When most people think about vinyl vehicle wraps, they automatically think “advertising”. And, rightfully so. Vehicle wraps are arguably the most affordable form of advertising, in terms of money spent to eyeballs reached. The average cost per impression is under $1.00.
However, the versatility of vinyl lends itself to more permanent, less obvious applications in respect to vehicles. Premium vinyl is being increasingly used to transform the finish and color of vehicles for purely cosmetic reasons. In other words, car owners can change the color of their car with a vinyl car wrap. With the multitude of vinyl colors and finishes available, a matte black car can become a glossy red car, a shiny silver car or even a wood paneled car.
Why not get a paint job? Well, that’s been an increasing debate. Why would someone choose a vinyl wrap over a traditional paint job. Here are four of the main reasons to choose a vinyl wrap over paint.
1) Cost
First of all, with paint jobs and vinyl wraps, you truly do get what you pay for. There are cheap paints, just like there are cheap vinyls. You do not want to skimp on the materials. The premium vinyls do require the premium laminates, which are the true protectors of the vinyl.
According to CarsDirect.com, a high end paint job for your vehicle can cost between $5000-$20,000. This is a paint job that will last you a very long time. The paint is premium and the technician will have years of experience painting and detailing cars.
The average price of a car wrap–for a mid-sized vehicle–is $2000-$4000. Once again, this is premium vinyl with premium laminate and installed by an expert. Premium wrap vinyl and laminate is designed to last between 6-8 years. This assumes a car owner is taking care of his car.
2) Protection
Premium wrap vinyl and laminate actually act like a shield on your car. Vinyl is much less susceptible to rock chips, scratches and other unforeseen nicks that naturally happen over time. With this protective shield on your car, the factory paint is actually being preserved.
The edges and creases of your car are constantly being abused by dirt, rubbing and banging. Unprotected paint has a tendency to chip off and flake when exposed to constant contact. And rust. Vinyl protects the car’s surface from exposure to oxygen, which attacks weak spots in paint and creates unsightly and vehicle depreciating rust.
Vinyl can be a great way to preserve the value of your vehicle.
3) Maintenance
To keep your car’s paint job looking new, you need to wash and wax the surface on a regular basis. 
Waxing is a tedious chore that can take the better part of an afternoon. It requires not only the wax itself, but a buffer, buffer pads, polish and possibly microfiber cloths. This is a lot of work to keep your car looking clean.
Vinyl requires a fraction of the work. Many times, depending on the layer of dirt, you can simply hose off the dirt and grime from your car. At most, you would need to wipe of the vinyl with some soapy water. Another option is to use a rag and 70% alcohol.
Vinyl affords you more time driving and less time cleaning.
4) Versatility
One reason vinyl has so many applications and so many uses is because it is incredibly versatile. The material comes in numerous colors and finishes–gloss, matte, reflective, brushed, etc. For car owners, this means a car’s finish can be changed on a whim.
Tired of the gloss look? Go matte. Did you just see someone else with the same color car? Go with a one-of-a-kind color. Further, you can easily add a set of racing stripes to your sports car by having them printed on the vinyl. Printing is another benefit of vinyl. You can customize your vehicle with stripes, patterns and even logos and text.
Having your car repainted each time would be extremely costly and very time consuming.
These are just four of the main reasons car owners are increasingly looking to have their vehicles wrapped rather than painted. The debate is on and vinyl is running away with the vote.
