Car Product Awards 2025: the very best kit for your car
From waxes and washes to tyres and tools, this is the top kit for your car
The product testing team at Auto Express knows that you want to take good care of your car – but want to make sure you are not wasting your time or money. So for nearly three decades we have been doing the most comprehensive car care tests in the business, putting more than 600 products through our rigorous regimes every year.
Each item is assessed from the point of view of a consumer, so if a polish costs twice as much as its rivals but you can’t see the difference without the help of a microscope, it’s not going to be a winner.
The winners of the 2025 Product of the Year Awards represent the very best in their categories, from simple tyre dressings that cost only a few pounds up to the latest dash cams with prices in the hundreds.
While we continue to test the old favourites, this year’s awards introduce critical updates to reflect market shifts. We have noticed the influx of cheaper products from previously unknown brands sold through Amazon, eBay and Temu, and have put them through the same tests as the established brands to see if they really are the bargains they appear to be.
In the case of dash cams, our testers were so overwhelmed with the number they’d been sent for review that we decided to conduct a ‘mega test’ with 15 devices put through their paces. You’ll be seeing more of these in our most popular categories over the coming months.
You might notice another big change this year – a new face looking after the awards. After more than 25 years, Kim Adams has handed over the product editor reins to Tom Barnard – although Kim will still be advising and helping out with several tests every year.
Thanks to Kim and everyone who has helped us with the tests this year, and congratulations to all of our winners.
Best car products 2025
Scroll down to find our Product Awards 2025 winners in each category...
Product of the year: Hydro V2 Spray Bottle
- Price: around £25
- Contact: hydrouk.co
When choosing the overall winner in our awards, we look for something that genuinely moves the game on. It must impress us when we first use it, and also be a product that we find ourselves reaching for repeatedly when looking after our cars.
The Hydro V2 is an innovation that isn’t powered by a lithium-ion battery and doesn’t use AI to make your life easier. It doesn’t even have a plug, relying on human power instead. But it offers a clever design, great quality and decent value, and fulfils a need we didn’t know existed until we tried it.
True, spray bottles are nothing new; they have been used in professional car washes to dispense pre-wash detergents for years. But using them for snow foam is a relatively new idea, catering for drivers who aren’t using a pressure washer. Recent research showed that 36 per cent of people who clean their own car in the UK don’t always use a jet wash, because either they can’t access one, or it’s just too much effort to set up.
There is another very good reason to use a spray bottle rather than a pressure washer: dosing. Some car care chemicals require careful measurement to ensure they are effective and safe to use, and it’s difficult to be sure how much your pressure washer dilutes the products as they are fed into the water flow.
The Hydro V2 allows you to dispense spray foams and coatings quickly and easily, making sure you are getting the mix ratios exactly as the maker instructs. This means they will be more effective, and you’re likely to save money by using less too.
Measuring is made even more accurate because the Hydro has a separate dosing cap. Rather than you relying on vague markings on the side of the bottle, a small lid unscrews from the shoulder of the V2 and this houses a marked cup for measuring small quantities of liquids for dilution.
Using the Hydro is little more work than a pressure washer, since it uses hand pump power. But the bottle has a wide base to ensure stability and there are metal components in key places, suggesting it is built to last.
As well as snow foam, the Hydro can spray sealant coatings, and it is supplied with two nozzles to ensure the appropriate spray pattern can be achieved for the product being used.
So congratulations to Hydro on its win – we’re sure the company will be toasting with a bottle of bubbly.
Best all-season tyre: Pirelli Cinturato All-Season SF 3
- Price: around £125.48
- Contact: pirelli.com
The previous iteration of this Pirelli was a midfield runner, consistently good but not a leader. However, the latest version has upped its performance and scored wins on all surfaces: snow, wet and dry. Even the scores behind its lowest rankings were decent and it lifted itself clear of strong opposition to take a very well deserved win.
While it was strongest of all in the snow, it felt almost like a summer tyre in the dry: clean, decisive and accurate. Its rolling resistance is a little high, but the Pirelli is a great all-season offering.
Read our full all-season tyres test...
Best summer tyre: Vredestein Ultrac 5
- Price: around £79
- Contact: vredestein.co.uk
Dutch brand Vredestein’s Ultrac came out on top overall. It performed best in the wet, which we prioritised in our scoring, coming close to the Continental in wet braking and within a whisker of the top two in wet cornering. It was third in wet handling, too, so while others had highs and lows, the Ultrac was strong everywhere.
In deep water it was good rather than outstanding, but what’s remarkable is that it performed so well in the wet, yet delivered superb economy. We’ve rarely seen the two facets go together so effectively.
Read our full summer tyre test...
Best winter tyre: Continental WinterContact TS 870
- Price: Around £100
- Contact: continental-tyres.co.uk
Make no mistake, the Continental is a genuinely exceptional tyre. It took multiple wins in the snow and wet, and lapped fastest in the dry. On the snow, it set the standard in both braking and traction, and was competitive when lapping the circuit.
In addition to a clean sweep of the wet tests, it was clear of the field in braking and quickest around the wet circle and on the flooded circuit, yet performed brilliantly in the dry. The TS870 was easily the best winter tyre, and nothing else came close.
