Paint Protection Film VS. Ceramic Coating Side-By-Side TEST | What's The Difference?

How much can paint protection film and ceramic coatings really benefit a vehicle's surface during day-to-day driving? In this test, I installed paint protection film and a ceramic coating on separate parts of my hood as well as left a section unprotected to see if there is a visual difference when compared side by side.
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#paintprotectionfilm

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

What do you guys think of the results so far? Let me know down below!

[@pbpinftworth]

Great test! I have front clip protection on my RS3 and whole paint protection + ceramic coating on the R8. Your assessment was exactly as I thought. Thank you for verifying!

[@hdmuzzillo]

I think after the video you´ve removed all... touchup rock chips, polish, ppf´ed again the whole hood and added ceramic coat on top... OCD like most of us around here.

[@santiagomenesescruz5265]

Its really good

[@rodb2672]

What is the best ceramic coating on top of PPF?

[@joeylyh]

This is great. I have a full body PPF on my new Tesla Model Y and I would recommend to put it in a new car when you get it - don't wait. Just a month into it an A-Hole decided to use a lighter to burn the side of my door and then tried scratching it afterwards... I am NOT sure if he knew I had PPF but the PPF protected the paint.. it did mild permanent damage to the PPF though.

[@attention2detailswchelsea]

Fantastic video and real world demonstration of the benefits of both. Thank you for taking the time to put this together. Very well done.

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!

[@paulgent6497]

I initially from new had my car coated with G techniq and after a few years went down the ppf option. The ppf does protect against small stones. The scratches which do heal under heat which is fine where I live as it's northern Australia. The ppf is not as hydrophobic as the coatings. For this reason I coated the ppf with Atri Pro Nano Graphene and the car looks amazing now so much easier to keep clean and less water spotting.

[@luisito1273]

Thank you so much for the sacrifice. This is such useful info, I can’t thank you enough. I will def subscribe to your challenge. You definitely helped me decide to get a PPF for sure 👏

[@leegoldring3410]

Great video. Simple and straight to the point. Definitely helped in making my decision.

[@mybabydetailing]

Great demonstration of the benefits of Ceramic and PPF.

[@khinekhine613]

Thanks for showing all the differences. Truly appreciate it.

[@hamididdy]

Great explanation and video. Helps us detailers explain without explaining. Greatly appreciated.

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

Glad you found the video useful, thanks for watching!

[@delrodas8340]

Thanks for making all these videos, they are very helpful and helped me decided that PPF is a must for any new car purchase I make.

[@westydoodle]

Damn! Just ordered a Model 3 LR and was on the fence WRT PPF. You got me convinced! Cheers.

[@Coltography]

super interesting, definitely considering PPF after seeing this

[@davebryer6133]

I live in central WI, and you convinced me about PPF, especially since I do drive on gravel farm roads all of the time.

[@conwaysdetailing387]

Nice. Good video to show anyone that doubts PPF.

[@00Enri]

Very good and precise video. All the essential informations are clear. Thanks👍

[@tintworksmn]

Great Video explaining the differences!

[@timwong2436]

Great video to reinforce that the PPF and ceramic coating on our cars were the right choice. They have been on my Tesla since I purchased it in 2018 and on my wife’s Y since 2020. Very easy to maintain and keep clean.

[@vednar99]

PFF and Ceramic Coating? You can do both on a car?

[@vednar99]

@@satyachandra7212 I ended up with Ceramic Coating. i'm happy with the work!

[@renaudli5834]

​@@vednar99Apparently you can apply a ceramic coating over a PPF.

[@williamduncan6973]

This is such a money grab .. guy comes to you with just buying a 75k brand new car and of course wave Rico everything to protect it so obviously not an expert in PPE film I hope not but ok. They tell you oh you def need this man you car is going to get scary here andbbeat up and PPF is going to just totally prevent that… and it’s only $430🙀 or you get a professional ceramic coating and take good care of you care and it Either one or the other to get PPF and then to get also a ceramic coating is just them taking money out of your bank account idiots please listen up you only need one both are not necessary please let me repeat do not get both of these treatments they will gladly do them both do not get both pick one and be happy

[@philipbaio2237]

Great video I am definitely going to think about it

[@TeenaTee1]

Super helpful video. I had so many questions before watching this video. It looks like PPF with ceramic is the way to go but I can imagine that would be expensive. PPF for the win. Thank you!

