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Honestly wraps hold up pretty good. The big thing you have to realize is that it is not a paint job & shouldn't be compared to paint jobs. An example of this would be door jams, edges & seams. If a wrap is done right, you really should not see the original color or see very little of the original color at awkward edges, curves or seams.
Upkeep is actually pretty simple. You can wash the car like you normally would. I always recommend to wax the car occasionally. Don't take a power buffer to it or anything, but putting a coat of clear wax is never a bad thing. I tend to put a coat of clear wax on my car after a few washes. It helps clean it, remove smaller scratches and gives it a pretty cool sheen.
Sometime next month I am going to clean the car really good and put a Matte Finish Sealant by Dr Beasleys on it. I am curious to see how that will affect longevity and maintenance.
I would have to say the biggest downfall of wraps is edges & stuff peeling back or bubbling. Overall the material nowadays is very conformable and so much better than the materials available a few years ago. If installed properly there should minimal peeling or bubbling at all.
With that in mind, there are limitations of the vinyl. Knowing the limits of the vinyl and placing a strategic seam when needed produce a better wrap in my opinion than over stretching and forcing the material into a situation that it will ultimately fall. I can stretch the material into a very deep crease and it will look awesome, then you go back to look at it after it has been in the heat of the sun for a few hours and everything peeled back and looks horrible. Again, knowing the limitations is key.
I have wrapped probably 75+ full vehicles and done a countless number of smaller vinyl jobs such as roofs, stripes, interior trim panels, etc. Even with that experience I learn new stuff every wrap I do.
Overall though, I think vinyl wraps have their place & purpose. It will never take place of a quality paintjob, but as long as you know what you are getting into & use the proper material/install techniques they turn out great!
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