Add-on's worth it?
 

Hi folks, I am getting an NX 250, white, and just wondering if ceramic coating and/or rust protection are worth it for $~1300 each ($2600 in total). I live in Toronto. Very new to Lexus. Please help me become informed. Thank you.

I’m not sure about ceramic, but rust protection sounds like a rip-off!

Shop around town for a better price

That’s crazy pricing.

Anyway, rust protection in a modern vehicle? Well no. And you do realise you have an annual inspection and touch ups (not free) to maintain the guarantee that comes with it.

As for ceramic coating check out Bullets Garage latest video on you tube. Lexus comes with a self healing top coat which does work.

Personally I’d go for the upgraded blinker fluid. Usually a bargain at around 2-3 thousand.

Not that the add-ons have no value just that they are grossly overpriced. There is a reason the dealership is pushing them so hard and that is the ridiculous high profit margin.

We ended up getting a used one, so our situation didn't play out fully.

I'm also working under the assumption that in these market conditions the dealers have abnormal leverage, and some concession may be reasonable for a while. Some have had luck getting clean msrp pricing. I don't feel like that' the case in my region.

There were a few things like PPF and Tint that we were planning to have done (not at dealer) but would be willing to let the dealer do in these market conditions. If there is going to be some kind of markup, My thought is I might as well get something we wanted anyways.

I wouldn't be interested in rust protection. I don't know what that even means these days. It's not an issue in my area. Might be in other areas.
Some people like Ceramic. We aren't convinced on that yet, but could be OK. We like the PPF idea better.

Nobody has mentioned it, as far as I can recall, but I wonder if something like pre-paid maintenance is something that a dealer would be open to negotiating for. We don't buy prep paid maintenance, but if we felt we had to give the dealer something, this could be a good option. Assuming you were going to go there for maintenance anyways.

Rust proofing is redundant to the modern car design, double sided galvanized panels etc.
I do however like and have used a Ceramic paint product and think it added to the look and feel of the surface.
As with any surface coating, the time and effort is the preparation is key to the result & "time is money".
I spent a couple of hours each of three days to wash and clay bar treat and apply and allow to dry the Ceramic.
It now has two coats including the wheels, door jambs, trunk and hood gaps...whew!
If the shop is doing as conscientious a job as that then the price charged could be worth it.

I will skip rust protection and get ceramic coating elsewhere. I heard Lexus does not do a great job on ceramic coating.

Get ceramic elsewhere and skip the rust proofing, it will just cause problems down the road.

Ceramic is great as long as you use ceramic soap to keep it up, but it does make the car easy to wash and looks great longer.

Ceramic soap?

Turtle Wax Hybrid Solution Cermanic Coating is only $15 buck on Amazon. Mid range stuff like avalon king is like $70 bucks.

definitely shop around.

You shouldn't be getting rust proofing done on a PHEV.

If you want to do anything get XPEL PPF. They're stuff can also come with a ceramic coating pre-applied.

Happy we got the PPF.
Last night truck dumped some gravel in front of my wife on the highway. Probably 20 visible impacts. PPF ate most of it up. I think 2 might have made it through to the paint. 1 tiny ding on the windshield.
In this case the XPEL PPF probably won't heal in all those spots. Most of it is in the front section. Debating on whether to live with it, or get just that one piece replaced.
Either way, much better outcome than without it.