Ceramic Coating for my new A4 - Any recommendations

[WarwickBoy]

Hi guys,

My Daytona Grey S4 Avant is due for delivery soon (4 year PCP). My dealer has quoted £600 for a generation 3 glasscoat but reading advice on here, the recommendation seems to be to go for a specialist detailer. Gtech and Siramik have been suggested.

To help my research
1. What price point should I be looking for?
2. Anyone got any specific recommendations (I'm based in the Midlands as you might guess from my username!)

The plan would be to go straight from the dealer to the detailer when new, but I trust even then they wash the car first.

Any advice/guidance appreciated.

Kind regards,


Warwickboy

 

[Andy101]

Funny that. I asked the same question a couple of days ago - 2020 A4 Avant in Daytona.
See the comment on the photo:

https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/gallery/photos/10431/

 

[Keef]

@WarwickBoy
You might get a better response posting under the detailing section.

my last 2 cars I’ve had a new car prep detail with a coating.

I wouldn’t touch the stuff dealers offer with a barge pole, even if they offered it for free!

I should warn you, once you start looking into the detailing hole there’s no turning back, you get sucked in!
I’m also close to Warwick but couldn’t find a local detailer at the time, so I travel to see this guy

Nick @ Detailmycar in Newbury
https://m.facebook.com/Detailmycar/
his work is excellent and although it’s a 160 mile round trip I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him, I’ve trusted him with my last 2 brand new cars and my wife’s car.

the coating I have is car pro quartz professionals but I hear great thing about
https://gyeonquartz.com/


Some pictures of my car at the detailers
https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/new-car-detail-b9-s4-avant-fifty-shades-of-grey.325060/

 

[cuke2u]

Agree with everything above aside from stating even a ceramic coat needs topping up occasionally and I tend to use busters done&dusted once a month.
My car two years after having it detailed in Lowestoft at a cost of £450:

 

[Georgeinabz]

Waste of ££ , but each to their own , worked at a paint shop over the summer and they couldn’t believe the amount of folk fleeced , apparently a good add for dealers , along with gap insurance , extended aftermarket warranties etc as they make ****** all from the sale of the actual car , just use a good polish every 6 months


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[cuke2u]

You don't get ceramic coating from dealerships, but I assume you mean the various offerings of 'protection' offered by dealerships, applied by tea makers that can be purchased for a eighth of the cost elsewhere...

 

[Spearo]

Hang on though cuke , your car is not the best example of how durable these coatings are - if I’m understanding your other posts correctly you barely use your car- compared to me anyway . It would be interesting to see some ceramic coatings that have been on cars that over a 2 year & 50,000 mile period (with washes etc )

 

[scotty76]

Another vote for Nick at DMC in Newbury. Been using him for close to 10 years now and have complete trust in him.

@Spearo ceramic coatings do wear. They are not magic, sadly. I've had 3 coatings on my car now (2014 S4) and aim for a 2-3 year renewal interval. What I find is more of a factor is wear and tear. Even if the coating lasts ages the car will pick up minor scratches which need correcting. I'm happy with that as the coating becomes sacrificial rather than the paintwork.

 

[Georgeinabz]

You don't get ceramic coating from dealerships, but I assume you mean the various offerings of 'protection' offered by dealerships, applied by tea makers that can be purchased for a eighth of the cost elsewhere...

Yes , I believe some dealers in Aberdeen send them down to Glasgow , cars are just a money pit , just depends what you are happy to pay I suppose ...... and if it’s your only hobby then so what, I was spoilt that my company paid for my last 4 Audis


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[WarwickBoy]

Waste of ££ , but each to their own , worked at a paint shop over the summer and they couldn’t believe the amount of folk fleeced , apparently a good add for dealers , along with gap insurance , extended aftermarket warranties etc as they make ****** all from the sale of the actual car , just use a good polish every 6 months

Thank you for all the advice and recommendations. I trust Georgeinabz you were just referring to dealer offers when you said "Waste of ££" rather than specialist ceramic coating detailers. I will take a look in the detailing section as suggested by Keef.

I should point out that I am buying the car on a 4-year PCP, and - and will probably hand it back as I did with my previous 4-year PCP (BMW 520d Touring). Who knows how large diesel engines will be considered/taxed in 2024! For that I had the (probably rubbish) Supraguard treatment (~£350 from memory).

I'm not a massive car enthusiast. I like driving probably wash and internally hoover my cars once every month, and never polish it. I'm not sure whether a ceramic coat will offer me any benefit? Presumably a standard (Daytona Grey) metallic paint (which was £675 extra anyway) will last the 4 years, and Audi would not penalise one for handing back with standard paint (normal wear and tear). (Scratched alloys, yes, but standard paint?).

I guess my ask is why go for ceramic paint if you are not keeping the car long term. If you don't want a 'show off' gleaming car all the time, is there any benefit to it?

 

[scotty76]

@WarwickBoy if you are buying on PCP and are giving back I'd question the need to do anything at all. Not being unkind but it's not your car in the end. I'm keeping my S4 for 8 years plus. If it was leased or on PCP I'd just wash it albeit better than your local car wash.

