There’s no denying that long-standing debate that many of us have had with fellow petrol heads: which is better—ceramic coating or car wax?
While each will have its die-hard enthusiasts, we thought it was time to take a balanced look at the pros and cons of each. Because, let’s face it, not everyone wants or is in a position to shell out the mucho dollars needed to have a professional ceramic coating installation.
Let battle commence with how much each one costs. This isn’t as straightforward as you might think because there’s way more at stake than simply how much each product costs. Let’s break it down into 3 distinct categories.
1: The initial cost: While a tin of good quality car wax can be bought for $20 or $30 bucks, the cost of top-end ceramic coating can easily run into 4 figures.
2: Time equals money: For most of us, time is precious. Spending the best part of a day every 6 weeks washing your vehicle, drying it, and then painstakingly waxing on and waxing off isn’t just a chore, it represents a day of free time that you’ll never get back. Ceramic coating, on the other hand, is carried out once (by your chosen installer) and won’t need to be done again for many years.
3: Ceramic coating increases the value of your car: Not only is it a valuable upgrade, but the protection it provides to the paintwork is reflected in its resale value. A ceramic-protected vehicle will command a significantly higher secondhand price than a similar model that hasn’t had such protection.
Taking all of this into account, you can see that although the wax requires minimal perceived outlay, over time you’re far more likely to get a better bang for your buck with the installation of a high-grade ceramic coating.
When it comes to performance, ceramic coating wins hands down. Wax might make your car shiny, but there’s no comparison to the gleam achieved with a ceramic coating. And sure, wax will bring some minimal hydrophobic properties to the paintwork for a few weeks. But ceramic coating does this for years—and is much better at the job as well.
But the money shot comes from the paint protection achieved by ceramic coating. It stops UV fade in its tracks, prevents chemical attacks from reaching the paintwork, and also gives some minor protection from scratches. Wax, sadly, fails fairly miserably at all of these (although, to be fair, it does provide minimal protection from UV fade for a few weeks—until it wears off, that is…).
We’ve already touched on the huge amount of effort waxing takes vs. the no effort it takes to get a professional ceramic coating installation. But we should also mention the reduced cleaning and washing efforts needed to keep your vehicle gleaming once a vehicle has a ceramic coating.
The highly hydrophobic properties mean that not only does water bead and run away, but it takes the dirt along with it. Hence the reason that a ceramic-coated car remains cleaner for longer. Even when you do wash it, it’s a far easier task because that same hydrophobia comes into play. Most washes can easily be carried out by spraying with cold water or simply throwing a bucket of water over it. That, compared with the tedious process of waxing every few weeks is worth its weight in gold, we think you’ll agree.
In conclusion, dollar for dollar, ceramic coating provides better value for money. However, the initial outlay might be off-putting for some. This means that you might choose to remain with wax for lower-value or older vehicles, but opt for ceramic coating for higher-end, luxury, or classic rides that have a higher resale and insurance value.
If you’ve decided that ceramic coating is the way forward, then you need to speak to the experts. Sadly, all ceramic coatings are not made equal (and neither are their installers…). That’s why it’s vital to go with a trusted provider—and Auto SuperShield has long stood out from the crowd.
From muscle cars to trucks, SUVs to limos, motorcycles, boats, and everything in between, we’ve got the best track record in Florida.
Discover more at https://www.autosupershield.com/ceramic-coating and call us today for a no-obligation chat.
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