Read our full winter tyre test...
Best ceramic sealant: Shelby Ceramic Coating
- Price: around £35
- Size: 50ml
- Contact: cslshelby.com
Although the Sonax rival offered marginally better beading and shine come the end of our test, we had to look closely to spot it, and the huge price difference means the Shelby would always be our first choice.
There’s an easy-to-use applicator supplied as a standard part of the kit, while the 50ml container is plenty for you to cover an entire car, and a single coating dries after just 20 seconds. You then buff the residue with a damp microfibre cloth, and it will be rain repellent after just 20 minutes.
Read our full ceramic coatings test...
Best ceramic shampoo: Autoglym Ceramic Wash & Protect
- Price: around £25
- Size: 1,000ml
- Contact: autoglym.com
There were two obvious front runners when we checked the water-repelling capabilities of the 14 candidates in this test, both when initially applied and after the eight- week wait. In the end, the Autoglym won through because it offered slightly more lubrication to our microfibre, which means cleaning is easier and there is less risk of damage to your paint from swirls.
It is marginally better value, too, because the instructions suggest three capfuls – around 28ml by our calculations – should be mixed with 10 litres of water, providing up to 35 washes from the 1,000ml bottle.
Best clay bar: CarPro Mild Clay
- Price: around £17
- Size: 3X100g
- Contact: cleanyourcar.co.uk
There are two types of clay bar available – a traditional product made of natural resins or a synthetic alternative. Conducting our test this year in colder weather meant we preferred an artificial clay for the first time, because it’s more pliable, easier to use, and still gets great results.
Even in cooler temperatures it is easy to shape the CarPro into the patty needed to get a good result, and then keep folding it to keep the cleaning face fresh. The triple 100g pack means the CarPro clay represents good value, too.
Read our full clay bar test...
Best colour restorer: Diamondbrite Diamond Cut
- Price: around £10
- Size: 500ml
- Contact: jewelultra.com
It’s not just a low price that makes the Diamondbrite Diamond Cut a winner. During our test, the thick pink liquid revealed a noticeable shine faster than any of its rivals and with less effort. This will make a real difference to the amount of time it takes to treat a whole panel, or car.
Unlike other pastes, you can leave the Diamond Cut on the panel for longer without worrying about staining the paint, too. It’s a cutting paste so there’s no resin filler or wax in the formula, meaning the paint will need a protective coating after treatment.
Read our full colour restorer test..
Best dash cam: Miofive S1
- Price: Around £70
- Resolution: 4K
- Contact: miofive.com
On the face of it, the Miofive S1 isn’t top of the charts in any individual area. It doesn’t record the clearest footage, it doesn’t have the fanciest features, is comparatively large and isn’t the cheapest, either. But as an overall package, we think it’s unbeatable.
It’s one of the few cameras we’ve tested that can capture in full 4K, yet still costs much less than £100. The sensors appear to be good quality too, because the S1 responds quickly to changing light conditions.
We’d suggest you buy the optional polarising filter to reduce glare, but a Miofive with every extra still costs less than most rivals.
Read our full dash cams test...
Best hand cleaner: Rozalex Zalpon Zorange
- Price: around £7/£30
- Size: 500ml-4,000ml
- Contact: rozalex.co.uk
Rozalex’s Zalpon Zorange takes this award category once again. In addition to effective cleaning detergents, it also contains fragments of pumice, which are small enough to prevent irritation to your skin and add a level of scrubbing to get rid of ground-in grime and paints.
The soap is bright orange and has a citrus smell. It leaves your hands feeling moisturised and soft, and there is no sticky residue.
It’s good value, too – the 500ml size is perfect for DIYers, while a big four-litre pump pack will suit busy workshops.
Read our full hand cleaner test...
Best headlight bulb: Philips RacingVision GT200
- Price: Around £23
- Contact: powerbulbs.com
Philips continued its run of success with the GT200, but this time we tested the H7 bulb, following last year’s H4 win. The RacingVision took the win in all our assessment areas, giving it a comfortable victory.
As the name suggests, Philips claims a 200 per cent beam improvement over a standard bulb, but we saw around 270 per cent in some of our tests, thanks to the well designed Volkswagen Passat headlamp set used in our test. In the beam length test it reached a useful 111 metres. Whatever the car, this is a top performer and provides a significant extra safety margin over standard bulbs.
Read our full car headlight bulb test...
Best pressure washer: Hawksmoor High Pressure Washer 140bar
- Price: around £90
- Contact: toolstation.com
It might not be the flashiest pressure washer, but the Hawksmoor ticks almost all of the boxes for features, while feeling well made and still costing comfortably less than £100.
The 140bar pressure is impressive, but it’s the flow rate that’s the real highlight, beating machines which cost three times as much. This means rinsing away the suds from the adjustable snow foam gun is faster.
There are solid components where it matters too, with brass connectors for the hose and a metal nozzle with an accurate variable fan. The metal transport handle is robust, and it folds down to make storage easier.
Read our full car pressure washer test...
