[Foggins]

I know, I know...I shouldn't rely on forum advice for something that I should be able to decide on my own. But for this one, I am literally smack dab on the fence so wanted to share my thoughts and get some forum wisdom back for my incoming M2C:

Reasons to get PPF (full front end):
- obvious protection
- warranty through XPEL
- costly, but not outrageous ($1600-$2000 quotes so far)
- good for resale value (I know I shouldn't talk resale value for a car I haven't even purchased yet, but see below)

Reasons to not get PPF
- have owned 20+ cars and have never PPF'd any of them...and yes, many have been nice cars as well (several M's, AMG, Porsche). Fortunately, never had any significant issues with no PPF, and I am VERY OCD about my cars and detailing
- when washing and seeing the paint, I can see a difference in gloss/clarity in PPF paint vs naked paint, and I much prefer the untouched paint
- my car will be HS, I think the dirt in the seams on the front end will drive my crazy
- my work commute has decreased dramatically due to working from home post Covid, to the point where I used to drive 10k miles per year, but that will drop to about 3k-4k per year, plus we have decided to keep my younger son's Jetta while he goes off to college so the M2 will mostly be a weekend only car
- I have car OCD and my average length of ownership is around 18 months

I know this is a beaten to death topic, but hey...thought I would throw it out there anyways

[Capt Canuck]

^Ah see my fellow Americaland-residing Canadian I've had the exact same humming and hawing the past two months.

Price is the price, for me the crux of it is will my OCD get more effed off by seeing the PPF vs getting some chips where my OCD will say - well look you muppet you could have prevented that.
The secondary hum and haw is getting a PPF job done, that I feel is not up to scratch. Even a 5* detailer can have an off day or mess up somewhere.

[bramsuer]

Originally Posted by Foggins

I know, I know...I shouldn't rely on forum advice for something that I should be able to decide on my own. But for this one, I am literally smack dab on the fence so wanted to share my thoughts and get some forum wisdom back for my incoming M2C:

Reasons to get PPF (full front end):
- obvious protection
- warranty through XPEL
- costly, but not outrageous ($1600-$2000 quotes so far)
- good for resale value (I know I shouldn't talk resale value for a car I haven't even purchased yet, but see below)

Reasons to not get PPF
- have owned 20+ cars and have never PPF'd any of them...and yes, many have been nice cars as well (several M's, AMG, Porsche). Fortunately, never had any significant issues with no PPF, and I am VERY OCD about my cars and detailing
- when washing and seeing the paint, I can see a difference in gloss/clarity in PPF paint vs naked paint, and I much prefer the untouched paint
- my car will be HS, I think the dirt in the seams on the front end will drive my crazy
- my work commute has decreased dramatically due to working from home post Covid, to the point where I used to drive 10k miles per year, but that will drop to about 3k-4k per year, plus we have decided to keep my younger son's Jetta while he goes off to college so the M2 will mostly be a weekend only car
- I have car OCD and my average length of ownership is around 18 months

I know this is a beaten to death topic, but hey...thought I would throw it out there anyways

I'm similar to you, never done it in the past and not a fan of seeing seams or discoloration. But, I owned my last car for 10 years and by the time I sold it, the front bumper was wrecked with pits. It was meticulously cared for too, always protected, parked in garages etc. I'm still waiting on my AW to get off a boat, but have made an appt for bumper, headlights, and mirrors in a few weeks. Reputable shop here is doing that for $800, Xpel, which has a 10 year warranty against discoloration, and my installer has said i should only be able to see "minor" seams. Could have done more of the front end, but I would have reverted to the no PPF camp before spending $1500-2k or more. Looking for just enough…

[NWest]

Mine is HS and I don't get bothered by any dirt/dust in PPF seams between washes.

I plan to keep my car +5yrs so to me PPF is worth it - and I am constantly driving on on-ramps with my commute so having protection is key for those drives.

My old black e46 did not have PPF and my front end was sandblasted with rock chips when I sold it - my next 2 cars had to have PPF after that.

