Is PPF Wrap Worth it?

[vbrad26]

Save the money and get a full respray for around the same price years down the road when (and if) it really bothers you!
I too debated this and ultimately decided it was not worth it.
I realize it is very hit or miss (no put intended) but I've been surprised with how the paint is holding up.
I've been on a few tight trails where I though for sure I would get striped, only to be surprised that I in fact did not.

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[MannyG20]

If you need to ask if a $5000 purchase is worth it then it is probably not worth it to you.

 

[Rosalieee]

100% worth it. I do full XPEL on all my vehicles.

 

[Tucker417]

I have full Xpel PPF on my 4-door Hot Pepper Red bronco. To me it was a no brainer with this color. Touching up this color is nearly impossible (I already had a couple small spots around the car). I wanted my wife to be able to hit the car wash as often as she liked with never having to worry about swirles or waxing the car again. The bronco looks extremely glossy and is incredibly easy to keep clean.

It does in fact help protect against rock chips, as with anything it's not bullet proof of course but will save your paint in most cases where the PPF on that panel can just be replaced vs attempting to panel paint the car and it not matching. We had the full front done on our previous vehicle and after it taking a massive hit from a flying metal canopy that hit the hood, we were able to have the dent PDR'd and hood film re-applied with no paint work needing done.

I'm definitely a believer in the product. With all of that being said, shop around as $5k seems high considering the roof doesn't get PPF, and the bumpers are textured plastic or metal and don't get PPF. $3,000-$3,500 seems like it would be a fair price for the entire vehicle.

 

[Durangatan]

I had selected areas done. If I did not have full rock rails I'd also have the bottom half of the doors covered.

I've had several high-end sports cars ceramic coated. Not worth it IMO.

 

[HOSSMAN]

If you are doing a lot of highway driving and or off-roading I think on the front end yes but the entire vehicle, no. We did my wife's BMW from the front fenders/hood forward, mirrors etc. I got a quote to do my bronco front half for about $1750 but I am only driving 4 miles to work 1-way so I can't justify it but my wife's is what we take when we travel or go anywhere so I could justify it.

 

[Git_Mud]

I've shopped around a bit in my area and got another quote for $5k for full PPF - so that seems to be about the going rate in my area.

I will ask if maybe we can have a compromise of front PPF and ceramic coating for everything else.

I just want this thing to last!

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

I have full Xpel PPF on my 4-door Hot Pepper Red bronco. To me it was a no brainer with this color. Touching up this color is nearly impossible (I already had a couple small spots around the car). I wanted my wife to be able to hit the car wash as often as she liked with never having to worry about swirles or waxing the car again. The bronco looks extremely glossy and is incredibly easy to keep clean.

It does in fact help protect against rock chips, as with anything it's not bullet proof of course but will save your paint in most cases where the PPF on that panel can just be replaced vs attempting to panel paint the car and it not matching. We had the full front done on our previous vehicle and after it taking a massive hit from a flying metal canopy that hit the hood, we were able to have the dent PDR'd and hood film re-applied with no paint work needing done.

I'm definitely a believer in the product. With all of that being said, shop around as $5k seems high considering the roof doesn't get PPF, and the bumpers are textured plastic or metal and don't get PPF. $3,000-$3,500 seems like it would be a fair price for the entire vehicle.

Never have to worry again? lol!

Dude, Xpel is one of the best, yet it only really lasts for 2-3 years. If you’re in a hot climate area, almost shave that in half.

PPFs only can last 3-5 years (if) you wash your ride weekly and that means weekly using quality car shampoo, two bucket method, and a QD when drying it. Taking any vehicle with PPF to a machine car wash is going to kill that coating much faster.

Sounds like you’ve swallowed the marketing, but it’s just not the truth. I’m not a pro detailer, but I am a pretty experienced amateur who’s detailed and paint corrected cars for about 15 years now and sealed paint using polish with an orbital. I’ll tell you right now, car washes are a no go, ever.

