Ordered my 2010 Escape. What to get for it?

1405 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by LIEscape, Jan 26, 2010

BeatJunkie

Discussion Starter · Jan 25, 2010

Hi all!

Yesterday I went and factory ordered a brand new Escape XLT 2.5L FWD with Canadian Winter (leather) package, Convenience Group, Cargo Convenience package, Sync, ambient lighting and remote start. Steel Blue exterior and Stone interior. I'm excited! Now the waiting begins...

While I'm waiting for delivery I have started researching what's available out there for protecting the metal and paint from the elements. I'd like to get some opinions from the community on what's worthwhile and what's a waste of money.

Here is some background... My wife and I love to go on road trips, and we also visit family about 45 highway minutes outside the city many times a year. That makes for some highway driving, and I am concerned about flying debris. We also live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where the winters are mostly cold and the road salt is plentiful. I am pretty handy, and I'm not afraid to get hands-on with my car. I am also thrifty, and my wife is even more so. This Escape will be our first brand-new vehicle.

1. I have been reading about paint protection film from the likes of 3M Scotchgard, VentureShield, XPEL, etc. That kind of product looks great to me and seems to make sense, but to get a precut kit to cover all the most vulnerable spots would cost several hundred dollars. Instead, I'm thinking of getting some rolls of that urethane film, and trim it myself as I apply it. If I search eBay for "paint protection film roll", I see a bunch of VentureShield film by the roll. My question here is, are there less-expensive places to get this film? Does anyone here know of any good stores anywhere between Winnipeg and Minneapolis where this film can be easily acquired for cheap? We love the twin cities by the way, and drive there at least once a year on average.

2. My next question is, for a Canadian, what is the least expensive way to get a set of those WeatherTech DigitalFit weather mats? My understanding is that they are only available through mail-order, right? Is ordering direct from WeatherTech Canadian web store the only way to go?

3. Is undercoating from a third party such as Ming or Ziebart worth the money? I intend to wash the Escape regularly anyway. Perhaps I'll wait and see if the Escape could use some quieting before considering undercoating.

I'm sure that I'll think of other things to do to my Escape once I get it, but this is all for now. Thanks!

-Ryan the BeatJunkie

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sleeve

· #4 · Jan 25, 2010

BeatJunkie said:
Hi all!

Welcome!

BeatJunkie said:
are there less-expensive places to get this film? Does anyone here know of any good stores anywhere between Winnipeg and Minneapolis where this film can be easily acquired for cheap?

Are there any car detailing shops up in the twin cities areas? If you bought direct from a place like Auto-One they might give you a discount on a bulk roll of the film. However, the only real unprotected area of the truck is the hood. The rear fenders already come with a small spot of protective tape for rock strikes around the lower door area.

What other spots were you thinking of taping up? [just curious]

BeatJunkie said:
2. My next question is, for a Canadian, what is the least expensive way to get a set of those WeatherTech DigitalFit weather mats? My understanding is that they are only available through mail-order, right? Is ordering direct from WeatherTech Canadian web store the only way to go?

I have only ever ordered them from online. But a buddy of mine bought a full set from a weather tech store. If there is a store in the Twin Cities area you can just walk right in and pick up a set without having to pay for shipping costs. The mats are not cheap but they are very much worth the cost. I have black carpet in my Escape and it's still brand new looked [halfway through winter unvacuumed]

BeatJunkie said:
Is undercoating from a third party such as Ming or Ziebart worth the money? I intend to wash the Escape regularly anyway. Perhaps I'll wait and see if the Escape could use some quieting before considering undercoating.

I would personally skip the undercoating.

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sleeve

· #7 · Jan 26, 2010

Aye - the Mirror backs on the Limited models are painted. My XLT has the basic black plastic models... If you are springing for the Limited model than some plastic film is surely in order for the mirror surfaces.

Another idea that I'm toying with is filling the grille with screen mesh to at least save some of my A/C condensor. It's too cold now to look at the front bumper area though.

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