bigHUN

Hwy's runner here, I am a believer
I have a TDi fully front wrapped DIY some 12 years ago only replacing the headlight film every 2-3 years. I have fully front wrapped my wife's SUV's
First thing when I knew this A4 will come to papa, I have ordered a custom CNC kit again for DIY, also some uncut roll length I will fill some spots what no one want to hassle with.
I did the full front and hood wrap, rockers, rear lid shelf, with a 3M film (black car here) right next weekend in mid November. Many cold days here in Toronto since, when a warmer weather arrives I will have to do some minor cosmetics "ironing" .
I like to wax my cars at least 3-4 times a year, usually Mothers stuff for silver but trying now for first time Sonax for black metallic....
How all look right now? like a s***t...my black car is all gray, full of salt and dirt , oh man I can't wash my car every day...(yes I can but over summer only ;\)

sprior

I've never gotten a protective wrap for a car, but this discussion is making me wonder if I should do it. If you get Xpel, does the car feel different to the touch - does it feel slippery like the clearcoat, or is it now more sticky to the touch? If I were to only get the hood and front bumper wrapped would there be a difference in look between the hood and the fenders? Do you have to do a full car wrap for it not to look funny?

dseag2

I had Xpel installed on my '03 SC430. It is not sticky. It is very slick. There is a very slight line between the front of the car and the hood, but not really noticeable. It is transparent, so there is no issue.

I would not get a full car wrap. The only negative... and it is very slight... is that if you wax the car you need to make sure you remove all the residue at the Xpel line.

I would highly recommend it. I don't have it on my A4 because I work from home so I don't have to contend with all the rock chips from trucks, etc.

VipinLJ

I've never got any kind of protective wrap on any of my cars. Mainly because I almost never drive on the highway (an occasional airport trip is the only highway run). But yes. Detailing is different.

bob m

[QUOTE=sprior;24918793]I've never gotten a protective wrap for a car, but this discussion is making me wonder if I should do it. If you get Xpel, does the car feel different to the touch - does it feel slippery like the clearcoat, or is it now more sticky to the touch? If I were to only get the hood and front bumper wrapped would there be a difference in look between the hood and the fenders? Do you have to do a full car wrap for it not to look funny?[/QUOTE

Xpel is something to consider if you are going to buy and keep your car, never on a lease. The Xpel does not feel sticky - it is quite smooth - but you apply wax, sealant or coating over that. If done properly, you would be very hard pressed to see a difference in the look between the 2 areas. Getting the whole car wrapped is extremely expensive and overkill. Front hood, front bumper and fenders, lights and mirrors is probably the most popular wrap package. And some (myself this time am adding gas cap cover, A-pillars, the leading edge of the roof and rear top bumper (which always ends up getting scratched moving things in and out of the trunk).

PeteDin206

While expensive, a full wrap with PPF will provide better protection in the event of chips and scratches all over the car. Depending on your vehicle I would hardly call it overkill.

bob m

Yes, it sure will provide more protection - but at a cost of IIRC, 5-6k. That's an awful lot of money to pay in my book. I did give thought to this briefly. But you will still get a dent in the door if some idiot opens his door into yours and same with your rear bumper. Scratches - absolutely helps - but again, at a huge cost. I look at full body wrap in a similar way to the tire and wheel policies offered by car companies. In my 45 years of driving I have had 1 damaged rim/tire and 2 sidewall punctures that were not repairable.On the first incident, the car was in an accident and I paid my 500.00 deductible - but even if the wheel and tire did not get damaged, the rest of the car did, so in that case, it's a moot point. The other 2 punctures were on me. So about I spent about 700.00 over 45 years as opposed to well over 6-7k or more for all that tire and wheel insurance. Full car wrap is over insurance in my book. You will never get that money back on resale.
When I was speaking with one detailer (who also installs Xpel) months ago, he even said to me, "Bob, this is a 50k Audi, not a Ferrari or high end MB." That was good advice and stuck with me. I believe in insurance (partial Xpel) not in over-insurance (full car Xpel).

PeteDin206

I guess I'm different... Having had a dark blue car for a number of years, the noticeable swirls, chips and scratches drove me nuts. That alone was enough to warrant the cost of the wrap on my new car. Then again my Q7 was $75k and I decided that the matte film enhanced the look of the car in addition to providing full protection. I could care less about resale value as cars done maintain their value anyway. If I was worried about resale, I'd be buying the cheapest Honda I can find and call it a day.

bob m

75K is certainly different than 50k, but to each his own. I'm pretty obsessive about my cars and that's why I did lots of prep work/paint correction myself before applying a good coating (CQuartz and Wolgang). With PROPER WASHING, I had almost no swirls and none that I could not buff out myself. Well, resale is not my main concern either, but the Honda comparison is not really the point. We have all chosen a certain class of cars (Audi's in this case) according to a mix of our own factors and considerations. Correct, cars don't maintain their value very well, but I'm not willing to add another 3k+ to that loss. But again, there is no right or wrong answer that applies to everyone, I'm just offering my opinion after giving it some thought.

dseag2

The front of the car is really where most rock chips happen. You can remove swirl marks and imperfections with a clay bar, or have a detailer do it for you. Applying full wrap is like putting a condom on your car. And yes, it is overkill, but if you want to pay the $$$ and it works for you, then great.