Best ratchet spanner set: Halfords Advanced 12-Piece
- Price: around £60
- Contact: halfords.com
Yet another success for Halfords Advanced tools, backing up the company’s victory in the combination-spanner test.
As with all the Advanced range, these have a high-quality feel with a smooth finish and slick 72-tooth ratchet movement. Pressure can be applied comfortably thanks to the squared-off sides preventing sharp edges digging into palms and fingers. Our size and build quality checks revealed no problem, and the ratchet was just as smooth post torque test as before.
The foam tray is ideal for chests and roller cabs and would work elsewhere with the tools held securely. Not cheap, but great value.
Read our full ratchet spanner set test...
Best screenwash: Prestone Extreme Performance Concentrated Screen Wash
- Price: around £5
- Size: 2,500ml
- Contact: tesco.com
We like the fact that you can stock up on the Prestone when you are at the supermarket and then keep it on the shelf to use all year round.
Used neat, it is still not prohibitively expensive, and it was squirtable even after three hours in our freezer. This means it will be able to help you de-ice the screen, too.
At the suggested summer ratio of 1:19, the Extreme Performance will make up to 50 litres; it looks to be great value and managed to clear almost all of our debris and grime. Our only complaint is the Prestone’s aroma, which has a definite hint of ammonia when used neat.
Read our full car screen wash test...
Best socket set: Draper 39-piece Socket Set 16361
- Price: around £48
- Contact: drapertools.com
When it comes to versatility, it’s hard to see past this Draper set, which combines metric and imperial sizes. It is also the only set with three extensions, including a 300mm one that works with an adapter to make a handy T-bar. The set also has three plug sockets, plus deep versions for 10, 12 and 13mm alongside six-sided standard-length offerings in our essential sizes. It breezed all our tests, and we particularly liked the dual-compound handle on the ratchet, which allowed plenty of pressure to be applied in comfort.
Read our full socket set test...
Best tyre cleaner: Diamondbrite Tyre Dressing
- Price: around £8
- Size: 500ml
- Contact: diamondbrite.shop
It’s a first-time win for the Diamondbrite Tyre Dressing, which topped the points chart with a combination of strong performance and great value.
Described as a ‘quick tyre restorer’, the dressing is sprayed on using the trigger bottle and instantly adds a gloss to the sidewall. Then, using an old paintbrush or sponge evens out the coverage. The smell of the product is slightly oily and reminded us of WD-40.
The initial shine soon fades to leave a satin blackness that makes the tyres look new. It was still there six weeks later. With a cost per litre of £15.98, it outperformed rivals here that cost more than twice as much.
Best upholstery cleaner: Gyeon Q²M Fabric Cleaner
- Price: £16
- Size: 1,000ml
- Contact: gyeon.co
There was only one cleaner in the test which was able to banish all three of our stains and make a big difference to the grubby carpet too – and it was Gyeon’s Q2M.
You simply squirt the liquid from the big one-litre bottle onto the surface, agitate it with a brush and then wipe away the dirt with a microfibre cloth.
There’s very little foam and it also leaves no sticky residue on the fabric. What does remain is a fragrance that makes your car smell like laundry. As an added bonus, the Q2M is also good value.
Read our full upholstery cleaner test...
Best waterless wash: CarPro ECH20
- Price: around £10
- Size: 500ml
- Contact: cleanyourcar.co.uk
This is the first time we’ve tried CarPro’s ECH20 and it’s gone straight in at number one offering amazing performance and brilliant value.
Spraying the liquid onto our test panel instantly dissolved the dirt and lubricated the surface, meaning wiping was less of a chore – and should scratch less too. The company claims it uses SiO2 – better known as ceramic – ingredients, which meant the ECH2O was still beading water strongly after two weeks.
Our favourite part is the economy, though. The CarPro is designed to be diluted 1:10, or even 1:15, so it costs far less per clean than most of its rivals.
Best wax and sealant: Bilt-Hamber Double Speed-Wax
- Price: Around £17
- Size: 250ml
- Contact: bilthamber.com
Bilt-Hamber’s Double Speed-Wax has been our winner in this category since 2014, combining a strong performance with keen pricing. Your £17 buys a 250ml tin of the soft carnauba polymer paste, an applicator pad and microfibre cloth, meaning all you need is some elbow grease to get protected paint. Although it’s relatively hard work, you’re rewarded with a great shine.
But the competitors are catching up, and some rival products were providing a little more shine and water beading at the 12-week mark on our test bonnet – but none can do so at anywhere near the Double Speed-Wax’s price.
Read our full car wax and sealant test...
Best wheel cleaner: Bilt-Hamber Auto-Wheel
- Price: Around £15
- Size: 1 litre
- Contact: bilthamber.com
Bilt-Hamber Auto-Wheel is a serial winner in this category, and it remains unbeaten this year. A 1.0-litre bottle costs around £15, making it much better value than rivals. You can make a little go a long way too.
Spray the Auto-Wheel on, agitate on the surface using the included brush and the dirt turns purple as the chemicals react with the iron dust fragments, dissolving them so they are easy to remove. After being left to dwell, the Auto-Wheel managed to remove almost all of our deposits. The only downside is an eggy smell.
Read our full wheel cleaner test...
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