CX-5 Ceramic Coating Question

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Mazda CX 5 Touring
Has anyone put their own ceramic coating or had a professional put one on their car? If you did it tell us how hard/easy it was to do and other things you might find interesting. Also of course according to when you did it how long it's lasted. If you had it done how much did it run, has it lasted and are you satisfied with it.
 
Professional ceramic coating will last at least 3 years, but is quite expensive. I personally don't think professional applied is worth the cost, as I don't need it to last years, as I'm happy to apply a sealant or DIY every 6 months or so. I do however believe in the benefits of Paint Protection Film for front end, and I think PPF plus professional ceramic coating is overkill.

PS: Here is a very good video explaining the difference between a ceramic coating (professional) and wax. Covers the benefits of ceramic (which most of us have heard from marketing), but also points out the downside.

I have PPF applied, and just apply my own sealant on top (and on areas not covered by the PPF). I wasn't planning on going ceramic route as DIY, but I think I'll try the latest from Meguiar's.... their Hybrid Liquid Ceramic Wax, It's not going to last more than a year, but that's fine for my purpose.
 
I was going to apply UK Quartz 3.0 to my new CX-5 last Summer, but the weather was not conducive, so I went carnuba for ease of removal if . I ended up using the UK Quartz on my Miata, because I figured it would give me an easier project to learn on.

It is not that hard to do, but you do need a clean slate to work with. My Miata turned out fantastic. I also used some Turtle Wax spray on ceramic wax on another car. I am impressed with how easy it is to apply (I used an applicator and wiped with really good MF). It has held up well for 5 months in AZ, parked outside most of the day until the Covid. It may need a recoat in a couple of months, but the water still beads nicely. The Miata, on the other hand, will not need a recoat for a couple years, and the water jumps off it like Holy Water on Satan.

The UK Quartz is harder to put on than TW, but very doable at home. You need good lighting and you need to follow the instructions to a tee.

I may do the CX-5 with UK if I ever get back to MI in the time of Covid, even though that would mean a decon, Iron X, clay and polish again before coating.
 
So to follow-up on my post above, I did try Meguiar's Hybrid Liquid Ceramic Wax, and am very pleased with the results. Extremely easy to apply. Very little product is needed. Very happy with the gloss and slickness.

Car is new from March 2020. Had Paint Protection Film applied on front end, and didn't get around to washing waxing till now. I did wash and clay bar. Applied a pre-wax cleaner to be sure any wax from dealer was removed and surface perfectly clean. Then applied the Hybrid Liquid Ceramic Wax. Expect it to last at least six months, and longer if I top up occasionally. Reapply periodically, and I have continuous protection.

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I too used the Meguiars Hybrid Ceramicwax with good results. I applied it when the car was just a couple weeks old. Prep is important, you need to remove any previously applied wax and clay bar the surface. I applied two coats and then another the next time I washed it. My car is garaged and only driven a few times a week now that I am retired, and so far the protection is still holding up well after more than 10 months. It only gets hand washed too which I am sure is better than harsh commercial car washes.
 
Funny/interesting little story...

Yesterday I applied a second coat to both cars (CX-5 and wife's car). Second coat ensures full coverage (since I'm applying by hand) and helps maximize longevity.

So today, I had both garage doors open, and was kneeing down in the back of the garage cleaning my wife's summer rims before seasonal change over (I know a little late, but COVID!). Three people walk by, and they can't see me in the back. They look in the garage and one says "Wow", another says 'Like Glass". Made me smile. Thought I'd share.
 
My 2019 touring with 6 layers of ceramic / lots of proper prep done before / allowing great cure time in-between layers took about 1 week...

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2019 GT - Blue Mica
Modesta BC-8 applied
Watery deeply reflective apperance
Water/dirt shedding property
Low maintenance - fewer washes with in-between wash wipe down
$1200 opulence tax
 
I agree with the thought of paying $1000+ for 3 years of protection is not in my wheelhouse. I do not mind doing a high quality waxing (clay, paint correction, polish and then consumer grade ceramic sealer) once or twice a year.

Just last weekend I applied Griot Garage 3n1 Ceramic and I am very happy with the looks and the water beading. It will be intersting to see how it holds up. I did not buy it expecting it to last a full year.
 
