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 £26,295Avg. savings £4,213 off RRP*Used from £10,995
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £38,030Avg. savings £3,128 off RRP*Used from £24,851
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £27,005Avg. savings £9,362 off RRP*Used from £8,395
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,820Avg. savings £6,189 off RRP*Used from £12,795
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Jaguar Land Rover on brink of deal to build Chinese cars in Britain
New Chery Tiggo 9 2025 UK review - head on

Jaguar Land Rover on brink of deal to build Chinese cars in Britain

A deal between the British and Chinese brands could see Chery models built using spare JLR capacity
News
29 Jan 2026
Meet Renault’s new SUV: a Dacia Duster but not as we know it…
Renault Duster - front

Meet Renault’s new SUV: a Dacia Duster but not as we know it…

Posher inside and out and with more headroom, welcome to the upside down world of the Indian Duster
News
26 Jan 2026
The petrol hot hatch isn't dead yet! VW Golf GTI and R to live on
Volkswagen Golf GTI - front corner tracking, low

The petrol hot hatch isn't dead yet! VW Golf GTI and R to live on

Volkswagen is developing the EA888 2.0-litre turbo engine for new emissions regs, meaning new hot hatches are in the works
News
27 Jan 2026