Skip advert
Advertisement

Car polishes and waxes

Buff up in the first part of our two- week Spring Car Care Special with Britain's biggest-ever polish test.

Want the ultimate protection for your car? Then look no further than this, the ultimate test! In another British first, Auto Express has put 19 top waxes and polishes on trial.

Diamond-hard protection, luxurious carnauba wax, brilliant shine, no-grief polishing... in no other sector of the car valeting market are the manufacturers' promises bigger or bolder.

But do they match up to reality? We braved the hail, rain, snow and ice in order to bring you the truth. We scoured the high street accessory shop shelves and the Internet to assemble this megatest.

So which one comes out on top? The next four pages will reveal all. And next week, we will show you the best and worst ways to keep your car spotless.

Verdict

It is very hard to look past Turtle Wax in these results. The US manufacturer may produce a massive range, but it really does have a handle on exactly how to make durable polishes.

Accordingly, Turtle Wax takes the top three spots with its Gloss Guard, Platinum and ClearVue, and has no less than six products finishing in our top 10.Newcomer Rain Dance impresses, and it's a promising debut for the new Original liquid from Simoniz. The top 10 is completed by chain store giant Halfords' Williams F1 wax and the Armor All Protectant.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Toyota Yaris Cross
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £25,250Avg. savings £2,502 off RRP*Used from £8,995
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,435Avg. savings £5,965 off RRP*Used from £12,000
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,840Avg. savings £5,649 off RRP*Used from £11,490
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Jaecoo 5 SHS-S finally means hybrid power for this compact SUV
Jaecoo 5 SHS-S - front tracking

New Jaecoo 5 SHS-S finally means hybrid power for this compact SUV

Chery’s latest hybrid powertrain brings the Jaecoo 5 SUV bang up to date
News
15 Apr 2026
Long-term test: Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+
Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+ - Mk1 with new car

Long-term test: Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+

Second report: What a difference 20 years make in the life of popular SUV
Long-term tests
15 Apr 2026
New Volkswagen ID.3 Neo: EV hatch gets massive update, Golf-a-like look and lots of buttons!
Phil McNamara with the Volkswagen ID.3 Neo

New Volkswagen ID.3 Neo: EV hatch gets massive update, Golf-a-like look and lots of buttons!

The new Volkswagen ID.3 Neo EV banishes the quirkiness of its predecessor with a less cartoonish look and smarter tech
News
15 Apr 2026