I put high-end ceramic on a new BMW M2 in 2019. It was a fairly expensive C-Quartz product that normally people pay to have applied, but I did it myself. The amount of labor was insane and it was complicated. I would never use that product (or similar) again. Too complicated and too many opportunities to mess up and make your car look worse. I've seen poor applications on a dark car and it's a horror show; at least my car was white, which is more forgiving.
Wipe it on (sparingly) in a small area in a thorough crosshatch pattern, let the carrier flash off (about 45 seconds), then buff it out. If you miss a spot when buffing, it leaves a rainbow distortion that you can usually fix if caught in time. If not, that spot needs to be polished (with abrasives) to get the ceramic off, then repeat the process there.
About 12 hours after that first step, you need to follow up with a second product that adds smoothness and extra shine (the first step looked OK but left a dull feeling). And that second "reload" product is meant to be applied after any car washes. In fact, it's required to maintain the performance and warranty of the ceramic coating.
What I wanted from the ceramic is improved protection from bird droppings (I have seen them etch clearcoat in a matter of hours). Since the high end ceramics essentially put a coating of glass over the surface, it gives an extra layer of protection that normal wax cannot. It's not permanent and the ceramic itself can be damaged or scratched. The main thing you are getting is that extra layer of glass-like protection.
The downside is that you need to do that "reload" product after every wash. I don't wash my cars a lot, but even then, this is a pain. If someone washes their car frequently, they may as well just wax the car with a normal product after every wash.
On my new 2020 truck I tried Turtle Wax hybrid ceramic spray wax. It had gotten some very good reviews and caught my attention. Very easy to apply and looks great. I doubt it offers the same protection as the pro product (it was only $8 for a bottle, whereas the pro stuff was over $150). But it's theoretically better than regular wax products, and does contain some of the ceramic benefits and protection. I don't plan to wash my new truck often (last truck got washed once in 7 years) but I'll probably try to reapply this Turtle Wax stuff at least once a year if I can.
