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.

 

[shelties-rock]

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,

I had the ceramic coating done earlier this year in May. I got a 4 year one and they did the entire expedition max and windows. It looks great! However, just know you can never run it thru a car wash again. That messes up the warranty. You have to either hand wash it or have it hand washed. Don’t try going the cheap route. I had a friend do it that way and his car ended up looking hazy including the windows. Research who u get to do it. I’m not sure that the pod wouldn’t be better but it probably cost more. I’m very happy w/my ceramic coating.

 

[NevadaGeo]

I just purchased a '23 Limited SPP in star white. I love the white and gloss black and need to protect the front of the vehicle with PPF. I have appointment to do this in a week. I did not do PPF on my 2017 Expy and the front suffered many chips as a result. When I traded it in, it had many blemishes due to my filling the chips with matched trim paint. In northern Nevada, interstate speed limits are 80 mph which means some rocks are propelled up to 160 mph. And of course, NDOT uses sand/salt +/- gravel mix when it snows. I will definitely get the front done with quality 8 mil 3M sheets. It is expensive but best to get it done early. We did the front of my wife's 2015 Toyota Venza (you know, Toyota paint...) and today it looks wonderful, shiny and no dings since the PPF heals with each rock chip. Strongly recommend the PPF on the front. For the rest of the vehicle, I use Colinite aircraft wax. Works like a charm.

 

[zeecarr]

There is a high end detailing place right near me. There are always Range Rovers and McLarens in there every time I drive by. A couple of years back I had my F-150 done up. They wrapped the front end, hood, fenders, etc. Then they did the whole truck in a ceramic coat with a 5 year warranty. The ceramic coat was a pain in the butt because of all kinds of rules to keep it in good shape and not wash it off with the wrong chemical.

Fast forward 18 months and I traded that F-150 on a new year-end close-out 2023 loaded Expedition. I went back to get the same treatment done and the owner informed me that he had moved on past the wrap and ceramic coat to a new MUCH better product called Icon Rocklear. It's more like a self healing clear coat that goes on really thick compared to ceramic. So now the front end areas that used to get wrapped get two coats of the Icon Rocklear instead and the rest of the truck gets one coat. This new better method was cheaper, looks better, came with a 15 year warranty and you don't have all the silly rules that a ceramic coat requires. He said no problem to take it through a car wash with brushes!

Icon Rocklear

iconrocklear.com

 

[Old Dog]

I had the whole front hood , fenders and half way up quarter panels all the way back with PPF. Had my 2016 Raptor and 2 F-150 trucks done. The PPF I used if you get a scratch in it just take a heat gun or park in full sun and they will heal themselves.

 

[NevadaGeo]

It is amazing stuff the way it heals. I am hesitant to drive interstate miles until I get the front done. On my wife's 2015 Venza, after 7 years, it still looks new and shiny after 75 k miles. This Icon Rocklear stuff zeecar mentions above sounds too good to be true.

 

[CDNRabbit]

I've done 3M PPF and Opti-Coat ceramic on my last 2 cars. I have a 10yr warranty on the Opti-Coat with no obligations for special care. I even get a discount on cleaning from my detailer and free reapplication when I get small scratches buffed out. Super happy with the products.

Posting today because I got hit by a huge rock on the highway, was sure it would be carnage even with the PPF... but it wasn't. I could see a mark in the film but it disappeared after sitting in the sun a bit.

 

[NevadaGeo]

The protective film is a must for high-speed interstate driving especially with the higher speed limits out west. Just too bad it costs an additional $grand+ after plopping down a fist full of money on vehicle purchase!!

 

[CDNRabbit]

The protective film is a must for high-speed interstate driving especially with the higher speed limits out west. Just too bad it costs an additional $grand+ after plopping down a fist full of money on vehicle purchase!!

Its worth the money but that seems a bit steep. The 3M film was under 600$ installed for me.

 

[NevadaGeo]

Its worth the money but that seems a bit steep. The 3M film was under 600$ installed for me.

Nice! Yeah, it depends on the marketplace. In rural northern Nevada along interstate 80, not much choice. I have to drive 3 hours to Twin Falls ID to get it done at a reasonable cost.