Car Wrap: Pros and Cons of Wrapping a Car

Car wraps are a fairly durable and quick way to change the look of your car. With proper installation and good care, a wrap can last about five years, at which time you can switch to a new color or design or revert to the original paint job. Think of it as a temporary tattoo for your car.

Jump to: 

• What is a car wrap?
• How much does it cost to wrap a car?
• Is it cheaper to get a car wrapped or painted?
• Popular car wrap colors
• What car condition is required?
• How to wrap a car
• How long does a car wrap last?
• Color PPF: A more durable car wrap alternative
• How do you maintain a wrapped car?
• Wraps aren't for everyone

What is a car wrap?

A wrap is a series of vinyl decals placed over the vehicle's body panels to change its appearance. Design options typically include a standard glossy color, gradient color, matte finish, chrome metallic color or full-on graphic treatments. The only limits are your imagination and your budget.

Wrapping differs from a paint job in that the vinyl can be removed with no impact on the existing paint provided the wrap was installed and maintained correctly. More on that later.

If you have a favorite color that isn't offered from the factory, a wrap can be a solution. Maybe you're tired of the color on your current leased vehicle and want a change of pace. You can throw a wrap on it, drive it for a while with the new color, then remove it before the lease is up. And if you have a business, a wrap serves as an ideal mobile advertisement. 

How much does it cost to wrap a car?

Prices can vary significantly from one location to another, depending on the region, wrap style, vehicle size, and the complexity of the installation. A gloss vinyl or matte finish on a compact coupe or sedan averages between $2,000 and $3,000, while an SUV typically costs between $3,000 and $5,000 to wrap. Chrome or metallic finishes are more expensive due to the higher cost of the materials and the added complexity of the installation process. Chrome wraps can turn dull when overheated or stretched over a curvy surface. Expect to pay roughly $6,000 to $8,000 for a chrome wrap.

If you have a pricey car, expect a pricey wrap. An ultra-luxury car like Rolls-Royce would cost around $12,000 to wrap, said Brian Hülz, former sales manager at Galpin Auto Sports, a major customization shop in Los Angeles. Not only are the body panels more difficult to remove than those of an average premium or luxury car, but installers also need to exercise greater caution when applying the wrap. The Edmunds Tesla Model 3 wrap with graphics cost about $3,700.

Is it cheaper to get a car wrapped or painted?

A cheap paint job usually costs less than a wrap, but a competent, quality paint job with multiple coats will cost about the same. This assumes you've chosen a standard basic color for your paint job. If you want a matte finish or color-shifting paint, the cost rises significantly — more than wrapping it to achieve the same look. It's important to note again that the wrap isn't permanent, which is something you can't say about a new paint job.

We'd be remiss if we ignored the possibility of doing the work yourself. You would need about 250 to 300 square feet of vinyl for a regular coupe or sedan and up to 400 square feet for an SUV. A 5-by-50-square-foot roll of vinyl from 3M, one of the leading manufacturers of car wrap along with Avery Dennison and Arlon Graphics, costs about $500 to $600. You'll also need tools such as squeegees, tape, cutting blades and razors, as well as a heat gun, an infrared thermometer and gloves. You'll also need volumes of patience if you've never attempted a wrap before. The DIY route can save you a significant amount of money and be rewarding for owners who enjoy being hands-on with their cars. But for everyone else, we'd recommend sticking with professionals.

Popular car wrap colors

According to TeckWrap, a car wrap specialty shop, the top 10 best-selling car wraps in its store are the following:

1. True Blood: bright red (gloss aluminum look)
2. Ultimate Black: deep black (smooth glossy look)
3. Black Cherry Ice: black cherry red, with purplish tone (metallic sheen)
4. True Nardo Gray: gray tone (smooth glossy look)
5. Moss Green: light olive green with an earth tone (smooth glossy look)
6. Coral Peach: light neon blend of coral and peach (gloss metallic)
7. Pink Sakura: pastel pink wrap that shimmers (smooth glossy look)
8. Hunter Green: deep forest green (smooth glossy look)
9. Venetian Violet: royal purple (satin sheen)
10. Acid Lime: lime green with a neon shade (gloss metallic)

What car condition is required?

Don't expect a wrap to cover for an old or bad paint job. Although you won't see it when the car is wrapped, the paint must be in good condition for the wrap to adhere properly. If your vehicle has scratches and door dings, they'll stick out "like a sore thumb," according to Hülz. Imperfections under the wrap will always show up on the surface. If the old paint is flaking, the vinyl will have a hard time sticking. Hülz advised customers to fix any scratches or dents before wrapping their cars.

