xpel vs ppf vs ceramic

[AndrewY]

I've seen several terms used, perhaps not quite interchangeably, but in relation to almost(?) the same thing. Could anyone here please explain the differences between xpel vs ppf (paint protection film) and ceramic?

I had previously thought that xpel was a brand of ppf, and that ppf was basically a plastic (or plastic-like) clear wrap that goes over the paint to protect it from scratches, and that the ceramic coating was a liquid chemical applied over the paint that made it hydrophobic, and therefore less likely to get dirty. However, when I was looking at the xpel site to try to get clarity, I found this: https://www.xpel.com/ceramic-coating-fusion-plus, which seems to indicate that xpel is a ceramic coating. Now I'm confused about what's what. Are ppf and ceramic the same?

If ceramic and ppf are different, are they compatible with each other? And while we're at it, is there any real benefit to "Ceramic Sealant by Simoniz®" or "EnviroPlate® Clear Coat Protectant" available as an upgrade to a car wash?

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[dmitry]

Xpell is well known brand of PPF, also they have in line the ceramic coating products. PPF is a film protection, ceramic is liquid protection. They can be combined together. Worth it ? Is another question.

 

[SV8T]

You're on the right track. PPF is a plastic type of coating and ceramic is a sealer that is typically sprayed/buffed over the surface. Xpel is one of the top PPF brands - they offer many types of vehicle treatments including PPF, Ceramic Coating, Tint, etc.

Go to xpel.com/products to see the different products they offer. Fusion plus is a ceramic coating designed to work on its own or in conjunction with the Xpel PPF (specifically the self healing properties).

If you are particular about your car and paint, I'm a big believer in both products. People will give you opinions on the end of both spectrums. Ultimately, you get to decide how to spend your money.

 

[joebruin77]

The most unique thing about PPF is that it is self healing. If the PPF is scratched, the scratches will magically disappear when exposed to heat. PPF provides the best protection from scratches and rock chips.
A ceramic coating is like a very long lasting wax. It provides great protection but is not self healing and can still be scratched.
Here is a video that demonstrates PPF’s self healing ability:

 

[joebruin77]

And here is an informative video by the same guy discussing what a ceramic coating is and an honest description of what it can and cannot do. Plus, he describes how a ceramic coating can be applied on top of PPF and why it is that, when you do this, the PPF does NOT lose its self healing properites.

 

[MyLittlePony2022]

I did the XPEL PPF to protect the key areas of the paint. My last car had plenty of road chips in the paint. I did the ceramic coating on top of the PPF and paint to add protection, including UV. I absolutely love how the dirt can be wiped off, with waterless car wash spray. I have yet to wash my car with water and only use the spray. In my opinion, it was worth every dollar to have it installed. I keep my cars for decades so I want them to maintain them as best as possible.

This is the first time I have ever done it and will do it on all my future cars. A year ago, I would have not entertained it, would have thought it was a waste of money and probably would have indicated that I have owned cars for decades without it and why start now. I would have been wrong.

 

[johnmark]

This is very helpful - did you apply it yourself, or did you get a body shop to do it? If the latter, how much does it cost?

 

[gabravo1981]

I did XPEL PPF on the front of the car and ceramic coating on the rest of the car. The newest XPEL PPF has hydrophobic properties to it so you don't have to apply ceramic coating to it. In fact most installers tell you that they won't ceramic coat the PPF as it is redundant.

 

[kindofblue]

We've had Coastal Film install 3M ppf on numerous new cars of ours over the last 6 years and the ppf comes with a 10 year warranty. The film has proved to be very durable.

More recently we've also had Stephen apply Ceramic Pro to our MY and MME (just yesterday). His price for both for the MME was $1250. The finish is as smooth as glass

 

[21st Century Pony]

This is very helpful - did you apply it yourself, or did you get a body shop to do it? If the latter, how much does it cost?

I'd recommend a quality shop focused on both products. Although it is possible to apply either product yourself, IMHO this area is where "practice makes perfect". Besides, a serious PPF / ceramic shop will have invested in a clean, atmospherically stable, very well lit work environment to get consistent good results.

MMEs have a lot of plastic body outer parts, for example the front apron forward of the hood. This plastic is black. For MMEs with lightly colored paint, a rock ding that penetrates the paint will mean a black spot as well as a surface divot. My MME is star white... see what I mean? I PPF'd everything forward of the A pillars and ceramic-coated everything from the A pillars to the back, largely because of where the likelihood of rock bounces is largest.

 

[Road2Nowhere]

We've had Coastal Film install 3M ppf on numerous new cars of ours over the last 6 years and the ppf comes with a 10 year warranty. The film has proved to be very durable.

More recently we've also had Stephen apply Ceramic Pro to our MY and MME (just yesterday). His price for both for the MME was $1250. The finish is as smooth as glass

Was that for both PPF and ceramic coating? If so, what type of coverage on the PPF?

 

[kindofblue]

Was that for both PPF and ceramic coating? If so, what type of coverage on the PPF?

I had him do the "standard" ppf on his chart

 

[MyLittlePony2022]

This is very helpful - did you apply it yourself, or did you get a body shop to do it? If the latter, how much does it cost?

I did the research and found a very good shop. There are some hacks out there and they will not stand by their work. Good luck at getting them to return your call let alone fix the edges that are coming up. I paid almost $5K but I did the entire front end, the rocker panels, all the pillars, the door edges, the door sills, front part of the sunroof, and the back top part of the bumper and I had the 10 year warranty of ceramic coating put on after (entire car, windows and wheels).

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