You can wash and wax immediately. Paint is cured before it leaves the factory these days.

 

Wash and wax all you want. Side note: you have owned your CRV for 2 days -- but that is not the actual age of the vehicle/paint -- look inside the drivers door and it will display when the vehicle was manufactured. CRV might be several months old.

 

I would definately suggest that you consider a very good ceramic coating for the exterior paint protection. There are companys that do an oitstanding job. Its a great protector and you will not regret the cost whatsoever. Get a good coating and not a cheap ceramic wax. Do it..but please do it correctly. It is great stuff.

 

Considered a ceramic coating?

 

I do not know anything about ceramic coatings...advantages, difficulty of application etc. Can you summarize? Thanks for your comment.

 

Your vehicle was probably painted at the factory months ago..look for the manufacture date on the sticker on the door jamb if you're concerned as to how old the paint is.

 

You can, but it is probably redundant on a fresh new vehicle. If you watch the inside of a Honda facility producing CRVs, you can actually see the staff hand buffing all the painted panels, and given how sleek they feel off the dealer floor, I bet they are putting a sealant on it in the process, to protect it during shipment and it's first months in the hands of a new owner.

Besides... what gets paint in modern vehicles is careless folks bumping into and scratching or dinging your body panels, not to mention small chips and dings from flying debris on freeways. You will have your first boo-boo well before you perceive any degradation of paint finish from sun and weather exposure, especially with modern clearcoats. Not to mention.. white... will be the last color in the palette to show age or environment related degradation.

My 2017 is white diamond pearl, and I literally did not touch the paint with any waxing or buffing for the first year. Of course my CRV is garaged when not being driven... so if you plan to park out in the elements, different levels of attention will be required in the long term.

Enjoy your new CRV, drive it, get to know it... you can "nurture" the paint later on.

 

just get it wrapped with paint protection film, costs around $5000 in my area, if you really want to keep your car safe.... ceramic coating and especially waxes are not going to help with swirls and scratches. I mean if you really want to Otherwise there are tons of different consumer grade ceramic coatings, please youtube it and educate yourself

 

I've seen many cars with PPF develop cracks in the film after a number of years....

 

high quality product if installed correctly should last 5 years min, some last 10 years, this is before it starts yellowing, due to not much care, some owners just let their cars sit as is, don't wash them after PPF applied, no protection and then they start complaining thinking it is some kind of a magic cover for their cars and they don't need to wash and protect them anymore.
But in general, 5 years, that what I've seen using 3M and XPEL films. It all about care, how it applied and quality of the film. I put 3M on my Civic, on bumper and half hood, back in 2016 and it still look like new today because I also wash it once a week and apply liquid ceramic coating infused protectants as I would do without the film.

 

high quality product if installed correctly should last 5 years min, some last 10 years, this is before it starts yellowing, due to not much care, some owners just let their cars sit as is, don't wash them after PPF applied, no protection and then they start complaining thinking it is some kind of a magic cover for their cars and they don't need to wash and protect them anymore.
But in general, 5 years, that what I've seen using 3M and XPEL films. It all about care, how it applied and quality of the film. I put 3M on my Civic, on bumper and half hood, back in 2016 and it still look like new today because I also wash it once a week and apply liquid ceramic coating infused protectants as I would do without the film.

I too have XPEL clear bra applied to my '18 CRV Touring, half hood, front fenders, front bumper, fog lights, headlights, and side mirrors...... 3 years now. I only use products mfg'd by Griot's Garage. Weekly I use their Rinseless Wash & Wax and every two months I apply their Ceramic 3 in 1 wax. I garage my car at night. Everywhere I go people ask me what I use on the car to keep it looking like glass. The XPEL still looks like the day it was applied....no yellowing, cracking or hazing whatsoever.

 

I've always clayed and waxed my new cars as soon as I can. It seems that cars in the last 10 yrs or so always have some sort of "film" on them that prevents the shine I like to see. Probably something protective. I know that used to be the case w/ cars that were shipped from overseas. Something put on them to protect from the elements while on the boat.

