Is ceramic coating worth it for a new car?

[purbeast0]

I just purchased a brand new 2025 Kia Telluride with black paint. I previously had a black car and loved the slick look of a clean black ride. And my new one being completely blacked out looks even sleeker. Except right now we've had a bunch of snow so it's dirty as hell and I've had it a week now lol.

Anyways, my brother mentioned this ceramic coating thing to me today and I had never heard of it before. After doing some quick research it looks like it helps keep the car shinier and easier to clean and stuff.

I was wondering if anyone has experience with it. The place I'm getting my tints done just quoted me $550 for Gyeon Boost (1yr warranty), $1200 for Gyeon Premium (4yr warranty), and $1800 for Gyeon Platinum (10yr warranty). But then I also see you can get kits on Amazon for like $80 and they have super high ratings and the pics of people who applied it look awesome.

Anyone done this before? Did you pay someone to do it and was it close to the prices I mention above? Or did you just do it yourself and have great results as well?

 

[BoomerD]

I had my truck done at the dealership when I picked it up. It helps. Is it a cure-all for dirt? Hell no...if I don't wash my truck regularly, it turns green from all the rain and what not we have here. (EVERYTHING here turns "Grays Harbor Green" over time) A trip through the local drive-through car wash once per month does a pretty decent job of keeping the major surfaces free of moss...

It's funny as hell to me...your all-black rig will look dirtier than my all-white truck will in the same conditions...

 

[manly]

No experience, but I doubt that DIY is a good idea on a brand new $50k car.

I read about ceramic coating years ago, and it seemed like people were generally quite happy with it (when professionally applied).

 

[repoman0]

I wouldn’t DIY. The expense isn’t because the product is expensive, it’s because it’s very time consuming to prep the paint on the car. It needs to be (very) clean, clay barred, polished, then the product applied. Should make washes much easier and wax/sealant optional.

I’m going to get it applied on my M5 at some point soon-ish because I’m growing to seriously dislike the wash and sealant process. Maybe for its 25th birthday.

 

[mztykal]

The CeraKote premium kit for $70ish is completely worth it. Don’t spend more than 1k for ceramic coatings…if you don’t maintain it the coating dies off…

 

[Stopsignhank]

I love me a dark blue car. But I know how much work a dark colored car is and so I know I will not put in the work to keep it clean correctly. We have all seen the black car that is clean, but it looks like it is covered in spider webs. However I have told my wife that our next car will be a dark blue car and I am going to get it ceramic coated. Because it is easier to clean and you should not get the spider web look with the coating.

 

[Red Squirrel]

If I was buying new it's something I'd consider, it should hopefully help reduce rusting. Probably still want to get it undercoated every year as well.

 

[purbeast0]

Okay thanks for the replies.

After a bit more research after I made this thread, it does appear that this is a long process to do (like 7-8 hours professionally) and me being a noob to this, I definitely wouldn't do as good a job as a professional would do if I tried to do this myself.

This is the company I have been talking to:

Ceramic Coating

Protect your car's paint with the best ceramic coating service from Pristine Auto Spa. Our experienced installers offer top-quality ceramic pro coatings.

pristineautospa.com

Based on those 3 packages at the bottom, if I did it, I do think I'd do the 2nd or 3rd tier one. I definitely would want my wheels done if I did this. Now my question though is what exactly is the difference between the 2nd and 3rd tier one. It APPEARS based on what they told me, that it is simply the warranty, but I don't know exactly what means, so I'll reach out to them. But based on the "list" of what is included, the same things are included.

I'm going to ask them what the difference is and go from there. After seeing cars this was done on, it really does look nice. I am one that will manually wash my own car like every week or so in the summer time in my driveway. I don't take my cars to the automated car washes. Everything I read says that if you get this coating, do not go to machine washes.

One thing I am struggling with right now though is how the hell I'm going to get my car clean after the snow is gone in this freezing weather. I couldn't find one touch less machine one around here and I don't really want to wash my car when it's 30 degrees and windy outside. I don't even want to run my hose when it is below freezing in case pipes are frozen.

 

[purbeast0]

I had my truck done at the dealership when I picked it up. It helps. Is it a cure-all for dirt? Hell no...if I don't wash my truck regularly, it turns green from all the rain and what not we have here. (EVERYTHING here turns "Grays Harbor Green" over time) A trip through the local drive-through car wash once per month does a pretty decent job of keeping the major surfaces free of moss...

It's funny as hell to me...your all-black rig will look dirtier than my all-white truck will in the same conditions...

My dealership offered some Zylon protection or something, which was $3k for 7 years protection, and they will coat it in that once a year along with a detail. A quick google search, the first reply was some dude saying he used to work for a dealership and that the Zylon stuff is completely junk lol.

 

[Brovane]

I had a 4 year ceramic coat applied to my Y last month. Have done a couple of washes and it is much easier now to wash the car and it basically looks freshly waxed after a 20 minute wash in my driveway.

 

[purbeast0]

I had a 4 year ceramic coat applied to my Y last month. Have done a couple of washes and it is much easier now to wash the car and it basically looks freshly waxed after a 20 minute wash in my driveway.

Just curious - was your cost similar to what I am being quoted above? I realize the Telluride is larger though so it may be a bit more in that alone.

Also, with the "4 year" one, similar to what I am looking at, does that mean it just "runs out" after 4 years? Or that they cover it under warranty for 4 years?

I guess that is one question I have in general - what is the lifespan on this? Can it potentially last forever as long as you continue to care for your car properly after it is applied?

 

[purbeast0]

I also heard back in regards to my question about the difference in the 4 and 10 year one, and about how long the process takes, and this was the reply...

