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

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,820Avg. savings £6,182 off RRP*Used from £12,795
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £4,588 off RRP*
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £3,374 off RRP*Used from £7,195
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £14,480Avg. savings £2,084 off RRP*Used from £8,995
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

All-new Dacia Striker is a cut-price Golf rival with an estate shape
Dacia C-Neo - exclusive image front

All-new Dacia Striker is a cut-price Golf rival with an estate shape

The Dacia Striker, formerly known as C-Neo, will be revealed in full on March 10th with a more conventional hatch version to follow
News
5 Mar 2026
Jaecoo 7 recalled: a quarter of all brand’s 2025 UK cars going back to dealers
Jaecoo 7 - front action

Jaecoo 7 recalled: a quarter of all brand’s 2025 UK cars going back to dealers

The Chinese brand has initiated a recall for roughly 7,500 Jaecoo 7 models due to an incorrectly attached wiring harness clip
News
6 Mar 2026
Why EVs are so expensive to insure, and how to make them cheaper
Ford Puma Gen-E - front action

Why EVs are so expensive to insure, and how to make them cheaper

Research shows that EVs are usually 15 to 25 per cent more expensive to insure than petrol cars – the experts at Thatcham say they have the solution
News
3 Mar 2026