Ceramic Coating vs PPF

[roybus14]

Just purchased a New 2023 Limited Stealth Edition in Dark Matter Gray. Got front windows tinted at a Ceramic Pro certified shop. They have vehicle coating packages like Ceramic and PPF.

Has anyone had either done to their Expy and if so, was it full body or just front and what is your experience so far? Pros and Cons for either?

Dropping $70k plus on a new Expy, it sounds like a good investment but not 100% convinced...

Appreciate any replies back to this thread, thanks!!!

Regards,

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Ceramic Coating protects paint from swirls and small scratches. PPF protects from rock chips, swirls, and scratches.

Personally, I would get front end wrapped in PPF, as well as the running boards (the tires kick up a lot of rocks, and the black will look bad with all those chips). A full body PPF is a waste of money, but the full front wrap is worth every penny. I would get a paint correction and a ceramic coating on all the remaining painted body panels and especially the rims. If you want to go the extra miles, get the calipers ceramic coated too and they will look the amazing bright red for a very long time. The paint on your Expedition will look amazing for years to come if you do these services. A highly recommend all of these services and have had these done on dozens of vehicles owned over the years.

There will be no cons to all of this, just the cost. The pros are you will have no rock chips, none of the horrible swirls on the paint or black pieces (especially the black pieces if you have ever owned a vehicle), and it will help vehicle value.

 

[sjwhiteley]

I’d agree with the above.

Getting the front end PPF is a good idea. The front of mine has baked in bugs and chips in numerous places after 3 years, including the leading edge of the hood. You can apply ceramic over PPF. If you do want it to keep being shiny, then ceramic is great. I’d also do it on the wheels; cleaning is so much easier.

I do not have either ceramic or PPF on my Expedition - use a poor man’s ‘ceramic spray which does actually work well - but have both on my BMW. A full PPF is expensive!

 

[XeBeast]

I have PPF on the front and Ceramic on the entire vehicle including rims. Can you see the PPF line on the finder or hood?
I only wash it at hime with my foam cannon and pressure washer.

 

[jjscsix]

I tell people all the time. Ceramic wax is just a wax. Yes, its a good wax, but there are no miracle properties at work. Its all about how long you can go between applications.

I have a friend who had $1300 ceramic done to two very expensive cars he owns. They warranty it for something like three years. But to keep the warranty in effect you have to oay them something like $100 every year to put another coat on it. Yes, that sounds odd to me.

 

[mwar99]

The ceramic coatings are not a wax. They last much longer than a wax and have more of a glass like quality to them. A good coating installed properly will last way longer than wax. In addition it would be the material that would have light scratches imbedded into it vs. your clear coat. Not to mention they typically make a vehicle much easier to clean. I didn't put PPF film on my Expy, but it does have a good ceramic coating installed. If I were to have done PPF I would have done the full front, not the full vehicle. it's way too big to make PPF on the full vehicle cost worth it. A good ceramic coating is worth it, and if they are trying to sell you that you need to bring it back to them to keep a warranty they are just trying to pad their yearly sales. There will be varying degrees of how long a coating will last on your vehicle. Is it garaged most of the time, how much do you drive, does it sit in bad weather, etc. I have a 911 GT3 with a ceramic coating that is garaged full time and 4 years and approx. 20K miles after installation the coating still feels new and I'm the only one who has maintained the car.

 

[jjscsix]

The ceramic coatings are not a wax. They last much longer than a wax and have more of a glass like quality to them. A good coating installed properly will last way longer than wax. In addition it would be the material that would have light scratches imbedded into it vs. your clear coat. Not to mention they typically make a vehicle much easier to clean. I didn't put PPF film on my Expy, but it does have a good ceramic coating installed. If I were to have done PPF I would have done the full front, not the full vehicle. it's way too big to make PPF on the full vehicle cost worth it. A good ceramic coating is worth it, and if they are trying to sell you that you need to bring it back to them to keep a warranty they are just trying to pad their yearly sales. There will be varying degrees of how long a coating will last on your vehicle. Is it garaged most of the time, how much do you drive, does it sit in bad weather, etc. I have a 911 GT3 with a ceramic coating that is garaged full time and 4 years and approx. 20K miles after installation the coating still feels new and I'm the only one who has maintained the car.

Wax is a broad term that I believe it fits in just like synthetic polymer wax. Ceramic is still a coating that wears off over time. No question it lasts longer just like polymer waxes did when they came out.

BTW, my friends cars are a 2020 911S and an 2020 M8 Competition. I’m a big fan of the GT3.

 

[mcb345]

I didn’t ever do PPF but you could absolutely use it in the front bumper and hood. Front of the hood will get some dings. I don’t see a reason to PPF the whole car though as after 3 years of my 2019 I have zero dings from rocks outside of the front. Ceramic really won’t protect at all. They claim it does but it’s really not going to help. Makes the car look great when it’s clean though!

 

[Left Coast Geek]

yeah, Ceramic coatings will protect your paint against oxidation and make it easier to clean off dirt, but its not going to do squat for flying gravel and such making chips. As someone else said, its just a fancier/better wax replacement. no, its not 'wax' per se, but it performs the same function, just longer lasting. You need to polish the heck out of the paint to remove any surface imperfections before applying a ceramic coating.

 

[mamores24]

We did the ceramic coating when we first purchased our '21 Stealth. Definitely recommend it. In hindsight I would have also done the front (fender, mirrors, hood, etc). Not because the ceramic coating didnt protect but just as additional protection. Our Expy is stored in the garage outside of the elements. We also got our Explorer ST the ceramic coating because we thought it was well worth it.