Check some car detail videos or forums for the realistic life of PPFs.

This isn’t just for you, I‘m actually glad you brought it up, as many have these misconceptions, so a note to everyone, PPFs don’t last unless you baby the car.

 

[popo_patty]

 

[ScLeCo]

I have Xpel on the whole vehicle. I have azure grey and if you have tricoat paint I would recommend it. You're not going to get a quality paint job for less than the cost of PPF.
I also take mine through the carwash (gasp) weekly, sometimes biweekly. It's holding up but I don't care if it does damage it. If it starts to peel I'll have it redone.

 

[Dog]

Lot's of hyperbole on this thread. I have applied PPF to many vehicles - and have never had to remove due to age / discoloration. The longest application is 10 years so far. Granted, I garage my vehicles and don't let them sit outside all the time. Car washes do little to damage PPF - it is continual hot sun and UV rays that shorten the life of PPF (just like it does with paint, car interiors, your skin, etc). But if you get less than 3 years out of PPF, something is wrong. My installer has a 10-year warranty on the Xpel film he uses.

While I appreciate the intention behind these "is it worth it" threads, the reality is mostly that the answer depends on the individual. What do you want, and what are you willing to pay. There is no logical ROI on PPF in MOST use cases, but I don't care, it's what I want and I am willing to pay for it.

Let's face it - buying a Bronco is not "worth it" to most people (i.e. most of the population hasn't bought one). Much better ROI in a used Toyota Corolla.

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

So, to your point in the video, you really don’t know if the scratches are down to the paint yet and won’t until you have it peeled off, or flakes off so to speak.

Also, it’s easy to justify something that you’ve spent money on already and $3200 is a hefty investment. However, with the amount of wheeling that you do, not having the PPF would for sure have all of those scratches in the actual paint.

There is an argument that can also be made to just put on ceramic, but do it annually yourself and save some money with not identical, but still good results with a quality product.

For the average guy in a Ford not named Mustang GT variant, or Raptor, the $5K this guy was quoted will be a no go.

I’d spend $5K on the 74Weld rack or towards a suspension upgrade, not for cosmetics on a Ford that’s built to be driven hard and caked with dirt.

Do whatever you will with your money, just know what it takes to keep the PPF looking it’s best and lasting, but it won’t last long in regular temps above 95 degrees

 

[swamp2]

I have a buddy who I wheel with here in So Cal and his 4Runner is very badly damaged from desert pin stripes. Not a look for me, I've had good longevity with PPF and so far, despite some opportunities for serious Arizona desert pinstripes, my PPF looks flawless.

 

[RB23]

Picked up our new Bronco from the protective film shop yesterday. Full body XPEL Ultimate film. They did a great job of wrapping all the edges and it looks great.

I've had my last 4 vehicles fully PPF protected. Partially for resale, but primarily for light scratch protection and ease of washing & care during my ownership period.

Ceramic coating will also be added over the PPF for appearance and also ease the wash & care.

YMMV

 

[BigGreenPony]

I've wrapped.. 10.. 15 vehicles at this point in some variations of front to full.

My raptor is 100% wrapped front to back and it has undoubtedly stopped trail pinstripes and road debris from damaging the paint. If you drive tight trails and have anything drag down the side of your vehicle it is 100% worth it unless you don't care about what it looks like the next day.

If you're going to take it easy offroad and not do tight trails. I'd still do a front and maybe ceramic the rest. The front PPF will keep road debris and random stuff from dinging up the paint. Most of my broken window rocks have come off the hood into the windshield and the hood still looks great.

To each there own in the end.

Totally agree! I lived in AZ when I bought my truck and had it ppf’ed almost immediately. Trails in AZ are rocky with small pebbles and lots of brush/trees. If you are going out a lot, it is worth it.

To the OP: don’t get Xpel. It’s just a silly luxury brand like Cartier or Crystal. Xpel quoted me $5-8k more than anyone else and refused to do graphics. They’re also not the most current tech. Go with Oracal.

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