# Protection film and coating, worth it? Brand? Best practice?



## echostate (Dec 2, 2014)

Hi all,

New user ... just recently bought a F15 X5. Love it ... Thinking about protection film and coating, as well as this "Cilajet" from BMW dealer. Need some advice.

1. Protection film

1) Full front coverage is $1300-$1500. Worth it? An alternative is to just re-paint the front bumper / hood when it's really bad. How much will the re-painting cost?

2) Brand? Some installers recommend Suntek, while I heard Xpel Ultimate more often on Internet.

3) Should the film be "wrapped around" the edges? One installer says to me "we dont' like to wrap edges due to the water being able to come underneath eventually and make it peel".


2. Coating

1) This seems to cost $500-$600. Worth it? An alternative is to apply wax and sealant regularly. Which one gives the best look?

2) Opti-Coat Pro or CQ Finest?


3. Cilajet

How about that this Cilajet thing from BMW dealer? Is it coating or film? The way the sales described it ... it's both. Of course I don't believe it ...


Thanks guys ... any input to any question is appreciated!

Cheers,


----------



## CGP (Sep 18, 2013)

Interesting questions. My comments:

1. Protection film

I live in an area with snow so all winter there is lots of sand\chips on the road. After four years my last BMW had billions of tiny and not so tiny chips all over the bumper and front hood. Every spring I would spend hours and hours trying to fill in smooth out all the road rage. Sure, the car looked better but you had to stand at least three feet away and not look too close. 

I had full hood and fender treatment with Xpel on my new F10. I absolutely love it. Best thing I have done. With the full hood treatment there are no lines - you can not tell it is on the car. Anyone who tells you the you can see the line and the film yellows is referring to old product types. Those days are long gone. I protect the film with the same sealant I use on the rest of the car - Menzera Powerlock. Ironically the cleanest and shiniest part of the car is the the section covered with Xpel. 

Parts of the film are "wrapped around" on the hood. Other parts of the wrap fit quite close to the edge. 

I try and wash my car once a week. The thing I love most is not finding new rock chips every time I wash the car! 

2. Repaint

This would cost more than the film. You never want to lose the factory paint unless you absolutely have to. No matter how skilled the paint shop, it will never match factory and you will be able to tell the front end was repainted. This option just seems dumb to me:dunno:

3. Coating

Is it worth the money? Only you can answer that question. Lots of people like the convenience of the coating. Remember, coating will not protect your paint from rock chips.


----------



## echostate (Dec 2, 2014)

Thanks man, for all the information. Seems protection film is well worth it. For the coating ... how long does it really last? I guess this will be critical ...



CGP said:


> Interesting questions. My comments:
> 
> 1. Protection film
> 
> ...


----------



## dmatre (Sep 3, 2011)

The OptiCoat2.0 on our Murano is going on 2 years now, and it's still the best-beading car we've got.

The best part of OptiCoat is how easy it makes washing the car. No scrubbing, no re washing an area. 

I plan to do the wife's New Benz when I can find a day to polish it out before sealing (polishing is the time-consuming part, applying is a breeze).


----------



## jimmysab133 (Sep 27, 2014)

Do NOT buy the Cilajet option from the dealer. Even if the warranty is appealing, it's just not worth it -- way overpriced and you will end up applying a sealant on your own anyways. No sealant lasts that long...no matter the driving conditions. On top of that I wouldn't trust the dealer's detail crew at all. 

Do some research on 'dealer sealants' or paint treatments like IBEX and you'll see many, many disappointed people. I myself experienced it. For $500-$1200 (prices vary per dealer), you could buy 2-3 pro details from a detail fanatic and sleep easier.


----------

