Skip advert
Advertisement

Wheel polishes

Maintain that freshly cleaned shine on your alloys by using a rim wax. We test the top 10

If nothing but the best will do for your car, you can't ignore wheel polishes. Apply them after cleaning your alloys and you'll not only give a shine to the rims, but also slow the build-up of brake dust and make them much easier to clean in the future. Well, that's the manufacturers' claim, at least... but does wheel wax work - and are such products worth the time, money and effort?

Advertisement - Article continues below

To find out, we put 10 of the leading lights through their paces. We sourced the polishes and kits from accessory shops and the Internet, then assessed them for four weeks, during which time our test car covered 1,600 miles.

Verdict

You have to be keen to buy a wheel polish. They do reduce brake dust build-up and ease cleaning, but are time-consuming to apply and some are pricey.
Still, our top two don't break the bank; Autoglym wins and Turtle Wax comes close behind. And for top protection, try the compre-hensive Muc-Off kit.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £39,045Avg. savings £4,673 off RRP*Used from £13,698
Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £26,310Avg. savings £2,444 off RRP*Used from £9,995
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,270Avg. savings £2,393 off RRP*Used from £6,995
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,840Avg. savings £5,624 off RRP*Used from £11,999
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Long-term test: BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport Pro
BMW iX3 long-term test - header

Long-term test: BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport Pro

First report: Award-winning first Neue Klasse BMW gets off to a strong start on our fleet
Long-term tests
18 Jul 2026
New Jeep hybrid SUV aims to out-muscle Land Rover's Defender, with some help from China
Jeep D-segment SUV - front static

New Jeep hybrid SUV aims to out-muscle Land Rover's Defender, with some help from China

Want a Defender, but can’t stretch to one? Jeep’s new cut-priced family SUV should be cheap to buy, and to run…
News
20 Jul 2026
Electricity VAT axe to make EV charging cheaper, but not if you can’t charge at home
Vauxhall Astra GSE connected to a home wallbox charger

Electricity VAT axe to make EV charging cheaper, but not if you can’t charge at home

VAT on domestic electricity will be scrapped from October, thus widening the gap between home and public charging
News
21 Jul 2026