Harder paint is usually a little more scratch resistant in the sense that it’s a little less susceptible to washing induced marring and swirls. This definitely isn’t implying that care doesn’t need to be taken when washing, just that it takes just a little more to scratch or mar the paint. On the flip side it takes more effort to remove scratches, swirls, and marring you do get.
Soft paint scratches very easily and is easier to correct unless it’s really soft, then sometimes it’s hard to do finish without marring. Then there are some hard paints that actually scratch pretty easily.
As long as you take care of the paint and take care washing/drying I don’t think you can really say one is better than the other. This is kind of speaking in general. For every rule there are exceptions.
It’s been my experience that a vehicle with harder paint that has a good sealant or ceramic coating will maintain that just polished look for a long time as long as it’s maintained properly. A proper washing and drying method is probably the biggest factor in having a great looking car for a long period of time. Both the sealant and coatings will keep dirt and grime on the surface and it will wash off incredibly easy. They also add a little gloss to the finely polished paint.
The BMW’s I did were in pretty bad shape but I had to use a rotary with a wool pad for my first cut.
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