[@kumarg4u]

great work man.. keep it up

[@ivanfletcher4671]

Thanks guy- Christ I have been looking for just such a video.

[@pinecone01]

Very informative video! I had always wondered if it was worth putting a coating on top of PPF, and I'd definitely say yes, for the hydrophobic properties of.

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

Agreed! It makes maintaining the film so much easier.

[@imeevillanueva6753]

May I know the brand of the ceramic coating used on this video? ❤️

[@felipecornu8775]

Shouldn’t the coating be under the ppf ?

[@hoangbinh1210]

the coating supposes to be under the ppf. why did you do the weirdly opposit way to make the film clean and shiny, not the paint?

[@jananndowney6802]

@@ChicagoAutoPros Wouldn't it be better to put the coating underneath the PPF?

[@Nnatti_lawn]

Thank you for making this content!

[@yftinthyn007]

This is a great video. Thanks!

[@gesetzloserlife6517]

Thanks for this so important information

[@Matt.e_Black]

HUGE difference-one actually protects the paint from chips and scratching (if self healing PPF) and the other is just a long term clear coat protectant like a wax/sealant

[@sergiobarraza1806]

You say it like chemical resistance is a joke for ceramic coatings. In areas near the sea, bird poops are very acidic to the paint resulting in damage non fixable since it eats the clearcoat. Ceramic coated cars can be etched by this BUT the main difference is you can buff out the mark and just re apply another layer. So ceramic coating are really important too.

[@TmoneyFatStacks]

I had pff, it had a bunch of rock chips on it, when I removed it, it went through the clearcoat. so what's the point if its supposed to protect you from rock chips, downside is with PPF you can't just put touch up paint on it and buff it off. you're going to have to live with it in your car until you remove the PPF

[@Matt.e_Black]

@@TmoneyFatStacks not all PPF is created rqual

[@TmoneyFatStacks]

@@Matt.e_Black of course, i only had the Xpel “self healing” PPF, im telling you from my anecdotal experience.

[@thichevallier]

@@TmoneyFatStacks watch tests with other brands, 3M looks great !

[@tonyjoe5707]

Nice demo. I'm definitely getting front end PPF on my next car

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

Definitely recommend it!

[@KennyHann]

I did hear though. Depending on how long you keep your car. The PPF will protect against paint fade. Unless you have the car fully PPF’d you will have areas that are slightly lighter and darker if the PPF isn’t covering those areas. Ultimately a full PPF is where you wouldn’t get those effects compared to partial.

[@Roy-Inge]

The PPF protects the paint in my opinion against scratches rock chip and so on. Coating as I have understood, addes a small layer of clear coat, but doesnt protect as much as PPF, I got my whole front and hood covered with PPF, and I think its protects really good against rock chips etc.

[@jerryfaldhan9686]

depend on the purpose. If the purpose is to protect from light scratch / stone chips then go with PPF ( usually with self healing ). But if the shiny or look is your purpose then you go with coating. I'd suggest if the car is for daily use then you should go with PPF. If u want cheap option, u can use vinyl wrap. U can just ignore the light scratch / swirl mark because it's just on the vinyl not the car paint. But if u have 2nd car then u should go with coating.

[@TJZTechShow]

I’m taking my M240i to you guys once it’s delivered to get PPF installed. Gonna suck having to part with my brand new ride for a few days but it’ll be worth it. Thanks for the demo Jason!

[@glauberklein6601]

Great job on the video ! thank you

[@sylvainmarier4818]

Great video and it’s cool to see the real life difference.

[@johnmead3485]

I had my model X PPF applied when I bought it late 2020, front bumper to A pillars. It is performing as expected across the panels, but it’s failing near the cameras and some of the edges are getting very visible. For as much as the ppf cost I’m very disappointed, the defects really jump out no matter how glossy the car looks. To be clear this has nothing to do with Chicago Auto Pros, I am many states away.

[@rashedsatter1868]

Thank you so much for this video

[@stevenandminna]

Thanks for this - great demo of the treatments. It has really helped reinforce my decision to get PPF on my new Tesla M3. The cost always bothered me (particularly here in Oz), but seeing the difference and the protection PPF offers real world (albeit at the more extreme end) helps justify the expense - at least to my wife...