[DFW_M]

Originally Posted by Foggins

I know, I know...I shouldn't rely on forum advice for something that I should be able to decide on my own. But for this one, I am literally smack dab on the fence so wanted to share my thoughts and get some forum wisdom back for my incoming M2C:

Reasons to get PPF (full front end):
- obvious protection
- warranty through XPEL
- costly, but not outrageous ($1600-$2000 quotes so far)
- good for resale value (I know I shouldn't talk resale value for a car I haven't even purchased yet, but see below)

Reasons to not get PPF
- have owned 20+ cars and have never PPF'd any of them...and yes, many have been nice cars as well (several M's, AMG, Porsche). Fortunately, never had any significant issues with no PPF, and I am VERY OCD about my cars and detailing
- when washing and seeing the paint, I can see a difference in gloss/clarity in PPF paint vs naked paint, and I much prefer the untouched paint
- my car will be HS, I think the dirt in the seams on the front end will drive my crazy
- my work commute has decreased dramatically due to working from home post Covid, to the point where I used to drive 10k miles per year, but that will drop to about 3k-4k per year, plus we have decided to keep my younger son's Jetta while he goes off to college so the M2 will mostly be a weekend only car
- I have car OCD and my average length of ownership is around 18 months

I know this is a beaten to death topic, but hey...thought I would throw it out there anyways

Your LAST point is the clear answer - do NOT waste $2k for PPF if you believe you will move on to another vehicle in 18 months. I was like you and leasing was the best option for me and still had hard time sticking with it for 36 months.
However, this car is a keeper for me. I am (almost) convinced. Therefore, I spent $2k for the front.

[BigKutta]

Originally Posted by Foggins

Reasons to not get PPF
- have owned 20+ cars and have never PPF'd any of them...and yes, many have been nice cars as well (several M's, AMG, Porsche). Fortunately, never had any significant issues with no PPF, and I am VERY OCD about my cars and detailing

- I have car OCD and my average length of ownership is around 18 months

The last part, along with the first one, leads me to say no.

[Capt Canuck]

One extra consideration for me, if I'll be 1200+ miles in when I get a chance to get it done. As I've got to scoot back North of the border right after picking the car up.
Such is timing

So if it makes it unscathed then that's a sign to get it done while it's still clean... or a sign I don't need it. See, like yourself firmly planted on the fence.

I have found a well regarded 5* place to do it and figured if I did, their full front end package + rocker panels would be what I'd likely go with. I'd be worried the partial front would have way too obvious to see demarcation line on the start of the hood.

[c1pher]

When I went to pick up my new car, they were like, it’s not going to be ready for 3 more days, we have to put film on it. Like it was non-negotiable. I said no, I’m not getting film and if I did, I am not doing it through the dealership. Long story short the finance guy kept ragging on about me not wanting to pay $4k to protect my vehicle. For me it’s not the money. If I really felt the long term benefits were there I’d do it especially for $100k+ vehicles.

My experience has been that they don’t hold up as well as claimed, if you actually drive your car. I know guys with garage queens who swear by the stuff. But I’ve had film tears, dealt with cut lines, dirt collection on the edges that are difficult to remove and end up causing paint marring and I’ve seen where film pulls paint, you’re risking it every time you replace a panel or the whole cars film. I’ve owned 35 cars and had film on three of them. No one ever asked if my other cars had film when I sold them. I simply use touch up paint and my cars look great. Just keep the car clean and protect with with wax, graphene or ceramic etc. I cringe every time I see a video of some “technician” with a ekto blade running it across a cars paint, removing all the factory installed badges and hardware and then you expect everything to look just like it did from the factory….Uhuh.

[KevinC]

I was torn too, so I opted for the "standard" Xpel kit, $799 installed by the biggest/best Xpel installer in AZ/CA. VERY happy with the results - virtually impossible to see the seams. Perfect application. Now I have some basic protection without going overboard and spending huge money for more paranoid coverage.

[ALX_B]

Great question to ponder..

Similarly (as in similar levels of OCD with cars...), I like the idea as 'insurance' to protecting against small chips, but not sure If I want a semi-permanent film; it does feel & look different to me.