I'm one of those weirdos who wipes down every nook and cranny after a good wash. I try to catch every drip of water, because when the water dries, it leaves a very faint mark. Because I do a final wipe no matter what, I've found that using a spray-on wax/sealant works great for me. When it comes time to dry off the car, instead of just wiping off the water, I spray on the wax/sealant, then wipe it off as I dry the car (doing one panel at a time). I like doing it this way as the new layer of protection makes the microfiber glide over the car much easier, making drying the vehicle seem more effortless.

Back to the topic, sometimes the quoted price of a professionally installed ceramic will include some form of paint correction. I've inquired about certain coatings and the more expensive quotes included paint decontamination and swirl removal, and sometimes they also included multiple layers of coatings. IMO it may be worth the price because you avoid the hassle of coating the car yourself. A ceramic coating is a lot less forgiving when it comes to buffing down "high spots" compared to waxes/sealants - if you have high spots after coating the vehicle, you might have to machine polish them out and then recoat the area. Professionally installed coatings also offer warranties most of the time, meaning if the coating fails prematurely, the installer will reapply it. However, similar to a vehicle warranty, you will likely be expected to adhere to certain criteria in order to keep your warranty intact (such as regular maintenance washes to ensure contaminants don't get embedded into the coating).
 
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NuFinish protectant lasts me one full year and costs me ~$7 at Walmart and takes about one hour to do a decent job. We really need to see someone or CU do a side by side comparison over a long period of time. Too much PR without data with ceramic coating IMO. Ed
 
NuFinish protectant lasts me one full year and costs me ~$7 at Walmart and takes about one hour to do a decent job. We really need to see someone or CU do a side by side comparison over a long period of time. Too much PR without data with ceramic coating IMO. Ed

It's been done. Some (not all) ceramic coatings have been proven to be more durable than traditional waxes or sealants. Here's a Google search.

And here's a video showing a side by side comparison. The video is the last in a series that was started Jan 1 2018 to June 3 2020.

At the 10:00 mark of the video, he says that NuFinish lasted 22 months (!), while some of the professional coatings and a couple of consumer coatings were still going strong. That said, he mentions that he has used NuFinish in some of his other tests and he got varying results (3 months, 6 months, 1 year). He's got more videos on his channel testing the newer NuFinish against the older NuFinish.
 
When you have a professional do it (properly), a good chunk of the cost is paint correction.
If you want to go inexpensive and skip the correction and do it yourself, any of the well known brands can be had for about $100 (+/-) and be applied in a few hours.
However, I highly recommend correcting the paint before applying the ceramic.

This isn't a CX5, but it does pertain to this thread. I corrected the paint (compound and polish) and ceramic coated my 'new to me' 2016 Golf R a few months back.

Took me about 20hrs in total (first time picking up a polisher). I took my time and I am very satisfied with the results.
I had to buy everything (equipment and chemicals) to complete this. All in I was at about $300-$350, but about half of that is reusable stuff (DA, pads, towels).
I think the previous owner used a shop broom to wash it (so many swirls).

Oh, and for drying, I pick up my electric leaf blower and go to town after washing. Helps to get most of those pesky drips that seem to never stop(like door mirrors) that sm1ke mentioned.

When this coating wears away, I might try something along the lines of a sealant or a good spray-on-wipe-off ceramic spray. I do enjoy the touch up part of detailing after wash (like quick wax).


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Wow, great job on that Golf R!! It looks flawless.. feel free to post about your experience and the products you used in the Car Care thread, if you'd like.
 
It's been done. Some (not all) ceramic coatings have been proven to be more durable than traditional waxes or sealants. Here's a Google search.

And here's a video showing a side by side comparison. The video is the last in a series that was started Jan 1 2018 to June 3 2020.

At the 10:00 mark of the video, he says that NuFinish lasted 22 months (!), while some of the professional coatings and a couple of consumer coatings were still going strong. That said, he mentions that he has used NuFinish in some of his other tests and he got varying results (3 months, 6 months, 1 year). He's got more videos on his channel testing the newer NuFinish against the older NuFinish.
Yep ..hey it is really whatever works best for you, your environment and cx-5 (or Golf R)
 
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