Mercedes AMG GT receiving a custom hood installation for PPF
Is Paint Protection Film Really Worth The Cost ?
With the growth of paint protection film for vehicle protection becoming more popular, many ask us if we think paint protection film/PPF is worth the cost. As experts in the industry, and 1000's of cars installed over the years, we have some conclusions about paint protection film and its value to help inform your decision
If you have purchased a new vehicle recently or if you are considering purchasing a new vehicle, it’s likely you’ve come across paint protection film, clear bra, PPF or clear shield as an option to protect the paint of your new car. With the price tag quickly getting into the thousands, many find themselves questioning if it’s worth the cost associated with the protection.
We have installed paint protection film on over 1500 vehicles over the last few years and we’ve replaced paint protection film on several cars so we’ve had a good chance to understand the positives and negatives about paint protection film and if it’s worth the cost. We’ve found the answer is not concrete and it really depends on the individual and the car you are protecting.
Does Paint Protection Film Work?
The answer is yes. The industry has evolved tremendously over the last few years, gone are the days on paint protection film quickly turning yellow and becoming dull on your paint or being able to truly see the film on your car. With a great installer and one of the better products (we have had good luck with brands like XPEL and Suntek), you’d be hard pressed to be able to tell there is anything on the vehicle. Paint protection film (PPF) truly does have the magic ability to heal swirls and scratches with heat, leaving your paint glossy and shiny. It also has the ability to absorb impact and preserve your paint from rock chips.
However, to be clear, it is not bullet proof. The film can be punctured, often times however the film takes the brunt force saving the paint. Other times, if the object that hits the car is sharp enough or the speed is fast enough, it may make it through and damage the paint, but expect that damage to be far lower than what would have been if there were no film at all. This rarely happens, but we have seen it, mostly on highway driven or heavily tracked cars (high speed). To resolve this, Suntek and XPEL have both released a thicker film for high impact areas that works tremendously, so we expect this industry to continue to evolve with better products.
PPF on hood after rock impact
Hood after PPF removal, no paint damage
Is Paint Protection Film Worth It?
The answer is; it depends. We’ve found that there are a few different ways people view their cars and how they care for it, how they expect the appearance of their vehicle to be and how long they plan to keep the vehicle. You may find yourself in one of these categories, if so we can tell you what we’ve seen from our customers on how they value paint protection film:
“I WANT MY CAR PERFECT, ALL THE TIME FOR AS LONG AS I OWN IT.”
If you are the kind of person who wants your car to be perfect, with glossy paint, and plans to preserve the value to the highest possible standard, paint protection film is definitely worth it. Paint protection film is nearly undetectable, has self healing properties to keep swirls away and carries a 10 year warranty. The film helps prevent rock chips, pitting, scrapes and scratches from appearing to preserve the value of your vehicle. This is great for any car from a Ferrari to a Honda as it helps you recoup a higher resale value on your vehicle when it’s time to move on. Cars in the Excellent Condition category from KBB ranks 10-15% higher in resale value vs. the Very Good category which allows for light damages like rock chips. This can mean quite a bit of increased value on a vehicle, especially on higher end automobiles.
“I CAN LIVE WITH ROCK CHIPS ON MY CAR AND CONSIDER IT COMMON WEAR AND TEAR”
However, if you find yourself not caring too much about a few rock chips on your vehicle, PPF might not be worth the investment for your new vehicle. We find that there are times that PPF may not be the right fit and we typically recommend a ceramic coating instead which helps your keep your car clean and glossy with ease.
If you are curious about what is right for you, ask yourself these questions:
- What is my car worth?
- How much does damage to the paint devalue my vehicle?
- Am I OCD about my car staying as close to perfect as I can keep it?
- Do swirls and scratches drive me crazy?
- Do I drive on the highway often?
- What’s my car appearance worth to me?
From there you should be able to determine if paint protection film is right for you, and it’s time to evaluate your installer options. It’s important to find an experienced, high quality installer that is tied to long standing, high quality brands on the market such as XPEL or Suntek who both invest heavily in their products, are publicly traded companies and carry 10 year warranties. You want to find an installer who can provide you plenty of examples of work, delivers clean, nearly undetectable installs and has a general sense of pride in their work. A great installer will show you the reasons why their installs are great showing you the details of the install that make up the whole. We call this the last 10% that many installers skip out on to increase the speed of the install. We simply push to deliver premium, uncommon installs because it’s what we’d want for our own vehicles.
Corner details are key to our installs. This is a Tesla Model S hood after PPF Installation, note the corners and edges wrapped into the chrome.
Where two panels meet presents another opportunity to hide an edge. Here is a Ferrari Portifino after PPF was installed
Some cars provide unique opportunity to wrap edges. This 2020 Porsche 911 headlight after PPF was installed.
If you work with a quality installer, who takes pride in their wok, focuses on evolution of the install to exceed your expectations, backs their work beyond the manufacturer warranty and can provide plenty of references, you are sure to appreciate the install and have confidence your install will last for years to protect your ride.
Want to work with us?
Check out our paint protection film options:
If you have any questions beyond this blog, please reach out to us. We are glad to help you decide regardless of where you get your installation done.
CALL (512) 296-0183
