Just wondering if any of you guys try to protect their paint from chips and dings on your XE? I inquired about the clear bra but for $900 for just bumper and hood it feels too expensive for a leased car. Was thinking of plastidip but not really sure its a good idea in the long run.

 

I would go with the clear bra option as it will be less obvious than plasti-dip. As you mention the car is leased, the other option if it is available is to buy the lease end insurance coverage (not sure of the name) that covers you for damage when you return the car.

 

What damage are we talking about here? the dealer doesn't charge for dings and such. At this point I don't think I will do anything at all unless I find a much cheaper option that I like.

 

It would be for items that are not considered normal wear and tear. Something like a cracked windshield, dents or paint chips larger than what is allowed or missing parts from your vehicle. Mercedes and BMW offer this with their leases.

 

Not worth clear bra on this design. Nose is too bluff and I don't think you'll see enough chips for the cost. None of my Jags ever suffered from stone chips and roads are sanded and all in Boston.

On my Lotus, it came 50% covered in clear bra and it was nice, but that car is meant for weekend track work...

 

I am not talking about cracked windshields, I am talking about protecting paint from rock chips and a cracked windshield would be fixed by the insurance company. I would never waste my money on extra insurance from a dealer tbh.

 

now if you have spare money laying around and want the peace of mind then it's a different story

 

I also thought about the clear bra option but wasn't happy how they look after a couple of years. Some of them can discolor from the sun and also peal slightly. The cost is also fairly high. I just use Collinite 845 Insulator Wax evey 6 months on my cars and I do the front end and headlights about every 3 to 4 weeks for extra protection. It makes the paint slippery so hopefully the small stuff won't cause any damage. I've had good success so far but unfortunately if a big stone comes your way all bets are off.

 

I bought a bottle of Collinite 845. So far, I have only applied it to the hood of our Volvo, but plan on doing the whole Volvo soon. Seems pretty durable!