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

Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £11,990Avg. savings £703 off RRP*Used from £10,250
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,840Avg. savings £5,643 off RRP*Used from £11,495
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,175Avg. savings £4,168 off RRP*Used from £7,420
Toyota Yaris Cross
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Range Rover Electric and Dacia Spring are EV extremes but I've found the sweet spot
Opinion - EV sweet spot

Range Rover Electric and Dacia Spring are EV extremes but I've found the sweet spot

Mike Rutherford believes he's figured out the trick to getting the best EV bargain
Opinion
20 Sep 2026
Paris Motor Show 2026: your guide to all the key cars
Paris Motor Show 2026 header image

Paris Motor Show 2026: your guide to all the key cars

Huge motor show looks set for some suitably big reveals in October
News
21 Sep 2026
Volkswagen ID. Buzz sets a massive EV distance record
Record-breaking VW ID.Buzz in Thailand

Volkswagen ID. Buzz sets a massive EV distance record

Setting the record for ‘most countries visited in a continuous journey in an EV’, the Buzz covered almost 62,000 miles in 445 days.
News
18 Sep 2026