3-in-1 Package

I am always suspicious of after-sales, those dealer add-ons that add to the price of the car. I bought the rubber floor mats, only to find they were too small to be useful, and Weathertech have not yet started to supply proper all-weather mats for the evoque.

I also bought the 3-in-1 protection package from the dealer. That was a $1k option, they put some kind of goop on all the inside and outside surfaces and under the car. They then guarantee any scuffs or marks or stains anywhere inside or outside the car will be fixed free of charge forever as long as I own the car, even if they have to replace seats etc. It also covers any rust, ANY rust! (I read somewhere that the exhaust holders are rust magnets already for some owners). They also said, don't ever wax the car, it should never be needed.

So, with free car washes forever, and this 3-in-1 thing, I seem to be set to have a very low maintenance car. It seems like a great deal, too good to be true, so I sure hope it does not turn out to be as lame as the floor mats!

I've purchased similar packages for my BMW's in the past and can tell you first hand that they are a rip-off. There is no product available on the market that is a once in a lifetime application. I've parked my Alpine White BMW next to other BMW's and my paint almost looks yellow in comparison for not treating it as it should with regular washes and waxes over the years of owning it. Some companies also make you purchase their car wash product which is cheap nasty stuff.

Also, I did manage to get a stain on my hood and BMW re-directed me to the third party they outsourced the paint protection product to and the refused to fix it. Long story short, the dealer paid to have my hood repainted out of their own pocket and are no longer stocking their product. I helped someone purchase another car recently (different brand) and they tried selling me a similar package, I asked them who the product was outsourced to and it was the same company trading under a different name!!

I'm sure there are different companies in your part of the world but after my experience I would rather put that money towards regular maintain, regular details and good quality cleaning products. Also every car needs a good clay bar once in a while, it does wonders for you paint. There is no such thing as life-time paint protection, but it can't hurt to get it anyway.

Thanks for the insight, much as I feared. Looks like I'll have to find a reason to test their guarantee soon, to see if they are as good as they say.

My Evoque has an almost white interior, and I wear black jeans, so the car seat's seam is already discoloring. I'll have to get that fixed every few weeks then. (Yeah, almost white is a stupid color option for a country with dirty winters, but there were few alternatives).

May I ask what a clay bar might be? Sounds like some horrible kind of candy.

(07-12-2011 06:51am)olde Wrote:  Thanks for the insight, much as I feared. Looks like I'll have to find a reason to test their guarantee soon, to see if they are as good as they say.

My Evoque has an almost white interior, and I wear black jeans, so the car seat's seam is already discoloring. I'll have to get that fixed every few weeks then. (Yeah, almost white is a stupid color option for a country with dirty winters, but there were few alternatives).

May I ask what a clay bar might be? Sounds like some horrible kind of candy.

No problem mate. If only there was a product that would last a life-time!

I am also new to the detailing side of things and have only clay'd a handful of times. You could get away with doing it once or twice a year on a brand new car and the results are amazing.

This video is a good start

(07-12-2011 07:01am)BMW86 Wrote:  

Very convincing. I never heard of claying before, nor about listening to the sound the surface makes. Thanks!

(07-12-2011 07:32am)olde Wrote:  Very convincing. I never heard of claying before, nor about listening to the sound the surface makes. Thanks!

If you have an older car run your fingers along the surface and you will notice how rough it is. The clay bar picks up the tiny contaminants that you can't pick up with a regular washing mitt during regular wash. I actually asked about it in a auto parts store and the guy behind the counter was kind enough to take me outside and give me a demo on his Mini. After that I was sold. The older the paint, the better the results.