This is what I did to my GS. Full PPF all the way up the fenders and hood (no line mid-way), and then I ceramic coated the entire thing, including the PPF covered areas. It's been incredible.

I can also tell you that after 3 years of weekly carwashes there are no swirls or scratches on the PPF...it does have some pitting, if I do buy the car and keep it I will probably have it taken off and redone.

My PPF guy told me to avoid auto washes for I believe first 6 months. I took it as forbidden so I’ve been hand washing for years.

Well I'm proof thats totally not true lol

You get PPF to protect paint. Why would you baby it more than paint?

To prevent pitting I assume.

I enclosed trailered my car to the PPF shop. I wanted ZERO chips.

PPF is much tougher than paint. Carwash will not hurt it.

Folks I didn't know anything about PPF or ceramic.Thank you for educating me. Seems almost everyone is suggesting PPF for the front so I think I'll do that.

What does PPF typically run for just the front? Car is a Kia Telluride.

Also do you apply ceramic at home or so you need to take it to a detailing place? Any good ceramic products/brands that you'd recommend?

Watch some YouTube videos about PPF and ceramic. I reccomend Chicago Auto Pros and Pan the Organizer. Brand doesn't really matter as much as a quality installer.

You can absolutely do ceramic coating yourself, I would watch some of those videos. Coatings applied by a professional will last much longer, but a coating you do will last 2-3 years.

fwiw, i got the front end of my lc500 ppf'ed and then they did ceramic coating of the whole car.
included in the 'front end' was the side mirrors, side sills, and about 6" of the roof back from the windshield.
of course whole car would be nice, but it's really not necessary imo.

if i recall, it was about $3500. doing ppf on the front light fixtures alone is a nightmare... tons of a little pieces to cut and install.

A nose cone is around 3k and ceramic is 1-2k depending on how much paint prep you want. I use Avalon king now but I tried a few coatings out....

PPF needs to be done by someone who is skilled and have done many cars due. Use a good film as well, I need to get my car redone soon since I have some damage to it

I'd definitely focus on washing correctly first. Regular washes with a good car wash soap and a microfiber mitt will keep dirt and debris from scratching the paint. That's the foundation for a good shine!
Once the car's clean and dry, I'd consider adding a coat of wax or a ceramic coating. Wax is a great option for a few months of protection, but if you want something longer-lasting, a ceramic coating is the way to go. It'll shield your car's paint from UV rays, scratches, and environmental nastiness for years to come.
On top of that, parking in a garage or shaded area whenever possible, avoiding abrasive car washes and harsh chemicals, and wiping up spills right away will all help keep your car's paint looking pristine for a long time.

I got the entire front end of my X7 done for $1,775 and my entire Model S with ceramic built in the film for $4,800 (would have been $4,000 without ceramic film). Having both types of film on my cars I would get regular film and put ceramic coating on top. I haven’t been impressed with film with ceramic built in.

It’s very dependent on region. Here now a good installer is $2,000-$2,500 for the full front clip. I have not priced out the full body.