cipher99

Got the new RS5 sportback today. Won't see it again for a week though. Getting PPF installed. Dealer works with suntek, stek, and premium shield. Between premium shield and suntek, which one is better, installer charging same price. Have used suntek on previous car, so know what it looks like and how it protects.
Have never heard of premium shield though, heard it was a branch off from 3M or something. But wanted to get thoughts and advice from people more informed and well-versed than me in the world of PPF.
Installer said he slightly prefer premium shield over suntek because the install is a little easier from his perspective and he feels the topcoat is slightly better.
Thanks in advance for the feedback!

heymoe

Never heard of Premium Shield and it like there are no installers near me. The main contenders in my area are XPEL Ultimate, Suntek Ultra and STEK DynoShield. Both Suntek and STEK have a hydrophobic layer so in theory you don't need to apply a ceramic coat on top of those but you still can if you want. XPEL I've heard isn't as smooth and glossy as the others. I'm leaning toward the installer that seems to do a lot more super cars / exotics which to me is a good sign they do excellent work. They install Suntek Ultra.

cipher99

Interesting. Thanks for input moe. This installer pretty much has all sorts of super cars in his shop, Porsche lambos etc so does lend to his credibility. Anyone at all heard of premium shield?

MRA5SB

Never heard of Premium Shield - how thick is it? Is that thickness quoted with or without the adhesive layer? How many years warranty? Are there other installers in the area that work with it if you do need to claim warranty work or are you just hoping this installer is going to be around for a while? Does it have hydrophobic qualities? Self-healing? Installer may prefer it because of ease of work, but more likely because of higher margins. I would stick with Suntek Ultra or Stek if it was my money.

AMDG75

For what it's worth, have Xpel Ultimate x 5 yrs on my A6, with Opticoat Pro; Wife;s Porsche has Suntek with Ceramic Pro x 1 yr. Both are fine. Did notice that Suntek seems to have yellowed very slightly, but in fairness her car is white - so it will be obvious. Kids have Xpel, but have only had cars for short while, and live out of town ( so I can't inspect all the time )

STEK is what some of the more expensive shops use now, but want about 50% more, extolling its superior characteristics-- but don't know if it is true.

Bottom line: go with the best installer prefers, unless you can tell an obvious difference between films. A bad install of a superior film is worthless......

cipher99

http://premiumshield.com/wp-content/...te_NS-2016.pdf
The installer will be using premium shield elite SH (self healing) which has a life time warranty. Specs more fully detailed in the pdf attachment.
Thoughts on this?

AMDG75

Thoughts:
With respect to video in your link, all films will make cleaning a breeze and, all are designed to protect your car from most chips, scratches, etc so that you do not have to repaint, use Dr. Colorchip or equivalent, and make it easier to clean. All the better films will do this. See thread where I show how Xpel saved me twice from having to have portion of car repainted.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-...-time-2960613/

As to the warranty, most will give minimum of 10 yrs, but warranty is (per premium shield) just for defects in the film itself "against discoloration, fading, cracking or bubbling....... warranty is limited to the replacement of defective material. The warranty does not cover any defects; including but not limited to – peeling, installation bubbles or mis-alignment, other than those specified. This warranty does not apply to damage to the product caused by erroneous application, accidental or negligent misuse, exposure to corrosive or abrasive materials, or by direct impact from road debris."

So at end of the day, there are a few good products out there. Go look at applications of various films, see if the top finishes vary enough to warrant getting other than what the best installer in your area recommends.

Go look at car

cipher99

cipher99

the above graphic from the premium shield website PremiumShield Elite Self Healing ? PremiumShield
any other experience or input with this much appreciated!
searched all the other high end car forums (bmw, mb, porsche, corvette, tesla), and seems like a few here and there have used and mostly good reviews.