Does anyone know how good Mercedes paint is? I definitely want a clear bra installed for rock chips. Should I also get the xzilon coating that is warrantied for 5 years? If you're answer is no, then why not. Thanks guys..I have just two days to decide as the my car hit the dealer today!

 

IMO, 3M the whole hood, fender, a-pillars and the top section of your roof unless you have the pano moonroof option. Those are the pieces that would be most prone to rusting. Front bumper not so much as it is plastic. The coating I don't believe in as I think it's just a gimmick to get you to fork over extra cash. From what I've heard, it's just a paint sealant and wax. Better off getting your own wax and sealant and applying it yourself every so often.

 

Clear bra is for rock chips not for rust

 

Just get a clear bra. Xzilon is a waste of money. Just apply sealant and wax your car. If you're lazy, there are plenty of AIOs that are easy to use.

 

get the clear bra, i have plenty of rock chips that I keep filling in with touch-up paint. I wish I would have got it in time

 

Def getting clear bra. I had it on my coupe and loved it. 7 years later it still looked like new. On a black car its a must. I think I'm going to do the xzilon protection that they do outside and inside. What do you all think about the prices my dealer is trying to charge me?

Venture Shield clear bra - $699
Xzilon Protection (Interior & Exterior) - $699

 

MB nano-particle paint is the best they have ever used but it does not repel rocks. You should have a "clear bra" installed as soon as possible after delivery.

Personally, I would not cover the entire hood because it will show. You should cover the bumper and mirrors, also. Forget the roof. And, you must apply headlight and foglight protection. After 2.5 years, my lights have not been damaged, unlike so many here who have replaced many fog lights because they cheaped out and didn't spend a few bucks.

Do not buy a clear bra from your dealer because they will add a huge markup. Find out who they send their cars to and go there yourself.

In 2007, I paid about $700 here in Seattle and you may be able to do better. I skipped the door edge, door handle pocket and trunk lid protection as I felt they were unnecessary.

 

Untouched rock chips down to metal and left to atmosphere will eventually rust.

You can get the majority of the hood minus two small segments at the top corners covered in one sheet. Some dealers have large enough plotters and 3M material to cover your whole hood in one sheet. The seam is not noticeable unless you really look for it. Half hood still doesn't protect you from those rocks that trucks fling up and hit the upper part of your hood, seen it too many times and happens more frequently than you think.

IMO, the bumper really isn't necessary because it is a somewhat flexible plastic and can absorb small rocks quite effectively. I have only one or two tiny rock chips while my Palladium Lux Grille has over 15. Mirrors are a good idea too as well as the foglights (however they do burn and melt with regular use after a month, but its normal. Better that then broken!). Headlights I don't think are necessary, the plastic on the headlights are quite resilient unlike the glass fogs. The top section of the roof (1 ft long or so) is well worth it along with the a-pillars for the price. It's also very susceptible to rock chips. I'll try and grab some pics of my parents W203 in that area and you can see the rust from the rock chips accumulated over time. This is my 4th car with 3M on it and I've learned a lot from the first 3 cars.

Agree with RLE, don't get 3M installed from the dealer, they overcharge you for it. Call around and find a reputable shop and they will usually be anywhere from 25% to 50% cheaper.

I still advise against the rust coating thing, it's seriously a really bad gimmick that the finance manager sells to pad their wallet. Dealers make at least 75% on each one of those packages. The only coatings I would consider are undercoating if your area salts the road in the winter. The water dispersant for the windows is also a gimmick, it's basically rain-x but at a ridiculous premium. Interior is not necessary as you'll either have MBTex or leather. You can clean and condition both materials easily with car care products better than they can. If you are really concerned about your interior and want to protect it, go to your local auto shop and look for 3M scotchgard. That's pretty much all they are spraying on the inside, again, for a premium.

 

That's good. I bargained the prices for the xzilon and venture shield and that makes me confident that my $699 price is good. And yes all of the work is getting done before I even pick it up from the dealership.

 

For $699, what are they covering with 3M? You should have at the very least for that price front bumper, half hood, corner fenders, and mirrors, headlights, and foglights. If you have any less, then you are getting ripped off. For comparison, I just helped a co-worker get their 3M work done for $300 and that includes half hood, side mirrors, corner fenders, a-pillar, front roof, and rear step area. On my MX-5 I got the hood, fenders, mirrors, a-pillars, and front bumper done for $400.

 

I don't know the price differences between 3M and Venture Shield but my dealer uses Venture Shield not 3M. It covers the whole front including all lights. Half hood, front fenders mirrors, and rear bumper portion right under the trunk opening.

 

Same product, the prices should be equivalent. The two primary brands are Ventureshield and 3M XPEL, both are pretty much the same, I've had both installed before and no matter what one person claims is better than the others, they are the same thing.

I had Ventureshield on my 07 Honda Fit and I got the whole front including complete front bumper, mirrors, fenders, hood and foglights for $450.