 

I never waxed my 1998 Accord, 2014 Civic or my current 2021 CRV. Just bring them to the carwash occasionally and keep them garaged. First 2 still looked brand new on trade-in. Modern finishes with clear coat are very durable.

 

Yeah, I really think need for aftermarket treatment of paint, be it waxing, clay+wax, ceramic coating, PPF depends on how the vehicle will live it's life under ownership. Paint color is a consideration as well. And sunlight is a harsh mistress with paint finishes, plastics, and even some types of glass.

Not to mention the possibility of taking ownership on a swirl and streak free paint finish, applying wax and buffing it out, and now having some swirl marks for life. It is one reason I avoid dark paint colors.... as they literally show every minor imperfection in the paint under sunlight.

One thing I have not checked into though is if the actual need for waxing and other treatments remains as valued as in the old days. Reason: the manufacturers moved from solvent based paints to water based paint finishes in recent years, and Honda only uses water based in their North America plants now days.

I do know that my 2017 CRV paint finish, which has never been waxed to date, still beads water on rainy days like it did when it was new. My wifes Accord, same thing, though it does get waxed once each year since she does have hers out in the elements more than my CRV experiences.

 

If you are really serious about doing even a paint coating or wax yourself the key is the preparation. Your new car likely has a ton of particulates on the paint. First step is to do a two bucket based strip wash to remove any current wax, clay bar to remove any particulates (look up the baggie test to see if your paint is smooth), light hand polish if the surface is not 100% perfect. From there you can decide on an a carnauba based wax, paint sealant, or even a spray-on ceramic. If you are serious about doing a full-on ceramic coating be prepared to do a next level prep.

Other alternative is to find a solid professional shop that does ceramic coatings but expect to pay for the paint prep because, once again, it is really all in how the paint is prepped even if it is new.

BTW, great paint choice. My 2017 AWD Touring is black which is a bit more work to look perfect For some detailing and wax/sealant/ceramic check out Adams Polishes which are the primary products that I use that work for my CRV.

 

If you are really serious about doing even a paint coating or wax yourself the key is the preparation. Your new car likely has a ton of particulates on the paint. First step is to do a two bucket based strip wash to remove any current wax, clay bar to remove any particulates (look up the baggie test to see if your paint is smooth), light hand polish if the surface is not 100% perfect. From there you can decide on an a carnauba based wax, paint sealant, or even a spray-on ceramic. If you are serious about doing a full-on ceramic coating be prepared to do a next level prep.

Other alternative is to find a solid professional shop that does ceramic coatings but expect to pay for the paint prep because, once again, it is really all in how the paint is prepped even if it is new.

BTW, great paint choice. My 2017 AWD Touring is black which is a bit more work to look perfect For some detailing and wax/sealant/ceramic check out Adams Polishes which are the primary products that I use that work for my CRV.

Dawn dish soap does a good job in removing the wax before you clay bar.

 

I'm old school I guess. I can't imagine owning a car for 4-5 yrs and NEVER put a coat of wax on it. Mine is garaged as well but it still gets out in the elements. I'm sure if you ran a hand over one w/o wax you could quickly tell what's really on the paint. I'll also never take mine through a drive thru car wash. Different strokes and all that.

 

There is pride in having a properly waxed vehicle that beads water. It's beautiful.

Go outside your work sometime when it rains and look at how many cars don't bead.

There are even good spray waxes now that give you almost no excuse to not have some protection on your vehicle.

 

You can do the minimum or just go bonkers with several stages of paint protection - depends on how much time and money you want to invest. I'd always heard it's wise to clay your finish before anything else to remove the factory orange peel after the completed painting. I'm not sure that's still a thing, but I was pretty into this type of care for my show car. A good clay is always a great place to start as a first step to any paint care program. There have been great claying innovations in the past couple years that makes application much simpler than in the past. Meguires and Griot's Garage products come to mind. Same goes for ceramic applications these days. Based on my own research, Griot's Garage ceramic is also an excellent choice and it can be found at Advance Auto so you don't have to order online. P.S. I don't work for or get paid by Griot's. My 2017 CR-V looks brand new, a neat trick here in the north-east US. Good luck choosing your methods.

