Yeah, that coating is meant to keep the paint shiny, not protect against stone chips. I looked at a bunch of cars as I was going for a walk today, it seems most are fine with no protection, but some really get hammered and have lots of chips and pock marks.
I'm leaning towards not bothering with anything, mostly because $600 to wrap it in plastic seems a little steep. Cars can be repainted - I did a wing mirror once with spray cans, though I probably can't do a good enough job that I'd have a go at a new car.