on my 2015 I wasnt going to make the same mistake twice. Subaru paint (and all modern water based paints) is very thin and chips like crazy. After 23k miles my 2015 looked like it went through a sand blaster. I did some research and there are several different manufacturers for PPF's but I ended up picking XPEL based on the installer and trusting them to do good work and stand by the product and their install. So far it is night and day - the front end of my 2018 looks brand new still after almost 9k miles.
I will say it can get pricey quick - you can pick and choose what coverage you want but I ended up getting full front bumper, full hood, front quarter panels, lower rocker panels and partial lower rear bumper installed for around $1800.
I'm 50/50 on getting this done on the Ascent because I'm guessing it will cost more than that but we'll see. It does make a difference and is worth the cost IMO.

 

[Rgashton]

I'm with you on XPEL. I put it on both our cars' headlights and it has kept them safe and beautiful for months now.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it's not a "one and done" install. You'll have to remove it and redo it after so many years. I've seen recommendations for every ten years (which would be acceptable for me) but some recommend replacing every 5 years.

Both of our other cars have a few chips in the paint but they are also 12 and 16 years old and with a good wash and wax the chips aren't that noticeable. So I'm 50/50 too for the Ascent.

 

[familyrally]

AMMO NYC is a good source for information like this. Here's one of his videos:

Might be others that dip into different topics as it related to PPF

 

[Cannibal869]

wow, useful video, thanks! That looks like an insane amount of work...

 

[Sparkland]

I have never had a reason to consider a protective clear coat until now. Is it worth it? What would it cost? What should be considered when deciding? What clear coats are recommended?

I would just get a nice protective clear coat like XPEL on the main areas susceptible to rock damage; hood, front bumper, mirror caps, front of fenders. Then I would top that off with a nice ceramic coating on the entire vehicle.

 

[Edryer3]

I’ve gotten a few quotes for the opti coat pro plus (high gloss shine) and it’s about $1500 for the SUV and rims. And has a 7 year warranty. We ordered the Limited in ice silver. Also if you dealer offers the paint protection or anything included do not have they do it as it will cause swirl marks and cost more for them to do the opti Coat to remove those. So I plan on getting that with the XPEL Ultimate film for the front end including headlights and mirror caps. We tend to keep our vehicles for awhile and this is our first brand spanking new vehicle and figure if I’m spending that much why not protect it.

 

[familyrally]

wow, useful video, thanks! That looks like an insane amount of work...

that guy is a true professional and if you think that is impressive you should see what happens on some detailing forums, let alone what he does to some world class vehicles.
so on our average joe vehicles like the Ascent, you can bet we're going beyond what the average owner will

 

[Subiesailor]

Its a Subaru geeze! I just had a dent guy remove dents in my Wifes work car Titanium trim Ford Fusion it hauls top Company brass on occasion. So yea it stays clean and gets dents removed occasionally. I asked the dent guy for a quote on a few dings on my Subaru OB. He laughed and said sure but he hadn’t done a Subaru in the past yr. After the quote I laughed and said yup its a subaru I don’t really care about dents that much. His response was see thats why I never do Subarus and we both laughed.

3M Clear Bra the frontal areas that take rock chip damage it will be around $600. For the real 3m product its not cheap stuff.

 

[Gueromeister]

Paint care/waxing....
Should we wax our new Ascents after we receive them or should we wait for a certain period of time? Anyone have any suggestions...Any products or methods that have worked well ....?
This will be my first brand new car....so I want it to last...
The thread subject seemed close enough so I posted my question here...

 

[scooby]

Paint care/waxing....
Should we wax our new Ascents after we receive them or should we wait for a certain period of time? Anyone have any suggestions...Any products or methods that have worked well ....?
This will be my first brand new car....so I want it to last...
The thread subject seemed close enough so I posted my question here...

I dont remember the exact time, but you're definitely supposed to wait x amount of months for the paint to completely cure before you do polish/waxing.