 

Ceramic spray the only way to go now days, waxing for protection in dead.

 

waxing for protection in dead

Disagree.

Both CC and wax having different methods of application and while its not in contention that CC lasts longer, waxing is no slouch in second place

 

I hate to sound like a dumb person but what is ceramic spray? What does it do and are there any recommended brands?

 

Scan the posts on page 1 of this thread. Think someone even posted a video.

 

I also have the platinum white paint, my porter hooked me up with a Ceramic coating treatment before driving the new car home for a very reasonable fee. That was last year, since then I use the Turtle wax Ceramic spray from Walmart and gave it another treatment last month before the cold weather creeps in. I like it much better than any coating I have used in 50 years of driving. Oh yeah, the car still looks pristine.

 

I got the gorgeous white diamond pearl color for my '18 EX at no extra charge. It has held up well with careful washing technique. Go on Youtube to learn how to properly wash a car. I have been using Turtle Wax ceramic car polish with good results for 6 months now. Forget expensive ceramic treatments and try a cheap car polish for the first year.

 

try a cheap car polish for the first year.

Simply awful advice.

New car and use a cheap product on it? 🤦‍♂️

 

By the way.... large volume painting in modern Honda factories in North America is... quite the engineering feat.

Welcome to Honda Development and Manufacturing of America

Honda home page

ohio.honda.com

 

There is one factor that has not been mentioned in this discussion. There are 3 premium colors ($395 extra) and there are 4 non premium colors. The premium colors are Platinum White Pearl, Radiant Red Metallic and Sonic Gray Pearl. Why do these colors cost significantly more? Are they more or less vulnerable to the elements as they age? Should they be maintained in a different manner compared to the 4 non premium colors?

 

Are they more or less vulnerable to the elements as they age? Should they be maintained in a different manner compared to the 4 non premium colors?

I'd say NO to the above.

Be thankful you don't have a high-end German car. They charge a LOT more than $400 for anything other than flat white.

Speaking of white paint: Some Mexican-built Honda HR-Vs in white are subject to bad paint.

Recall/TSB - 2016-2018 White Paint Extended Warranty

I was surprised to see this report from my local CBS news station. https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/video/4059251-2-on-your-side-peeling-car-paint/

www.hrvforum.com

 

I seem to remember another thread about white paint peeling on CR-Vs, perhaps on the A pillar?? but couldn't find it.

 

I feel it's wrong to charge differently for paint colors. I understand the packages and trims pricing. Then again it's a money maker. I don't feel any of the colors are premium. They are just different and consumers have different tastes.

 

^

You answered it right there. Its about making money

The day people choose only solid/free colours, there might be a policy change....but until that day....

 

Yes, I am glad I got the sonic gray pearl as a freebie and I am also glad that Honda isn't charging for premium colors as much as some of the other brands mentioned here. So it's a different paint process for some pearls and metallics? I am starting to see more sonic gray pearls in my area now. However, White Diamond Pearl and Steel Metallic still rules in this region.

 

Those colors are not available on the base model so the % extra you pay depends on how high a level CRV you buy. Higher % on a Special Edition than it is on a Touring. $395 on a $30,000+ car doesn't seem too bad a deal to me.

 

Those colors are not available on the base model, so the % extra you pay depends on how high a level CRV you buy. Higher % on a Special Edition than it is on a Touring. $395 on a $30,000+ car doesn't seem too bad a deal to me.

Yes, according to the comments, some brands are charging a lot more for premium colors. Moneymaker!!!! Just like service is a moneymaker. At my hometown dealership, the salespeople come in the lounge inquiring if anyone is interested in trading or a new vehicle. I've witnessed it numerous times. Last month I got sucked in too. I am happy, however.