[@notthatkindofsam]

Me too! I get my M3 on Friday and it’s going in for full ppf on Monday. I’ll apply ceramic coat when I get it back

[@jace888au]

Did you end up getting ceramic too or just PPF? I'm also considering PPF but undecided on ceramic since I'd take it to hand car wash cafes anyway (Sydneysider here).

[@stevenandminna]

@@jace888au I just went the PPF noting it’s ‘self healing’ properties but also recognising it is a sacrificial layer. Six months post and the car still looks great - not a paint swirl or stone chip in sight… 👍

[@albuslee7147]

@@stevenandminna Nice outcome so far! May I ask did you get the full PPF or just for the front part?

[@stevenandminna]

@@albuslee7147 I went the full PPF, mainly because the kids tend to drag their bags past the car in the garage. Also with their (and my wife's) nails, rings etc., when opening doors, the boot etc. It has also helped with one door ding so far as the paint underneath was not damaged.

[@RafaelKoike]

I hate rock chips too and I was thinking about adding ppf to my BMW. Now I'm even more interested in adding ppf on top of the hood and front bumper. Very good videos with real world scenarios, using your own car!

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

Thanks, I would definitely recommend it!

[@dnegel9546]

why not do both? ppf + ceramic coating on top ?

[@justinh2444]

@@dnegel9546 cost a fortune that’s why, are this few Rick chips worth 5-7k

[@CC-tf1wq]

This was extremely helpful, I'm receiving a polestar2 soon and was confused by all the xpel options.

[@J.Lulo_]

Great job breaking everything thing down and explaining it so well. I think the PPF stuff is great as an automotive painter I like the fact that it protects the paint so well. My concern is when the PPF film has to be removed. The PPF film looks like it’s a pain in the butt to remove.

[@grumblesworkshop9984]

I got model y in the Uk brand new - first thing I did was full body PPF with ceramic coat on top. The car still looks brand new after 2 months with no washing because it’s still clean!

[@TheRealDanBell]

This just reminded me why I need to get PPF on my wife's Disco Sport.

[@billsawyer5265]

My 50K mile car is Expel PPF since new. NO paint chips! I preach PPF all the time.

[@ws2594]

Did you do coating too? Or only PPF? I’m debating coating for minimizing scratches and shine

[@wandirocket4713]

How thick is ppf?8mil?

[@bobbydigital1747]

Curious to know if the ppf has started to fade or turn a yellowish color. I've heard alot people say there ppf started doing that after a couple years

[@arvin6606]

@@bobbydigital1747 depends on the brand. Some even last 10 years with 8 years warranty.

[@Horsecockbadger]

CAN U CERAMIC COAT EXPEL PPF?

[@satchycollins3985]

Thanks for the info 👍

[@LIPIAtty]

Very useful video. Thank you!

[@kaseymaharaj9320]

Great comparison.

[@johncrash16]

Awesome demonstration

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

Thanks!

[@madhukumar-dd9bd]

Very helpful, thank you

[@ahsank3700]

Clear n precise

[@chirag2519]

This was really useful, thanks!

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bigstep9276]

This was great thanks for sharing

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

You are so welcome

[@VorfruedeWWZD]

Excellent Video!

[@fuffoon]

I would like this on my front bumper. 2012 Mercedes W212, the bumper is a gravel deflector with many small radius edges that take a beating. It needs a repaint after 11 years and then some film protection. It looks like a very complicated surface to wrap.

[@millerdetailing4176]

Excellent video and real world testing, what’s not to like.

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

We appreciate that! 💙

[@EatMyPropwash]

Dang. Good stuff. I got my Tesla Model Y Performance coming in about a month or less. Looking to PPF the front end for now and graphene coat the whole car. I’ll work up to the whole car but it’s dang expensive, but oh so worth it. Question…. Given Tesla’s beyond well known soft paint, what pad and compound/polish do you recommend for light swirl marks? Looking to detail the new car asap then bring it in to get it front end wrapped and windows tinted.

[@RisingHELL8404]

Sounds like having both is the way to go

[@tammanuellewis8841]

Excellent video

[@mariuszarszylo1476]

Awesome test!

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

Thank you!

[@lokeshsinghrawat3763]

Why not cover the front bonnet from PPF and other parts with ceramic coating 🤔. Will this work?

[@smashedhulk8492]

Good work.

