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 Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,640Avg. savings £2,419 off RRP*Used from £8,995
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £14,495Avg. savings £2,393 off RRP*Used from £7,300
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £24,040Avg. savings £1,535 off RRP*Used from £18,290
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,805Avg. savings £4,597 off RRP*Used from £7,595
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: Omoda 7 exhibits big value at £204 a month
Omoda 7 - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Omoda 7 exhibits big value at £204 a month

The 7 is one of Omoda’s latest models in its ever-expanding range of cars for Brits. It’s our Deal of the Day for 1 July.
News
1 Jul 2026
Car of the Year 2026: Nissan Leaf
Nissan Leaf - Auto Express Car of the Year

Car of the Year 2026: Nissan Leaf

The all-new Nissan Leaf is the Auto Express Car of the Year for 2026
Awards
3 Jul 2026
New Kia Sportage and EV5 Storm models to steal the GT-Line’s thunder
Kia Sportage and EV5 Storm - front and rear static

New Kia Sportage and EV5 Storm models to steal the GT-Line’s thunder

The Kia EV5 and Sportage are now available with the new Storm specification, while the former also now gets a dual-motor option
News
1 Jul 2026