My current E46 (dark blue) is also sandblasted in the front - which has been my entire reasoning for PPF - however I think it's more visible on the E46 as it's a darker paint with lighter primer/undercoating; Also that's after 200k+ miles of commuting.. The M2C is not likely to match that anytime soon.

I'm picking up near San Diego and driving to SF Bay Area.. no PPF. I'll revisit if I survive the ~500 mile drive without a single pinhead size flaw... (Cross fingers)!

[SilverScotty]

2 years plus track time and and my car still looks brand new with Xpel on it. But, I'm also planning on keeping it long term. You stated otherwise so that should answer your question really. I can find some lines on the bumper if I look hard but I used an excellent installer and have been very happy. You Will pay to play this game though. Just make the right decision for you and don't look back.

[BigKutta]

Originally Posted by Capt Canuck

One extra consideration for me, if I'll be 1200+ miles in when I get a chance to get it done. As I've got to scoot back North of the border right after picking the car up.
Such is timing

So if it makes it unscathed then that's a sign to get it done while it's still clean... or a sign I don't need it. See, like yourself firmly planted on the fence.

I have found a well regarded 5* place to do it and figured if I did, their full front end package + rocker panels would be what I'd likely go with. I'd be worried the partial front would have way too obvious to see demarcation line on the start of the hood.

Attachment 2648544

See, that's still reasonable. Here a full front end is $2500-$3000 depending on the vendors and laser/custom cut etc.

[Capt Canuck]

Originally Posted by BigKutta

See, that's still reasonable. Here a full front end is $2500-$3000 depending on the vendors and laser/custom cut etc.

Ya and that's actually in $CAD, so I mean in $USD like $250.89... or pretty darn close anyways. I'm no math guy.

[Moflow]

I only did it because it’s my daily/only car and I plan on keeping it for close to a decade if not longer.

[BigKutta]

Originally Posted by Capt Canuck

Ya and that's actually in $CAD, so I mean in $USD like $250.89... or pretty darn close anyways. I'm no math guy.

[M2C-NLUSA]

you should always Xpel.

[pacook81]

I'm similarly OCD and have never done ppf before. I have decided to do front bumper and partial hood with mirrors when the M2 arrives. I think that ppf doesn't reflect the light as a pristine paint job would and chose not to do the side of the car. I've ordered subtle front mudguards to protect the sides of the car as much as possible.

I had a mustang last year which I bought brand new and I got a couple of big rock chips on the front of the car within the first 2000 miles which tortured me for the rest of the time which I owned it.

I've been quoted around $1000 for the detail shop to pick up the car from the bmw dealer, detail it and apply front end ppf. I decided to go ahead.

[marcw]

As others have said this is a very personal decision and depends on a variety of factors. For me personally this is my seventh BMW but my first M car. I plan on keeping this car for a long time. I elected to PPF the entire car. It cost me $4k and that might seem like a lot of money and people will argue that I could simply get the car painted again once it's all pot marked and beat up and that is fine and their choice. For me factory paint can't be easily replicated by another shop and will always be sub par. So I made an investment to give the factory paint a fighting chance against the elements. I used an installer that used to be an xpel employee and did a bulk install so zero seams can be seen. This is a major deciding factor. Do you trust the installer? I've seen horror stories of wanna be installers trying to do bulk installs with horrible results. The ten year warranty is another major plus. Should anything go wrong a good installer will redo the job no questions asked.

[MVista]

I got my 2020 M2C HS done in August 2019.

Full Front in Suntek Ultra - 10 year warranty. Full hood, bumper, grill surround, fenders, mirrors and headlights - $1700

No seems, fully wrapped edges. I see no dirt under film edges currently at 4400 miles. The rest of the car was ceramic coated and coated over PPF. My installer told me Xpel is a bit thicker but they only use Suntek because it looks glossier. I have no experience with Xpel but I can tell you the Suntek looks very good. Almost as good as naked paint.

I'm glad I PPF'ed immediately, no regrets whatsoever.

If you plan on keeping the car long term why not PPF?

