daf999999

So, I've read a bunch of posts and am still unsure for my specific use case. New 2018 S6, Mythos Black in Chicago area. Car parked inside at night and most days. Lots of snow, salt, slush, and highway driving.

My typical routine will be to have it hand washed at a decent (not great) place by my house on occasion, maybe once a month. A couple times a week, I'll use of a "touchless" car wash - you drive into the bay, it shoots you with high pressure water and soap, and a water rinse and then a blow dry. Nothing touches the car, it does an ok job of getting dirt off and it costs 8 bucks. I know its not the greatest routine but that's what it is.

Over the next year, what one-time professional treatment of my car will make it easiest to keep clean and looking as best as it can with that routine? I'm happy to redo the treatment after a year. I'll probably only have the car for two years so I don't need a 5-10 year ceramic.

I read about the importance of prep work and will have the same basic prep plan - wash, compound, polish - done by pros for all options. Then the pros will do my choice of wax, spray sealant (several levels) or ceramic (several levels) at a sliding price level. The guys I'm using are highly regarded (and not inexpensive)

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

chicagoA6

I'll try and provide some insight. I also live in Chicago. We had a '15 A7 in Phantom Black until last week and now a '19 A7 in Mythos Black. Car is garage kept both home and work, but she's is a daily driver in all Chicago weather. I only hand wash my own car year around.

For the '15 A7 yearly process was in Spring: wash-->clay-->polish-->sealant. Then in Fall: wash-->clay-->sealant. Repeat next year. This worked well and kept the car looking good, but as you know black cars are difficult to prevent swirl marks even with hand washing yourself. I'm fortunate to be able to have the time and the space to wash my own car so I was able to mitigate swirls as much as possible. In addition the touches car washes might be good for minimizing the touch on paint, but the detergents used are pretty harsh on your sealant/wax and will break them down quicker.

If you don't want to do a coating I think your only option is a sealant following a paint correction each year. However, I would question if the sealant would last a full year given your routine. Even with my gentle treatment of my '15 A7 I could tell that the sealant was nearing end of life after 6-7 months.

I would lay out your situation with the detailer you are using and see what they think the best solution is. I'd be curious what they say. One think to keep in mind is not all coatings are 5+ years. In fact a quality coating like CQuartz Pro will last 2-3 years for a daily driving that is taken to car washes, etc...

I'm going the CQuartz Pro route for our new car. I'll see how it works out.

I forgot to mention... Don't do wax. true waxes are carnauba based and will only last 3-4 months. Some hybrid products are on the market what are combo wax/sealant, but for you trying to last 1 year avoid a wax option

uberwgn

Something new from Meguiar's, $15:

uberwgn

Video someone did on this product:

https://youtu.be/OKUhBZ7q7Io

Important info begins at 2:30 concerning initial application of product.

bowiedog

Thanks guys - this is all very helpful, particularly chicagoA6's experience. Lots to think about. I'm going to look further into the ceramic option but I'm a bit wary of the pricing. To give you an idea, I'm being quoted for a paint only, single step correction + wax is 395; SS + Menzema Sealant is 470; SS + Gtechniq Crystal Serum Light is 840; and SS + Modesta BC08 is $1040. The more upscale options are about $2000 for paint only.

I suspect that these are the going rates for a high quality shop - just trying to figure out which one makes the most sense for my 2-3 year ownership.

daf999999

Useful info, thanks. I'm still leaning towards the sealant - even if I have to do it twice in two years. But if my cost spread mirrors the examples given, maybe a low end ceramic is better than a high end sealant.

uberwgn

The most I've seen from a sealant is 6 months for a daily driver. That's the reason I've shifted to the ceramic products. I REALLY value the longevity and the cars always look better, even during the depths of winter.

I believe IGL has a spray-on sealant they claim lasts one year. It's kinda pricey from what I've seen.

vkamnyev

KevinGary

chicagoA6

I'm a firm believer that while ceramic coatings are great they are not maintenance free. You still need to apply a silicone sealant to help maintain them. I use CarPro Reload (made by the same company that makes CQuartz coating) every 2 months to maintain my coating.

Best of luck. I think your would be best to polish it off and start fresh.