[@lexist2112]

PPF all day long!!!! Worth the money I’ve Installed them on past 3 vehicles, the piece of kind of no rock chips in the paint and having pristine paint work is worth it. Ceramic /SiO2 coated the other areas of the car and it’s is a game changer. Car stays cleaner longer

[@Tvrsblackops]

How much was it for you. I got quoted 8.5k for both full body

[@sammyg805]

It does prevent chips to paint work.. but you still have signed it chips and scratch on the protected film which you will be driving around. What’s the point of it? At what point do you take off the film to enjoy the actual car ?

[@nerychristian]

@@sammyg805 Well, if it's a high end car, and you ever want to sell it, you can remove the ppf and the paint will still look good.

[@user-cv3dp7xb3y]

Not really ​@@nerychristian

[@jamar959]

Great info.

[@777Eagleed]

This was so helpful. Can't believe you did it to a Tesla. But thank you for doing it!

[@arvindn6384]

I have both PPF and ceramic coating. Took my Porsche on a road trip and parked under a tree. In the morning, birds hit both front and rear glass and hood. It look like someone threw white paint at the car. Took the car to a gas station touchless car wash and to my surprise, after 2 washes, ceramic shines again.

[@squirrelgrey1]

Jason, Thanks for the info, Can you recommend any one my area to ppf wrap and ceramic coat my new GMC truck? Northern Los Angeles county, San Fernando Valley etc.

[@gust9464]

Have 3M PPF it saved my car from many rock chips, especially the hood, rocker panels & front bumper.

[@southerncentralrain]

Hi, great video! I’m considering nano fusion on my black Bentley. I want to be able to take it through the auto car washes 3-4x a month. Bc it’s black, it’s shows dirt and obvi looks much better clean. Will an 8mm nano fusion protect it from fading and scratches on the paint etc in the auto car wash? Thanks for your advise. It’s hard to find this specific info and I need help. Thank you!

[@gk9417]

Question I have ceramic pro on my truck and was thinking of putting a wrap on hood do I have to remove the ceramic coating before wrapping hood and then put ppf on wrap for protection ✌️👍🇨🇦

[@RichardYoungCF]

Great video. Wish you were down here in the Northeast/East Atlanta metro area

[@eddiebalisto]

I'm considering a frozen (matte) paint on a new BMW I'm ordering. Would you recommend the ceramic coating be applied first with maybe a PPF on top of it? Thanks.

[@no_lft_shft]

I wish I would have went with PPF but because of my lack of understanding along with some over promising detail shops I thought ceramic offered me actual protection from scratches and light rock chips. Two days after the ceramic I had two rock chips. I put my money into ceramic when it should have went to PPF and then I could have applied consumer grade ceramic on myself.

[@fakeappellation7343]

Canadian here, if I apply PPF on my new car, will the film repair itself after winter?

[@daviddickinson6346]

Hi there guys have you had any experience with boats and especially glass protection .thanks Dave

[@alzeer0000]

So I just got my new car and now I’m a little confused, do I need to do the ceramic coating before PPF or after?

[@kennethreilly4716]

Does the ceramic coating on top inhibit the self-healing of the PPF (with the heat gun) at all? Was this XPel PPF? Thanks.

[@marc122656]

Can you do a review on Torque Coating. Thank you, Marcelino

[@g.dubyou6263]

Had my complete 22 xDrive M4 covered in STek DynoShield , DynoFlex, and Feynlabs ceramic. I already knew the benefits of both, going into it. I had my 2017 Cruze whole front end, done in xPEL Ultimate, and that still looked flawless after 100K miles. And I had paint corrected and ceramic coated my C7 and my Type R, myself, and the ceramic is worth its weight it gold. So, if you're on the fence about getting either done, just get it done. It's worth it. My M4 I had professionally done, because I wanted the whole car wrapped, and Feynlabs doesn't offer a pro coating to consumers. I wanted the good stuff. The self healing swirl marks, makes it worth it, alone.

[@msimon84951]

I’m waiting on my 22 m4 comp, should be here in a month…. Been trying to decide wether to PPF the front end and then ceramic the whole care including the PPF area…… but I also want to be able to wrap it in about a year and hear you can’t wrap over ceramic coatings!??? Thoughts?

