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

Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £10,860Avg. savings £2,811 off RRP*Used from £10,860
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £10,463Avg. savings £5,842 off RRP*Used from £9,449
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £12,490Avg. savings £2,429 off RRP*Used from £10,990
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £11,990Avg. savings £703 off RRP*Used from £10,649
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New BMW 3 Series 2026 review: too good for Audi and Mercedes
BMW 3 Series - front

New BMW 3 Series 2026 review: too good for Audi and Mercedes

The new BMW 3 Series is everything we hoped it would be, with superb driving dynamics and a premium feel throughout
Road tests
29 Oct 2026
New BMW i3 2026 review: drives just like an electric 3 Series should
BMW i3 - front

New BMW i3 2026 review: drives just like an electric 3 Series should

We get behind the wheel of the new BMW i3 to see if it's as good as it looks on paper
Road tests
30 Oct 2026
New Toyota hybrid engine on its way, and it could return over 85mpg
Next-gen Toyota hybrid engine

New Toyota hybrid engine on its way, and it could return over 85mpg

Japanese giant has put all of its engineering might behind new 1.5-litre engine, and is now teasing us with what to expect
News
28 Oct 2026