I have always gotten the dealer installed paint sealant, sometimes called ceramic coat. Lasts for years. Most dealers will renew it for free after a couple of years, but I have never needed that. One dealer gave me a renew kit so I can do the renew myself.

On the front, I have always gotten the 3M paint protection film (PPF) to keep from getting rock chips, but you have to have that installed when the car is new.

 

I have always gotten the dealer installed paint sealant, sometimes called ceramic coat. Lasts for years. Most dealers will renew it for free after a couple of years, but I have never needed that. One dealer gave me a renew kit so I can do the renew myself.

I had that done by the dealer when we bought our new 2022 RAV4 TRD Off Road last year before we picked it up. So my question is how is the best way to maintain that besides keeping it clean?

 

Ceramic coat, waxes and sealants will only bead/repel water and make it easier to clean off tree sap, bird droppings, etc...They won't do anything against rocks or scratches since it's a microscopic layer that can be removed with just a polisher and clay bar. To prevent rock chips and scratches you'll have to buy PPF. It's very expensive, can costs thousands just to get the front covered if you use a reputable brand like 3M or Xpel but they last several years.

Meguiar's Gold Class wash every 2 months
Meguiar's M27 Sealant every 3-6 months depending on weather
Meguiar's M799 Bead Booster every 2 weeks

 

Meguiar's Gold Class wash every 2 months

Turtle Wax’s ICE Seal and Shine is the best product I’ve used. Very cheap too.

I second the recommendations for the Meguiar's gold as the best washing soap--it won't remove any previously applied wax. I also used TW Seal& Shine for years on various cars. It's great. In the PNW a good coat would bead and sheet off rain all winter. On my Rav I have switched to the more recent TW Hybrid Solutions Pro Graphene Flex Wax because it's available at most parts stores. You can use it multiple ways and a little goes a long way. I have not experienced streaking with it when applied sparingly. I use it after every wash when drying the car with a microfiber towel.

 

For many years, I was a huge fan of a wax called Rejex. It puts a coating in that is very smooth, glossy, and durable, though it takes effort to put in and buff off. When we got our Rav4, I tried Griots 3-in-1 ceramic wax and it seems to work equally well but taking a quarter of the time to put on and wipe off. It's not as durable as a full ceramic/graphene coating that can last years but it's so easy to apply that doing it twice a year isn't a problem for me. Once the paint is prepped, it literally is spray on, wipe in thoroughly, and wipe off. A 2x2 foot section takes 30 seconds from beginning to end. Even better is that there's no white waxy residue if you get it on rubber trim. I used it on all the windows other than the front windshield, and in the wheels as well. Our Rav has stayed remarkably clean and dirt pretty much comes off with a stream of water. Laziness being a big part of my nature, these spray on ceramic waxes are great!

A friend tried a DIY graphene product probably 18 months ago on a new Tesla. It's still beading water and shiny but he has a few areas where there's streaking and slight color changes you can see in sunlight due to uneven coating thickness. He tried smoothing them out when he initially applied the graphene layer but without full and even lighting in his garage like they have at detail shops, it was impossible to see the application problems until he got the car out into the sun. I think those full ceramic coating problems work best as a DIY if you have some experience with applying them.

 

I use meguiars cash wash detergent, nothing fancy. The trick is using a spray wax afterwards.

Turtle Wax’s ICE Seal and Shine is the best product I’ve used. Very cheap too. Spray it on light, wipe with a microfiber cloth, and buff it with a clean cloth. It’ll last a few months if you keep up with washing with a mild detergent afterwards. Do it in shade on cool metal though. Use it in the sun on hot panels and you’ll be in streak city. It’ll even work fine on plastic parts. I use it over my entire ‘13 CX-5 with the black plastic cladding around the wheels, and it looks really really good despite +10 years of age. Countless YouTube reviews of that product. Give it a search and you find tons of praise for it.

Want to go further? Do a meguiars clay bar treatment after a wash and before spray wax. Do that like once a year to remove contaminates in the clear coat and cover with protectant. Chefs kiss.

 

I use meguiars cash wash detergent, nothing fancy. The trick is using a spray wax afterwards.

Turtle Wax’s ICE Seal and Shine is the best product I’ve used. Very cheap too. Spray it on light, wipe with a microfiber cloth, and buff it with a clean cloth. It’ll last a few months if you keep up with washing with a mild detergent afterwards. Do it in shade on cool metal though. Use it in the sun on hot panels and you’ll be in streak city. It’ll even work fine on plastic parts. I use it over my entire ‘13 CX-5 with the black plastic cladding around the wheels, and it looks really really good despite +10 years of age. Countless YouTube reviews of that product. Give it a search and you find tons of praise for it.

Want to go further? Do a meguiars clay bar treatment after a wash and before spray wax. Do that like once a year to remove contaminates in the clear coat and cover with protectant. Chefs kiss.

Cerakote trim coat works very well for black plastic and can last up to 2 years depending on how often the car's washed. But you have to prep the surface carefully or it could leave streaks since it only comes in towelettes. Used it on mine with great results, but I wouldn't recommend using it on the B pillar plastic.

 

I typically clay 2x a year (spring and fall) and iron out in the spring. I haven’t done the ceramic or graphene yet as I don’t really have the ability to keep it in the garage 12-24 hrs after installing. I’ve been using sealants particularly Sonax PNS. But lately the pollen has been eating that sealant up on the paint on my son’s car. So I was looking for something else. Thanks

 

We had our 2022 RAV4 ceramic coated at the dealer. Then every 6-7 months, I do 2 coats of Griot's Garage 3 in 1 ceramic spray wax. I wash the RAV4 once a month then spray Turtle Wax Seal and Shine.

 

All of it is work and requires maintenance. No matter what you choose. How well your LSP (last step product) bonds to the paint is all dependent on your prep work. There are ceramic waxes out there that can last a year. I typically will apply them in the fall and spring. Same for a sealant.

I have all of those products that you mention. I don't use one over the other. A true ceramic coating does last and is dependent on your wash methods and maintenance. They can be expensive to have done due to all the prep work. I will probably strip everything off my RAV4 sometime this year and reapply a ceramic coating again. It has been between 3 and 4 years since I did it. I buy everything online. I use several different manufacturers. I do however like the CarPro line.

Not sure how much work you want to put into it and what your process is. If you're wanting to do it yourself I would just go with a ceramic wax and use CarPro Reload as necessary. A lot of the longevity you're going to get is dependent on your wash process. Automatic car washes will strip your protection in a short amount of time. None of my vehicles go to through them. I hope that helped and didn't confuse. Not an expert, but I have a lot of detailing supplies and equipment and have been doing it for more than 20 years for myself and others. Picture below is an example of my work. No wax or coating at that point. Just polished. Everybody seems to bring me black.

If you need a process, just ask. I'm sure others will share what they do too.