[@g.dubyou6263]

@@msimon84951 some shops claim they can do it. I’m not sure if trust if unless they can guarantee that you won’t have any issues. And if they’re going to wrap it, most likely the wrap prep is going to either weaken the coating, or remove it all together. It’s not that hard to remove a coating. Hit it with a highly acidic or alkaline strip wash, a few times, and it’ll likely be weak. That’s why it’s recommended to was a coated car with a PH neutral shampoo. Anything too far on either side of the scale, could damage the coating.

[@Tintmasterswindowtinting]

@@msimon84951 it can be done, the ceramic coating should and will be removed before the wrap can be installed as the wrap or PPF material will not adhere to the surface. A shop worth their weight would explain this entire process to you.

[@tonygaffner8126]

How do you decide what vehicles you make KZbin videos on? I have a black RX7 that I’m looking to get full correction and coating.

[@035844907]

can you help me with this case, please?I ordered the material from ebay and noticed that on both ends of the roll the layer was not fully contacted with each, meaning the layer makes zig-zag circles on each. Once he opened the first 3 meters of the item we found longitudinal lines in the width direction. This is due to any roll after opening to cut some length, you can't obtain the same roll circulation at its original case and my car is a black color

[@stancamson6234]

Just picked up my Y and thinking of PPF. Which company do you recommend and why. Thanks

[@aholmes6612]

What are your thoughts on getting a ceramic coating and adding PPF afterwards on my bumper and hood of my truck to kind of save the paint from road rash on bumper and rock chips on front of hood?

[@everettekupsche4038]

my plan for this spring to to add gtechniq csl and exo v4 on my corolla with 87,000 miles on it vs ppf because i would think ppf would cost to much $$$$ for me what to you suggest! i watch your channel love car detailing

[@travisbalthasar9544]

great video, what tint is the windshield %? ty

[@neilwalker5041]

This video is a great demonstration in the effectiveness of using PPF. The bad part is your going to end up repainting the hood.

[@kendavis1198]

Nice Video. Couple Questions for ya. 1). Brand New 2022 F-150 RAPID RED Color, I want to do a PPF on the Front Clip, IE, Hood and Fenders, Grill is Chrome, Mirror Caps are Chrome and Bumper is Chrome. Would I expect a reputable PPF Shop to be Wrapping All the Edges? And would they be Taking Part's OFF My NEW TRUCK to Wrap around corners and Stuff?? 2). The truck sit's Outside (Unfortunately), Would a Cover Damage the PPF if Used? 3). Would a Ceramic Coating be worth the $ to put over the PPF? Thanks. Ken.

[@gurkhaman]

Does the PPF still have self healing properties even with the ceramic coating on top of it?

[@koloasurf2012]

do i need ceramic protection under the pff? I been hearing people doing that. Thanks

[@luisramirez6159]

Nice video 😃👍

[@fkUtoo]

Does it ever pill off from bad windy and rainy weather? Hot/cold like weather in Florida? And how much does it usually cost for most mid size suv's

[@au18ert]

I just put some shirk wrap over the front when I go on road trips and pull it off when I park up. Works a treat!

[@JohnD0129]

So after watching this. PPF & Ceramic is the way to go

[@cmcg1190]

Great video... Better if you used the ceramic coating on the bottom part of the hood where the rock impact will be much more severe than higher on the hood where you have the ceramic coating in the vid... I have a 12 yr old Volvo where there are virtually zero rock chips at the top of the hood and many at the bottom.

[@wendellthompson6470]

Jason is a 2012 Bentley continental clear coat hard or soft.

[@kaloyanski]

Awesome!

[@crawforddetailing9221]

Interesting results Jason. Did you manage to repair the dent caused in the am details video 🤦‍♂️

[@ChicagoAutoPros]

Yes, dent is fixed.

[@charmaone]

How durable are PPF and Ceramic coating during harsh freezing winters and salt? Especially in situations where ice forms on the hood or windshields and needs to me scraped off or removed? Would that risk the film to come off with the built up ice?

[@cjceeez9897]

Would you apply nano bond on top of stek ppf?

[@Jowazi]

What about the difference between the Ceramic Coated and the PPF (top halves)? Thanks!

[@gravity5660]

Would you ppf an older vehicle? 11’ LS460

[@c2jones]

So, would either or both resist sun oxidation? How about repelling water spots?

[@georgeb1989]

Always go for coated ppf ...

[@FrankCalabro-kv2bn]

What a great video. Answered every question I had in just a few minutes, glad I watched it. Thank you for using your car as the lab rat, I guess someone had to make the sacrifice