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

Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £38,050Avg. savings £3,394 off RRP*Used from £27,882
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,175Avg. savings £2,770 off RRP*Used from £7,495
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £27,005Avg. savings £6,250 off RRP*Used from £9,790
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,270Avg. savings £1,925 off RRP*Used from £8,888
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

PHEV megatest: Britain's 16 favourite plug-in hybrid systems tested
PHEV Megatest headershot

PHEV megatest: Britain's 16 favourite plug-in hybrid systems tested

It’s PHEV boom time. So we tried the systems offered in 59 cars, testing their EV range and efficiency, to reveal the ones you should buy
Car group tests
14 May 2026
New Land Rover Discovery is on track as brand seeks to redefine the model in relation to Defender
Land Rover Discovery badge

New Land Rover Discovery is on track as brand seeks to redefine the model in relation to Defender

The Land Rover Discovery is set for a reboot according to JLR boss P.B Balaji
News
14 May 2026
New Omoda 7 Noble Tech has unique screen that slides right across the car
Omoda 7 - front static

New Omoda 7 Noble Tech has unique screen that slides right across the car

A new top-spec variant of the Omoda 7 has a few functions we’ve not seen before
News
13 May 2026