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by Foggins

I know, I know...I shouldn't rely on forum advice for something that I should be able to decide on my own. But for this one, I am literally smack dab on the fence so wanted to share my thoughts and get some forum wisdom back for my incoming M2C:

Reasons to get PPF (full front end):
- obvious protection
- warranty through XPEL
- costly, but not outrageous ($1600-$2000 quotes so far)
- good for resale value (I know I shouldn't talk resale value for a car I haven't even purchased yet, but see below)

Reasons to not get PPF
- have owned 20+ cars and have never PPF'd any of them...and yes, many have been nice cars as well (several M's, AMG, Porsche). Fortunately, never had any significant issues with no PPF, and I am VERY OCD about my cars and detailing
- when washing and seeing the paint, I can see a difference in gloss/clarity in PPF paint vs naked paint, and I much prefer the untouched paint
- my car will be HS, I think the dirt in the seams on the front end will drive my crazy
- my work commute has decreased dramatically due to working from home post Covid, to the point where I used to drive 10k miles per year, but that will drop to about 3k-4k per year, plus we have decided to keep my younger son's Jetta while he goes off to college so the M2 will mostly be a weekend only car
- I have car OCD and my average length of ownership is around 18 months

I know this is a beaten to death topic, but hey...thought I would throw it out there anyways

I had almost the same exact concerns and experience as you. Never had M cars, Porsche, or AMG, but all of mine were my babies and I treated them with OCD care. And I never previously had XPEL on any of them (except for small factory pieces in front of the rear wheels of the Camaro - same as the M2C factory pieces).

I would cringe when I saw other high-end cars at Cars & Coffee meets or track days with visible XPEL seams. Just drove me crazy and I knew I would never want that. Like someone else in another thread said: XPEL is love/hate affair, where you love the protection, but hate any sign of visibility.

In 3 years and 6800 miles with my 2018 Camaro, it had very few paint chips on the front bumper. I'm going to say around half a dozen maybe, and all of them smaller than a pinhead. I used GM OEM touchup and Langka Blob Eliminator (same idea as Dr. Colorchip) and fixed them to where they were almost unnoticeable.

In 3 years and 10,000 miles with my 2015 M235i, I probably had 3 times as many chips as the Camaro. I had the same driving habits - mostly suburban driving and minimal highway. All I can conclude is that the BMW paint was not as tough as the GM paint. But it's not like the front bumper was peppered either. Most of the chips were tiny. I fixed them with BMW OEM touchup and the Langka solution, and you had to look very closely to notice anything.

I decided to go with XPEL Ultimate on the M2C, but only on the front bumper. The kit wraps around the top and wheel wells so no visible seams there. The installation was $600 and I am super pleased with the result. The installer told me afterwards that he will charge more for the next M2C front bumper he does as it was quite time consuming.

Now I feel like I have a suit of armor on the front and am not constantly stressing about vehicles in front of me. The front bumper is enough for me.

But I am also thinking about getting the extended XPEL pieces for the area in front of the rear wheels to replace the small factory pieces. The leading edges on mine are already dirty and definitely noticeable. 850 miles on the car. The extended XPEL pieces can be cut to wrap inside the door jambs, so no more dirty leading edge. The factory pieces themselves actually look like crap compared to the XPEL on the front bumper.

[KevinM]

If you are so much on the fence, skip it and save the hassle and money.

That said if you do so, you need to be okay with chips and/or touch up (e.g., Dr. Color Chip, Langka, etc.). The worst scenario is if you get a chip and then think "if only I had..."

Forget the front, the main problem with newer M cars are the rear fenders because of the flared arches. The OE protection is woefully inadequate for US roads. (I've driven enough in Germany to state that it's fine for their roads.). Given I knew I had to have the fenders protected, I did the usual stuff to the rest of the car. No regrets.

My 2002 M5 used to be my DD, so it has (now ancient)3M PPF on the front, and it has held up well. My Z4M coupe was never a DD or a track car, thus no PPF.

Do what you want and don't look back!

[buckybadger]

Track protection, it's worth if you plan to keep the car for a long time and drive on freeway.