Yes, the panels on the ceramic coating coverage are the same; the only difference to the consumer is the duration of the warranty period. The warranty covers the vehicle maintaining a hydrophobic state for the duration of the warranty period. The hydrophobic state is how we know the coating is still in effect; if we lose this, we know that the coating is either clogged and needs to be decontaminated or has failed and needs to be reapplied. The warranty does cover the material and labor for reapplication.


2 Front window tinting takes - 1.25 hours
4 year Ceramic coating takes - 8 hours
10 year Ceramic coating takes - 12 hours

I then asked to clarify why the 4 and 10 year one take different amount of times since they coatings are the same and the only difference is the warranty, and this was his reply:

Sorry, from the consumer side the application is applied to the same surfaces. From the installer side, they are different products and the 10 year coating has multiple layers which need to cure a bit in between and then the final cure is a little longer

So now I just decide if I want to spend that kinda bread on it or not.

 

[Brainonska511]

I thought the coatings were usually a big waste of money since the factory applied paint is already formulated to withstand the whole being outside and used aspect of an automobile.

 

[repoman0]

I thought the coatings were usually a big waste of money since the factory applied paint is already formulated to withstand the whole being outside and used aspect of an automobile.

It’s not though, really. Lots of things create permanent etching in the clearcoat — bird crap, acid rain, road tar, bug guts. The normal way of managing that is washing the car often and reapplying wax or sealant, which is a boring thing to do. The ceramic coating stuff is just a much longer lasting wax/sealant. Rather than reapplying basically every wash you only reapply every few years.

Depends on how much you care about your car. My wife’s red 2021 Mazda doesn’t have a coating and has never been washed in its life. The rain is its wash and it looks basically fine still. My car is a 24 year old semi-classic that entropy is constantly trying to destroy — I wash it and seal it a few times a year and wouldn’t mind an extra few micron sacrificial layer over the clear. The paint has swirling and scratching as well so the paint prep (which is most of the cost) would actually get me something.

Doubt the Mazda will still look “fine” in 20 years but it will also probably be long gone.

 

[repoman0]

If I was buying new it's something I'd consider, it should hopefully help reduce rusting. Probably still want to get it undercoated every year as well.

It will not reduce rusting at all. The paint already does that.

 

[Red Squirrel]

It will not reduce rusting at all. The paint already does that.

Which lasts a few years before it starts to flake off and body starts to rust. The paint quality now days is not as good as it used to be, but they also use way more road salt now so that doesn't help either. The coating ideally should help preserve the paint longer.

 

[Brainonska511]

It’s not though, really. Lots of things create permanent etching in the clearcoat — bird crap, acid rain, road tar, bug guts. The normal way of managing that is washing the car often and reapplying wax or sealant, which is a boring thing to do. The ceramic coating stuff is just a much longer lasting wax/sealant. Rather than reapplying basically every wash you only reapply every few years.

Depends on how much you care about your car. My wife’s red 2021 Mazda doesn’t have a coating and has never been washed in its life. The rain is its wash and it looks basically fine still. My car is a 24 year old semi-classic that entropy is constantly trying to destroy — I wash it and seal it a few times a year and wouldn’t mind an extra few micron sacrificial layer over the clear. The paint has swirling and scratching as well so the paint prep (which is most of the cost) would actually get me something.

Doubt the Mazda will still look “fine” in 20 years but it will also probably be long gone.

I guess I don't care enough for my car. It has garage parking, and I maybe take it to a car wash 2-3 times per year. Still looking great, despite sometimes traveling through salty conditions.

 

[purbeast0]

Yeah I have a garage but I don't even think my car will fit in it. It's a 1 car garage that used to be a carport and was converted before we bought the house. And now we have 2 kids and a lot more stuff that we have stored in the garage. Even before kids I would change my G37S oil in there and that car barely fit in there. It's just tiny. So my car is going to be out in the elements year round.

 

[MrSquished]

Hire some hot strippers to apply it. Make an event out of it.

 

[BoomerD]

Yeah I have a garage but I don't even think my car will fit in it. It's a 1 car garage that used to be a carport and was converted before we bought the house. And now we have 2 kids and a lot more stuff that we have stored in the garage. Even before kids I would change my G37S oil in there and that car barely fit in there. It's just tiny. So my car is going to be out in the elements year round.

Heh...I have a 3 car garage...my F150 won't fit...it's about 3' too long...so, I keep the garage filled with "stuff."

 

[bbhaag]

I thought about it a couple of years ago when I purchased my Mach-E but couldn't justify the cost on a depreciating asset. I know there are DIY solutions for lower cost but unless you have the tools and the skills its just not the same as having it professionally done and I don't have the tools or the skills.

I've seen phots online and vehicles in person with it done professionally and it really does make the exterior pop I just wish it wasn't so expensive.....

 

[Fenixgoon]

Which lasts a few years before it starts to flake off and body starts to rust. The paint quality now days is not as good as it used to be, but they also use way more road salt now so that doesn't help either. The coating ideally should help preserve the paint longer.

uh, you are absolutely insane.

paint and corrosion protection is miles ahead of what it used to be, including electrostatic paints for improved adhesion to the frame.

 

[Greenman]

My truck hasn't been coated with anything other than dirt for the last ten years. A quick wash and it looks fantastic. I don't see how a thousand dollar wax job would have helped.

 

[nOOky]

I would do it yourself if you have time, otherwise just use a decent product regularly and hand wash your car. No offense, but I would not spend a grand on a Kia, especially with the agony you went through just to save a grand. The $1,000 ceramic that dealers perform is literally a product they just spray on and buff and it costs them about $30 for the liquid.

 

[deadlyapp]

uh, you are absolutely insane.

paint and corrosion protection is miles ahead of what it used to be, including electrostatic paints for improved adhesion to the frame.

Glad someone else called him on his bullshit.

Saying paint will only last a few years is insane.