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Paint Protection Film - Which looks best?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Rosie2124, Sep 7, 2012.

  1. Rosie2124

    Rosie2124 New Member

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    Any consensus as to which paint protection film (3M, Ventureshield or XPEL) looks best and least noticeable on a 2012 Prius? We are getting a blizzard pearl one if that makes a difference. So far it seems like most places around here use 3M, but I feel that I've heard that has more of an orange peel look. Also, how much should I expect to pay for the full hood, bumpers, fenders, and whatever else might be necessary? I tried to call one place but they won't give me a price because I don't have the car yet and the dealer offers the service, which I thought was ridiculous since I have no intention of going through the dealer.
     
    #1 Rosie2124, Sep 7, 2012
  2. Chunker

    Chunker My name is Chunker...I wear a hat

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    I say call more places because (IMHO) if they don't want to give you a quote because you don't have the car it means they really don't want your business.
     
    #2 Chunker, Sep 7, 2012
  3. swg

    swg 12 Prius / 13 Volt

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    We have Xpel on our 12 Blizzard Pearl v and our 12 SeaGlass hatchback. We had it on previous vehicles as well for up to 7 years and it is just great stuff. If you want it to be even more invisible be sure to do the entire hood, like we did, so there are no lines. The full kit will get you the full hood, complete bumper, front fenders, door handle cups, door edge, headlights/tail lights and rear bumper top. I'd take pics but its so clear you wouldn't see it. Not the cheapest but a good 7 year warranty. Be sure to get any PPF installed by a trained pro, list on the Xpel site or most likely on any films site.


    iPad ? HD
     
    #3 swg, Sep 7, 2012
  4. Rosie2124

    Rosie2124 New Member

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    We are definitely looking into other installers. I almost hung up on the guy who wouldn't give me a price. My feeling is if I'm calling before I have the car, I clearly have no intention of going through the dealer. I have asked the dealer to look into it, just to see, but the salesman keeps trying to push Simoniz on me and I really can't see any benefit to that. He also doesn't really seem to know what he's talking about. We are having leather and heated seats installed and they weren't going to replace the door panels or center console with leather and thought it was odd that I had heard this is a common thing to do. I would have been livid if I got the car back and they weren't done. Anyway, I called the Lexus dealership in town about PPF and they install it themselves, so I'm not sure if I'm crazy about taking it there because I don't know how much experience they have. The Porsche and Mercedes dealerships didn't pick up when I called and I feel a little silly calling the even higher end dealerships in town, but we'll see.
     
    #4 Rosie2124, Sep 8, 2012
  5. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Maybe he is the dealer's subcontractor. Will the Lexus dealer do the installation? What is their warranty?

    The main consideration should be the installer's skill. I don't care where he does it as long as it is done right.
     
    #5 JimN, Sep 8, 2012
  6. Rosie2124

    Rosie2124 New Member

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    I'm pretty sure the guy I called who wouldn't give me the price does all the after market leather installation for the Toyota dealers in CT, so I would think that he would be the subcontractor for the PPF as well. Lexus uses the 3M film, so would it be correct to assume the warranty is that provided by 3M? That's my main concern with the Lexus place, I have no clue what the installer's skill would be like and they are not listed on 3M's website as an installer. I'm just not sure how common it is to have this done to begin with and I would be shocked if they had installed it on more than one Prius, if any.
     
    #6 Rosie2124, Sep 8, 2012
  7. swg

    swg 12 Prius / 13 Volt

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    #7 swg, Sep 8, 2012
  8. Rosie2124

    Rosie2124 New Member

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    I've looked on both 3M's website and Xpel's. There are not that many places too close to me. With Xpel, I called one of the few that had the 4 symbol's indicating the volume that they install and they told me that they use 3M, so I don't know how reliable the website is.
     
    #8 Rosie2124, Sep 9, 2012
  9. Prius Guy

    Prius Guy New Member

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    I had the 3m film installed on my Prius. It cost $995. It is completely invisible on my blizzard pearl. I had it installed because stone chips really show up on this color. I hope this info helps!
     
    #9 Prius Guy, Sep 12, 2012
  10. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    I know that in the NE, Detailing Dynamics in NY is one of the best installers in the nation.

    The skill of the installer is the most important, but I suspect that the 3M stuff may hold up better on a daily driver due to its patented acrylic clearcoat that no other film on the market has. I have about 35k on the clear bra on my 2011 and it has turned completely cloudy, despite careful maintenance with PPF sealant on a regular basis. I have an appointment with my installer this month to see how they will handle it.
     
    #10 The Critic, Sep 13, 2012
  11. Jin

    Jin Blizzard PRIUS 2010, Nav+ solar roof

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    I used 3M scotchgard (I think its same VentureShield of 3M) clear bra tape, 2 and a half year now, no color change what-so-ever, paint still looks brand new (after a good wash), and you still need to wax the clear bra as well as car paint. I DIY mine, bought the pre-cut kit on Amazon.com and only cost me $400 at the time :) DIY is cheaper, dealers and specialities place ask for 1000 for that full bumper.
     
    #11 Jin, Oct 28, 2012
  12. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    I now have XPEL Ultimate on the hood and the self-healing properties are very neat. Clarity is not quite as good as Prestige ClearGuardX, however.
     
    #12 The Critic, Oct 28, 2012
  13. Jin

    Jin Blizzard PRIUS 2010, Nav+ solar roof

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    What clear bra did you use previously that coste 35k? (as much as a new prius).
     
    #13 Jin, Oct 28, 2012
  14. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Sorry, I meant I had 35,000 miles of use.
     
    #14 The Critic, Oct 29, 2012
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