The only film I'd use is xpel ultimate, 3m is also great but lacks self healing. I have xpel ultimate on the Audi for over a year now and simply put, its the best. I would strongly suggest you do not do a bikini line cut but rather a full hood, bumper and fender that is a CUSTOM cut, not a pre cut (they are never as good).

 

What would you consider as the essential areas of the XC90 to wrap? Obviously the hood and front and rear bumper are necessities. What about the rockers? Fenders? Door edge? Film like XPEL can get pretty expensive. So I'm just curious what you think would be sufficient to give the car a decent amount of protection.

 

they're all really good. I have XPEL Ultimate on the S7, but with the XC90 in the metallic white i might go with XPEL Stealth (make it matte).

The healing factor in the XPEL isn't really all you think it's cut out to be, but it's just one of those things you put on and forget about (Even if it's marginal protection) - like your phone screen protector

 

Any more thoughts on whether or not this is worth the investment?

 

I used to have them on my merc c300 and it turned yellow after 5 years. After that I did Not put any "bra" on my new merc C63AMG and just did touch up paint job by myself and it looks great and I would not do any paint protection anymore on my XC90. Don't get me wrong I baby my car, I hand wax my car every 2 month. If your windshields crack every winter do it. If not just leav it.

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I highly recommend clear bra coverage. the front of my V60 was completely pitted within the first couple of months due to winter road crap. I replaced the the bumper cover with a new one (pre-painted from Volvo) and had the front end, door edges, etc. covered and the front end still looks like new on the areas covered.

I just had my XC90 covered with Suntek, also self healing. Its the same thickness as X-Pel but has a slightly smoother finish. I has also used Xpel for many years. I have some install picts and will post later.

 

Another vote for XPel Ultimate. I've had it on my car for 3 years now and the front end still looks brand new.
We just had full grille, full hood, partial fenders and door guards installed on the XC90 for $995.

 

Where are you located Ourdesign? And did you choose the body parts based on past experience?

I live in LA and was quoted $1699 for Full hood, full fenders, mirrors, bumper, headlights and fog lights. They also offered Full hood, partial fenders, mirrors, bumpers, headlights for $1199. Not sure which way to go. Also debating Opticoat pro plus treatment, but $$$ All of this is a little daunting as I've traditionally leased and I've never spent this kind of money on a cars upkeep in the past.

 

We had partial fenders and a partial hood done a few weeks ago on our XC90. The shop used Lluminar brand.

Since taking ownership in May 16 we have noticed that the XC90 hood and bumper is very prone to rock chips and on a silver car they always seem very visible because the metal under is darker than the silver. I decided to not have the front bumper wrapped as the plastic is quite a bit easier to fix with touch up paint than the metal surfaces.

 

Here are pics of my 3M full hood on Crystal White metallic that someone had previously asked for in a different thread. It still lets the sparkle through. This is my first car doing a full hood. My previous two cars I only did partial hood coverage...this time I didn't want the line and I'm so glad I went with full hood. No more line!

http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?374073-Clear-Shield-on-R-Design-Metallic-Paint-Colors&highlight=full+hood

 

I'm not Ourdesign, but I can give you my comments.

For clear film, they usually come in packages that preselect the parts that are most usually covered. The typical full package would be something like bumper, hood, any front facing lights, side mirrors, A pillars (the metal pillars on the sides of your windshield), door edges and door cups. Basically anything that faces forward plus the door edges/handles. Then there are packages that drop certain pieces to make it cheaper (as you've experienced with your quotes).

For my past three cars, I have had full packages done. If you have a lot of rocks being kicked up in your area and want film protection, it's best to cover all your front lights and hood at a minimum. Those would be the two most expensive things to fix/repair. As cars get newer, the cost of headlight housings are outrageously high. It used to be you could buy the whole headlight housing (which included the bulb sealed inside) for under $100, now if you get a rock chip/hole in your light(s) it's several hundreds or > $1 thousand to replace the housing.

 

Thanks for the info. You make some excellent points about how the costs have gone up. I guess prevention is the most cost effective method for avoiding those expenses down the road. On another note, do you know if it's customary for the installer(s) to prep the vehicle before installing (color correction, clay bar, etc.)? I suppose I will ask the installer as well, but I truly appreciate the experience and generosity of the community here.

 

Very interesting thread. Just for comparison - what would it cost to fix the chips say in the hood and bumper? Am assuming its a lot less but maybe I'm wrong. Also wondering if the repair would be visible? How do people think about the tradeoff? I'm new to all this and have never had a coating or PPF done before - am just a little sticker shocked so trying to understand the arguments. Thanks

 

I don't know what the out-of-pocket costs would be to fix the chips. I can almost guarantee you, once you factor in your time, that Xpel would more than pay for its installation. I paid $600 total for Xpel Ultimate for the front bumper, partial hood, mirrors, door edges and door handles. FWIW.

 

There was a thread a while back on XPEL as well. Here it is.

http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?315289-Xpel-Ultimate-Clear-Bra-Price-Experience

 

The cost to fix chips in the hood all depend on how deep, how many, etc. If you have a lot of chips that go down to the bare metal, it is now a race against time before rust starts to form in that rock chip area. I'm not saying the car will fall apart the following year, but if you have an unnoticed rock chip that took off the clearcoat and the paint all the way down to bare metal, and rust starts, then the cost to fix that will be much more than using a touchup pen + clearcoat pen to fill in tiny chips.

I used to do the touchup pen method but got tired of it (plus it never looked good), so I started getting paint film put on my cars instead. Now I don't care as much when I hear grit/rocks hit the car (unless it hits the windshield). I still cringe, but at least I don't have to inspect the car after I've stopped at my destination.

As for the bumper, it's plastic, so rock chips will gouge/scratch the plastic. No rust concerns there.