 

[WarwickBoy]

@scotty76 your advice I think is spot on. For a car I intend to hand back after 4 years (and possibly depending on how my finances are doing consider a change to once I'm passed the "negative equity" phase of the PCP) a ceramic coating should probably not be a priority. What is sensible is focusing on things that
- minimise running costs of the car/protect from expense in the event of issues
That is why I have pre-ordered the 4 year warranty.

As such, based on the dealer options, this is my assessment
- Vehicle Replacement Insurance (VRI) "Gap" Insurance. Get a 3 and 4 year quote (if they do this) from independents, and compare this with the dealer 3 year quote. If I can find a good 4 year quote go with that, but if only 3-years and the dealer matches the quote go with them as a gesture of good will.
- Type and Alloy Insurance (3 years) - This dealer offer is £475 and covers Type replacement (like for like) (excepting worn tyres) for 5 tyres (up to £300 each) and 10 alloy wheel scratch repairs. I think I will go for this, as I've had tyre failures before, and even if I manage not to scrape my alloys (something I have never managed to do despite trying to be careful) this looks to 'pay for itself' with 3 claims.
- Cosmetic Accident Repair Service (CARS) which is 1 year. £180, 2 year. £280, 3 year. £380 and covers scratches/small dints up to 30 cm (and over more than 1 panel). I think I will give this a miss, and if I do get scratches look to use Chips Away who have done reasonable cost repairs for me in the past.

In summary, I will definitely get the following
- "Gap" insurance
- Dealer Tyre and Alloy insurance

I will not bother with
- Ceramic wrap, generation 3 glasscoat or Gard X
- CARS

Hopefully the rationale for the decision is sound. Thanks to the forum for helping me with this decision, and happy to have any of this challenged, further comments.

Cheers,

WarwickBoy

 

[benctoney]

I have had Geyon ceramic coating on my S4 and very happy with it. Amazing beading and dirt just falls off each wash with a good snow foam.
Top it up with some geyon wet coat each wash
If your from the midlands check out midlands car care.


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[cuke2u]

I had a ceramic coating performed, and my car is on a PCP. What point is being missed is that a detail isn't just about the coating it is also very much about getting rid of manufactures paint defects, swirls and scratches. Personally I could live with those with any car...

 

[cuke2u]

Hang on though cuke , your car is not the best example of how durable these coatings are - if I’m understanding your other posts correctly you barely use your car- compared to me anyway . It would be interesting to see some ceramic coatings that have been on cars that over a 2 year & 50,000 mile period (with washes etc )

Yes but the car is sat outside day and night exposed to all the elements, I also live out in the sticks where the roads are covered in cr*p. However I probably pay more attention in cleaning the car than the average owner. But you'd never take a car with any coating to a car wash anyway. There are owners who do more mileage than me here that also have a coating..

 

[scotty76]

I had a ceramic coating performed, and my car is on a PCP. What point is being missed is that a detail isn't just about the coating it is also very much about getting rid of manufactures paint defects, swirls and scratches. Personally I could live with those with any car...

That's a fair point. A pro detailer will fix any dealer swirls before applying a coating. Guess it's a question of how OCD you are. Most people don't notice the things I do. I wish I was like them, life would be happier.

 

[cuke2u]

Me too, noticed I should have put 'couldn't' not could live.

I have just ben watching my neighbours kids clean one of their cars, pressure washed it, then applied shampoo neat to the bodywork and rubbed it in with a cloth, no bucket what so ever. Good job it's white...

 

[Bristle Hound]

Guess it's a question of how OCD you are. Most people don't notice the things I do. I wish I was like them, life would be happier.

@scotty76 - Oh very much this
To be fair I'm not as bad as I used to be. Well I think so anyway lol

 

[chrisj75]

Hi guys,

My Daytona Grey S4 Avant is due for delivery soon (4 year PCP). My dealer has quoted £600 for a generation 3 glasscoat but reading advice on here, the recommendation seems to be to go for a specialist detailer. Gtech and Siramik have been suggested.

To help my research
1. What price point should I be looking for?
2. Anyone got any specific recommendations (I'm based in the Midlands as you might guess from my username!)

The plan would be to go straight from the dealer to the detailer when new, but I trust even then they wash the car first.

Any advice/guidance appreciated.

Kind regards,


Warwickboy

I had my Daytona Grey 67-plate done within a week or so of picking it up. Thoroughly recommend Russ @ Midlands Car Care in Walsall. I got a "New Car Detail", exterior prepped & coated with Gyeon Mohs+, wheels, glass, and interior all coated too. Cost me £350.

 

[SPIKE_]

Got both our A4 & S3 coated in Gtechniq Ultra ceramic coating by my usual PRO detailer. At his request, both cars were delivered to him with the wrappings still on the cars, so the paint was in the best shape possible before he worked his magic on it.

Two years on with the A4, and very pleased with the paint work and how great it looks when washed. Definitely worth the investment IMHO!

Price was £400 If my memory serves me correctly!