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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.

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New & used car deals

Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,640Avg. savings £2,419 off RRP*Used from £8,995
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,085Avg. savings £3,430 off RRP*Used from £10,995
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,270Avg. savings £2,398 off RRP*Used from £6,460
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £39,045Avg. savings £4,673 off RRP*Used from £10,490
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
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