Car Wax Ratings
With cold weather coming, now could be an excellent time to wax your
car and help protect it from the potential hazards of falling leaves and
road salt. Before buying a car wax, be aware that premium car wax
brands don't necessarily hold up any better than lower-priced
alternatives, based on our latest tests. In fact, some moderately priced
liquids scored near the top of our Ratings--better than some products
costing twice as much.
Still, none of the 19 products tested were
good enough to be Rated excellent, with most showing signs of
deterioration within a few weeks.We also found that pastes
performed no better than liquids overall, though the two top-scoring
pastes were the only waxes to rated excellent for durability. Both wax
types had similar scores for ease of use.We did not evaluate
spray-on/wipe-off products this time, because earlier tests have shown
them to be less effective for cleaning, to be ineffective against
weather, and to rate the worst for durability. They're best only for
newer finishes and if you wash and wax frequently.Thanks to
today's clear-coat finishes, our testing shows that even the best wax
will probably not improve the shine on a new car. Regular washing is
still the most important step to protecting your car's finish. But a
coat of wax can add a layer of protection against tree sap, bird
droppings, and other contaminants--at least for a while. Most products
we tested showed a significant loss of protection within about five
weeks. For this reason, we recommend waxing even new cars every two or
three months. And if your car is older or the finish has begun to dull,
the effects can be even more dramatic. Waxing can fill minute finish
imperfections, and waxes that scored highly for gloss improvement
removed oxidation and made paint appear darker and more vibrant.
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