Both years have the blue flakes.

There is no clearcoat.

 

So, is there NO clear, or is it a tinted clear over the base color to achieve the pearl? I'd hate to think there's NO clear, but maybe that explains the soft paint issues I keep reading about. I haven't dealt with a non-clearcoat OEM paint in... decades? Sheesh, I'm getting old...

 

There HAS to be some clear. Else even waxing would show black on the rags.

Somebody grab a piece of wet sandpaper and hit a hidden spot...

 

I have been told twice now by the service manager at my dealership that newer Hondas, including our Fits, do not have a clear coat. Honda has done away with it and gone to s water-based paint to be environmentally safe, but the bottom line is that they want to save money.

You would have to say that it is true judging by the paint degradation on my Fit. But I don't understand how it can get such a shine with just a base coat.

 

So even the paint quality is diffrent on the USDM Fit from my EUDM Jazz? It is stated in the manual and both the dealer and the workshop that painted the bumpers on my BAP colored Jazz said there is a layer of clear paint on all the Honda cars with Pearl colored paint.
And as someone here said when you rub or polish the car does the towel get black? If not there are maybe a clear coat to protect the paint?