So when you say whole front, does that include the bumper as well? You didn't state it. If it doesn't include the bumper, it is a complete rip off. You can totally haggle the dealership down to a respectable price, but nowhere close to what you can get at a dedicated tint/3M shop.

 

If you're allocating more than $50 of that value to Xzilon, you have some more negotiating to do. I don't know if it's harmless, but the last time this came up in a thread, I remember the product reviews were uneven at best. Its value is not much more than one good detailing. I used to sell cars and we had similar products and made huge profits. You are better off with high quality polishes and waxes.

 

Yeah by front I mean whole front bumper. I don't want to do a tint shop because I want a shop that is used to doing the clear bra on C-Classes. I have heard horror stories of it not being done correctly. This way when I move I can always go back to MB if I have any problems.

As for the xzilon, the salesmen sprayed paint on the car and wiped it off with a cloth. That is more than the value of one detail.

 

Just wondering why you decided to get the XPEL paint protection? And I appreciate all the help guys.

 

If you do clear bra for the hood, trust me, do the whole hood. People say the line across the hood isn't noticeable, but it is. I only did half fender, but luckly sprung for full hood and I can't stand the lines on just the fenders. I'd absolutely hate to have a huge horizontal line running across my hood. However, if you do opt for full hood, you'll have to go 3M as Venture doesn't make film big enough for our hoods.

As for doing it at the dealer, you know that most dealers contract out to other companies to do their clear bras right? Because of this, warranty might not be available dealer to dealer as they work with their own local shop. What you should do is ask the dealer who they use and go negotiate directly with the shop, cutting out the middle man. Even if you find the few dealerships that have a clear bra installer in house, that doesn't mean you'll be covered by all dealers if you move in case of faulty product.

Also, with regards to Xzilon, it really is an inferrior product and a dealer scam. You're seriously overpaying. Dealers are also notoriously inept when it comes to detailing. What's going to end up happening is they'll detail your car by washing it, introducing swirls and holograms, then they'll spray that junk over it, sealing in the imperfections. You won't be able to polish it out without first polishing off the Xzilon, thus you're basically saying you won't be polishing the car for the life of Xzilon. This brings up the next issue....regardless of what dealer tells you, Xzilon lasts for maybe 5-6 months of slickness. This is on par with the performance of a $20-30 sealant. Just go to any of the big detailing forums (autopia, detailing bliss, etc) and you'll get plenty of tests and evidence of this, and a fair amount of ridiculing. Seriously, save yourself the money.

 

Thanks I appreciate the help. Decision made...no xzilon. Clearbra tho they do in house I was told and use Venture shield. I am going to call my salesman now and see what they can do about 3M full hood. I never noticed the line on my white Infiniti tho unless I looked really close. The rear panels tho you could see when the car was dirty.

 

That's better, but still a bit pricey IMO. Like AZN said, most dealerships outsource it to local shops either by driving your car over to them or by bringing them into the dealership to do it. If you go to a good, reputable shop, if there are any issues, you shouldn't have any problems going back to them and asking them to fix it. My hood had some bubbles after a week so I made a call and they took my car in right away and re-did the whole hood. Check your local forums, they will indicate which ones are good and which ones are bad. Even your salesman may have a guy that he usually uses on the side and can direct you to.

Again, like everyone has said, the Xzilon is a gimmick and a crappy sealant. Glad you decided against it.

The shop I chose does a lot of high end cars like Ferrari's Lambo's etc., and they exclusively carry 3M XPEL. To be honest, I'm pretty sure XPEL and Ventureshield are almost exactly the same. It all comes down to your installer, their competency, experience, and the shop's reputability. All 3M applications should include a lifetime warranty.

Get full hood and fenders. You definitely want to cover any metal exposed on the front end to prevent rock chips and potential rust spots if you don't touch up the paint in time. Highly recommend the A-Pillar and front part of the roof as well, you'd be surprised what angles rocks can hit you and how little you pay attention to those spots. It should be pretty cheap to add on as the difficulty of the install is low (no tight curves and small, long pieces).

 

The difference between venture and 3M is 3M has slightly larger pores than venture. What this means is if you use "colored" waxes or sealants, it can cause discoloration as the the material will sit in the pores. However, 3M is better clarity than venture.

 

3M is guaranteed for life against fading...changing color etc. $699 is wayyyy too much to pay for a front end job with mirrors etc. $300 is more to speed. 3M Window tint is also guaranteed for life for the same reasons.

 

I have experience with several paint protection films. I am talking about years of side by side use. To me, 3M is holds up the best. It also resists scratches (to it's own surface) better than any others I have used. As noted, the coatings are a scam.

 

I'm glad you'll keep those dollars around for some other more enjoyable mod... selling paint protection helped me pay for a year of school, but Michael had a better technical explanation as to why to skip it from the customer perspective....congrats, Michael on an Inkredibul accomplishment!