What the dealer package is
A sealant or entry-level coating, applied quickly, without decontamination or correction, priced at $700 to $2,000 and financed. The warranty covers specific stains, needs paid annual reapplication and excludes rock chips, which is what actually happens to a new car in South Florida.
What a specialist does with the same money
- Film on the impact zones. Full Front PPF from $1,799: hood, fenders, bumper, headlights and mirrors, with a $549 Ceramic Pro coating included.
- A real coating. Ceramic Pro packages from $499 on corrected paint, warrantied from 2 years to lifetime by package.
- A bay, not a lane. Closed, climate-controlled, and the car stays inside from drop-off to pick-up.
The timing
Take delivery, do not wash it at the dealership, bring it in within the first two weeks. New paint is at its best right now. Film locks that in; a coating over dealer-lot swirls locks those in instead.
If you are being pressured at signing
Decline it. It is optional, it is not required for the loan, and you can always add protection later. The only thing you cannot undo is the first chip.
