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 £37,020Avg. savings £3,308 off RRP*Used from £22,250
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £39,390Avg. savings £8,402 off RRP*Used from £25,197
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £25,250Avg. savings £2,429 off RRP*Used from £10,990
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,435Avg. savings £6,248 off RRP*Used from £10,760
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Citroen 2CV: the French £13k EV city car is sticking to retro styling
New Citroen 2CV teaser - headlight

New Citroen 2CV: the French £13k EV city car is sticking to retro styling

New budget-focused EV will closely follow the design of the original 2CV
News
5 Oct 2026
It’s hard to see how the Jaguar Type 01 will be a huge success
Rutherford Jaguar Type 01

It’s hard to see how the Jaguar Type 01 will be a huge success

Mike Rutherford warns that the majority of new car buyers do not go for big, expensive saloon cars such as the latest Jag
Opinion
5 Oct 2026
Car Deal of the Day: a Nissan Micra for a micro £183 a month
Nissan Micra - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: a Nissan Micra for a micro £183 a month

Renault 5’s sister is far more affordable, but is just as fun to drive. It’s our Deal of the Day for 6 October.
News
6 Oct 2026