How to wrap a car

The installer will first wash the car and detail it with a clay bar to remove contaminants from the paint's surface. Some installers use a solution of isopropyl alcohol to clean the paint, then blow off any remaining dirt particles with compressed air. The bumpers, headlights and taillights are then removed, allowing the installer to apply the wrap as close to the edges of the body panels as possible. (Installers can skip this step if customers are squeamish about dismantling the body and instead use a scalpel-like tool to cut the vinyl around lights and grilles.)

The vinyl is then applied to the body using a heat gun to make the material more pliable and easier to hug the contours of the vehicle. More advanced wrap designs, such as those with graphics or custom colors, will require additional vinyl layers. Finally, the installers use a soft felt squeegee to remove any air pockets.

The whole process can take a few days to complete, or even longer if you want the door jambs (the inner body-colored part of your doors) to match. The door jambs alone can take a day and a half, Hülz said. The doors need to be taken apart before being wrapped, which adds more labor and cost. Hülz added that black cars make ideal candidates for wrapping since the door jambs are less noticeable and you don't have to spend extra to wrap them.

How long does a car wrap last?

The less a car wrap is exposed to the elements, the longer it will last. Hülz told us that a car wrap can last up to five years if properly maintained. That typically means avoiding excessive sun exposure, which can "bake" the vinyl into the body panels, shortening the wrap's lifespan and making removal far more difficult. A car always parked on the street in Southern California, for example, and not cleaned regularly may only get one year from a wrap, Hülz said. Day-long sun exposure may be unavoidable for many drivers, but other measures will help a wrap last longer, including regular washing and promptly removing insects and bird droppings. Other helpful methods include parking in a garage or using a car cover whenever possible.

A ceramic coating can also help protect a glossy vinyl wrap. Impressive Wrap, the company that wrapped our Tesla Model 3, offers ceramic coating protection for glossy vinyl wraps. The installer applies this liquid "nano-ceramic" coating atop the wrap. It hardens and protects the wrap from water damage, has a greater UV resistance, and can ward off minor scratches. The ceramic coating will help the wrap last longer, but it isn't cheap. It can add roughly $1,500 to the cost of wrapping a compact car and $2,000 to the cost of wrapping an SUV beyond the cost of the wrap itself.

Color PPF: A more durable car wrap alternative

While a vinyl wrap offers a great way to change your car's paint color without the commitment of a full respray, it doesn't provide the same level of protection against rocks or road debris like paint protection film, aka PPF. The primary difference lies in thickness. While a car wrap tends to be between 2 millimeters and 4.5 millimeters (thousandths of an inch) thick, the thinnest PPFs available, such as XPEL's Ultimate Plus 7, are almost twice as thick at 7 millimeters.

To bridge the gap, XPEL recently introduced its new color paint protection film. Since PPF is composed of tiny film layers stacked on top of one another, this latest film achieves its color-changing properties by adding a solid layer between the clear ones, allowing it to alter your car's finish while retaining the typical thickness associated with traditional clear PPF. 

This added material extends its lifespan, with XPEL offering a 10-year warranty, provided a certified installer applies it. However, it's worth noting that due to the film's added thickness, it's more challenging and thus more costly to install than a traditional vinyl wrap, so expect to pay closer to what a complete PPF job would cost. 

For example, we recently wrapped our Subaru BRZ project car in XPEL Ultimate Plus 10 film, with a total cost of $8,375 to cover the entire car.

How do you maintain a wrapped car?

The best way to ensure a wrap will last is to keep the car in a garage. If you don't have a garage, consider investing in a high-quality car cover. You should handwash the car with soft microfiber towels. A waterless car wash spray is a good idea for intervals between full washes. Skip the automatic car wash; the harsh bristles and brushes can scratch or lift the wrap.

How to remove a car wrap

When the time comes to sell your car, or if you simply want to return it to its original paint, you'll take the car back to a wrap installer. If the wrap maintains its structural integrity, removal is as easy as pulling off a Band-Aid. The process can take three to four hours and can cost between $500 and $1,000. A difficult removal costs significantly more. If the wrap has baked in and begins to come apart in flakes and shards, expect to pay much more for the added labor, which can cost upward of $2,000 to $2,500. This kind of job is a wrap shop's worst nightmare, so expect to pay accordingly.

After removal, the shop cleans off any sticky wrap residue with an adhesive remover. Finally, the car gets another clay bar detail to remove any impurities from the clear coat. If everything goes well, the wrap will not damage the paint. If your paint was not in the best shape or was repaired at some point with a thinner coat, there's a chance that some of it may lift off with the wrap.

Wraps aren't for everyone

While a car wrap can breathe new life into the look of your car, a vinyl wrap isn't something you put on and forget about. Your location is a factor: The salt used to melt snow on roads is hard not only on your car's underbody but also on your vinyl wrap. And if you live in a hot climate and leave a wrapped car outside too long, the sun will take its toll. However, if you're willing to deal with the extra care and maintenance, a car wrap can make your ride stand out from the rest.