Scratch remover

The lacquer on cars may be harder than ever, but it doesn't stop it falling prey to scratches from bushes or careless car washing. If you can see but not feel the damage with a fingernail, a scratch remover can help restore the shine. We tried 10 products (here) on a range of marks to find the best.

Our winner
Autoglym Paint Renovator
Price: £5.99
Contact: www.autoglym.co.uk
The upmarket producer is making this category its own, with a second win in our tests. On the deliberately marked panel, it removed the damage completely and left a shiny finish. Great performance at a price that won’t break the bank.

Commended
Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound
Price: £9.99
Contact: www.meguiars.co.uk
A softly, softly approach paid off for Ultimate Compound. Although it isn’t the most abrasive choice, you can use it repeatedly without fear of damaging the clear coat. Liquid formula goes on easily, and dealt with all our marks. Add a keen price, and it gets our commendation.

Poorboy’s World SSR2
Price: £12.45
Contact: www.waxdaddy.co.uk
Because it has been designed to work with a polisher, SSR2 isn’t particularly easy to apply by hand. However, it worked brilliantly, dealing with our self-inflicted damage effectively. The price looks steep when compared to the competition, but you get a lot for your money, and we think it’s worth paying for such strong performance.