Hi Everyone,

I finally picked up another brand new black S560. This car is financed, and I'm planning to keep it for a long time. I am located in Southern California, and we get lots of scratches on the hood and bumper by driving on the freeway. I want to do clear coating ( not sure what it calls) on my S-Class to protect the paint and avoid scratches. I have zero experience with this. Any suggestions? Also, If you guys can refer a company, that would be great.

I just had the full front of mine done with SunTek Ultra paint protection film. I always do it on a new car, its not cheap but it really does keep the front of the car looking fresh and new. Plenty of installers in SoCal Im sure.

I also did a ceramic coating myself, GTechniq Crystal Serum Light, and EXO, This is very helpful in terms of keeping the car clean and making it easier to wash and dry, I would highly recommend it. Detailers can do this for you too but its very expensive compared to doing it yourself.

I'm in So Cal also. I had Xpel clear paint protective vinyl put on the front facing panels of my S550 coupe. I included the headlights and the mirrors. Since the PPF goes to body panel seams there is no visible edge and it is visually undetectable. It has a slightly different feel compared to the paint but otherwise impossible to detect. I had a local detail shop that is an Xpel retailer do the job. It was about $900 and is supposed to have a 10 year warranty. Good luck.

Thank you.

I also looked into the Ceramic Coating vs PPF. Does anyone have any experience with ceramic coating?

As for clear coat, you should also check out the 3M clear coat, in addition to the Suntek and Xpel mentioned above. I had the 3M clear coat on my former E-class and I was happy with it.

I considered getting a clear coat for my W222, but since I purchased it CPO, it had a few small chips and I decided not to get the clear coat.

The two aren't a "vs" kind of thing, they serve different functions. Like I said before, I have both. The PPF is for chip protection, the ceramic coating is for protection from contaminants, etc. Think of it as a semi-permanent wax.

Just to avoid confusion what hes talking about here is PPF, not clearcoat.

I’ve never been a fan of protection film. It ruins the original look and feel, looks bad over time, and can create a fade line in your paint. Lots of potential damage created during removal. And if you ever get the big objects coming at you or someone hits it with the shopping cart, that film will do little to protect. If you do choose ppf, go for a quality product and change it often. ($$$)

The chances are high that the bumper or hood will need to be sprayed from a comprehensive claim down the line anyway. At least that’s my luck lol...

As far as ceramic coatings ($$$)... Why not just hand wash then use a quality wax or sealant every few months like the owners manual says? No need for all this aftermarket non MB approved crap.

Your thinking is a little out of date on the PPF. With modern PPF you would never know it was on there. High quality installs wrap all the panels so there are no lines, and they are perfectly clear. Removal doesn't cause damage to factory paint, and there isn't any UV blocking or fading. Sure, big objects and things are going to still damage the car, but the PPF keeps all the little things that add up onto the front of the car from leaving any marks, and once yoi get to say 1-2 years of age the difference between a car that has PPF and one that doesn't is really clear in the wear department. I will just never buy another new car without getting the full front done in PPF.

As for it looking bad over time, if you care for it it won't. The good films are warrantied for any color fading or yellowing for 5-10 years. I havent had any yellowing on a film since the very first 3M Ventureshield i had done to my Lexus GS in 2013. Films have come a LONG way.

As for ceramic vs waxing. If you pay a professional to do a ceramic coating then yeah, its really expensive. But, if you can wax a car you can apply a ceramic coating yourself. You can buy a good quality coating for $60. Ceramic coatings are super hydrophobic which keeps the car cleaner, makes it easier to wash and they last way, way longer than wax or sealant. Plus they're just cool. Instead of doing a wax or sealant every few months, you can do a ceramic coating every few years.

Technology advances, and waxes and sealants are just out of date with these new coatings that are out there. I haven't used a wax or sealant in years.

The combo of CSL and exo is great! My personal preference. I applied it to my cars after paint decon and correction.
They arent hard to apply but you need good lighting and have to be meticulous to avoid high spots.

They also have gtechniq Halo now which was designed to be used on top of PPF.

Yeah I thought they were great to work with. First wash since applying them is tomorrow!

Enjoy! Makes washing easier and esp on wheels given how much brake dust the stock pads create.
Ive had it on my car over a year and just recently put it on my wife's car. Still no signs of degradation. I occasionally top with Beadmaker after a wash as a drying aid. The slickness is unmatched

Yeah I put 22ple HPC on my previous LS460L, I love ceramic coating. I also use Beadmaker, and actually Gtechniq's QD is incredibly slick....

One negative about Ceramic Coatings of any brand. You can still get fine scratches and Swirl marks if you do not clean your car properly. More important, you cannot easily buff out the swirl marks, the coating would literally need to be removed before you can re-apply. Ceramic coatings are only as good as the paint prep before you install it. Have ultra fine swirl marks before, you now have sealed in micro swirl scratches under ceramic coating.. You cannot apply (or should not) apply Ceramic coating over Ceramic coating unless the paint is properly prepared. If its only the Hydrophobic benefit you care about, there are plenty of sprays on the market that are easy to apply after a good wash for less than $20-.

You actually can buff scratches within the ceramic coating. In fact, there are entire products specifically for that purpose. CarPro makes a polish called "essence" which is specifically designed to remove and hide scratches within a ceramic coating without removing the coating. Coatings do help to guard against wash induced scratches and marring also.

I've used all of those spray products, and in fact I use many of them in concert with the ceramic coating, I think they all have their place, none of them have as strong a hydrophobic effect as a true coating though.m

Is it correct to assume that a filmed car would then only need to be washed ie no other surface treatments?

I wouldnt use wax on film. I would only use a sealant type product or a ceramic coating. The film needs protection too if you want it to last and not yellow with age. Most people don't do the whole car in the film, that's really expensive (think, $7k maybe)

Thanks for the clarifying reply.

Good Find! Thanks for the info. Technology keeps getting better and the market flooded with new products monthly! One of the great benefits of this forum. You made me go hunting.