I visited the 3M car care in Noida on Tuesday morning. I had a word with the owner, Ranpreet, the previous evening, but he wasn't at the store on Tuesday. An SA named Hemanta assisted me.
3M basically offers these packages:
1. Paint essential - for new cars;
2. Power shine/ some other keyword - for old cars;
3. Trizact treatment - for high-end cars.
Other than this, they sell 3M and Meguiars products, 3M vinyl wraps, PPF and some other products. They also have annual packages for washing + detailing. For a Creta, 9 washes + 5 detailing treatments in a year worked out to 22,000.
I found the pricing a bit on the higher side. The Paint Essential program was 5,760 for large cars. Under body anti rust came at 5,300 I think with 5 year warranty (2 year warranty one is some 3,700) and 10 checks over the same period. Their engine coating was 1,760. In comparison, Waxoyl charges 4,400, 2,300 and 500 respectively. (but they don't have a workshop in NCR)
Anyway, I went for paint essential, anti rust (5 year) and nomad mats (265 per sq ft).
What I liked
- Clean, well maintained workshop. It was broomed and wiped every hour I believe;
- Workshop has 6 stations, including 1 for washing, 2 covered with a transparent curtain and 3 side by side. All 6 are covered;
- Good lounge area to wait. All information is displayed on pamphelets, has a wifi for customers;
- Or if you prefer, you can wait on the floor around your vehicle. Everybody is happy letting you take pictures while the work is on. No restrictions whatsoever.
- The general percpetion in the generic 3M thread on TBHP is that 3M uses compound rubbing on new cars. They didn't. But I asked them to rub an area on the bonnet specifically which they oblidged for.
- At one instant while buffing, the microfibre cloth fell down. The workman dusted it off thrice before using it again.
- Sufficient manpower to get the job done promptly. The 7 step treatment, underbody coat and mats took a total of 3 hours;
- The workshop was busy even on a Tuesday morning. Had almost 5 cars for various jobs and 3-4 inquiries;
What I didn't like- Microfibres clothes used are very old and looked dirty. Considering the volume they get and price they charge, I'd atleast hope for a new stack of clothes everyday;
- All products used are 3M branded products while the display in the lounge has Meguiars. Not that they commit anything, but the general feeling you get is they use what they sell. They don't. Infact, the wax used in the "Paint Essential" program is the same wax they'd use after a regular wash. Makes you wonder why did you pay 5700 for the treatment then!! No wonder even 3M assures a mere 6 month protection. In comparison, Waxoyl offers better protection for a less price and is an equally respectable brand.
About nomad mats
I got the mats in 1+1+1 combination; that's 2 for the front and a single mats for the rear. In my car, they look pretty discreet and are nice and spongy. The fitting took almost 2 hours since the workman cut the entire mat in the required shape covering every nook and corner starting from the rear footwell to under seat area. Literally every corner was covered.
What I don't like about the mat is, there is no mechanism to hold them in place. They're just lying there. The hook provided by the company protrudes and looks ugly.
Some pics
Before the treatment began
The workshop area
Jacked up for under body coat. They used pressurized air to clean and dry the area before applying the coat
The claying, buffing, coumpounding, polishing and waxing area. Notice the number of people engaged on a single vehicle
In between a dusty Baleno came and the owners asked for a demo. A small area was masked and worked upon. Here's the result
Nomad mat cutting in progress. This job was really impressive. More than mats, the corner to corner fitting.
The lounge area with product display
The outcome on my car!
The damage to the wallet. Also got a warranty card for the anti rust coat.
Yesterday it rained after a mild storm and I experienced the beading, or the lack of it.
Overall - I'm happy with the workmanship but not too happy with the outcome, especially considering the price they're charging. For a brand new car, I could still see swirl marks and minor scratches, especially on the bonnet. Agreed they were already there when I took delivery but I had especially pointed it out to the SA and they were still there. The standard response was - it's a black car, it will have such scratches.
In future, I might ditch 3M and go with a local detailer. The reason I didn't do so now is no detailer in my area has his own workshop and I don't have a shaded area with a power point. Might have to explore one farther towards Karol Bagh/ Kirti Nagar..