Best Car Wax Of 2018

Buyers Questions

The following are some common questions consumers have about car wax.

What Is The Best Car Wax?

Any of the waxes in our list will fit the bill. They all produce professional results and won’t make much of a dent in your wallet.

How Should You Wax Your Car?

This depends entirely on the type of wax you’re using but applying wax whether spray, liquid or paste to a dirty car is a sure way to destroy the finish.

How Many Time Per Year Should You Wax Your Car?

This comes down to a few different dynamics, so we’re going to break it down by some different scenarios. If you love your car like we do, you want to keep it polished and protected, looking like a shooting star every time you drive down the boulevard. Here’s a few different instances where you need to wax your car.

If you’re parking your car in an underground parking garage, or your own personal garage, then you’re not exposing it to the elements. That’s a good thing. Wind, rain, snow, rapidly-changing temperatures—they all play a part into how long you finish will last. In this instance, you only need to wax your car twice per year to keep that glow.

Street parking is harsh. You wonder if someone’s going to break into it, especially if it’s too flashy, but the real risk is ruining the paint by leaving it outdoors in the blistering sun. Ever seen a plastic children’s toy out in the yard, and the colors are all faded? That’s because they’ve been sun bleached. It’s not all that different from how the sun affects your car, either. They’re not made of metal anymore. If you live in the sunshine state and your car is in the driveway or out on the street, wax four times per year to ensure minimum sun damage to your finish and that maximum shine that we’re all going doe.

Cold climates are rough on your skin; imagine what they’re doing to your paintjob. As everything in winter expands and contracts, it also changes shape slightly. Little scuffs on your finish can fill with snow and ice, and from there, it expands and contracts (especially when you’re driving with the wind chill to consider). Slapping on a finish six times per year is best if you’re in New England or Alaska, where you’re seeing more cold than anything else. Even if you park in the garage, your car is still susceptible every time you take it out for a spin.

What Is The #1 Car Wax To Remove Scratches?

A car wax cannot actually remove a scratch that goes through the clear coat. What it can do instead is hide them. Some do a better job of hiding/disguising scratches than others. Of the waxes on our list Meguiar’s Liquid Wax is considered to be effective.

Who Makes The Best Car Wax?

Ask a dozen car enthusiasts which is the best wax and you’ll likely get a dozen different answers. The best thing to do is try several types and decide for yourself which works best for you and your car.

What’s The Difference Between Wax And Polish?

Wax is a protector, much like when you wax a floor, while polish aims to fill in those microfractures and splits on your finish and keep it nice and smooth. The difference between them is pretty simple once you know it—protective coating to prevent scratches, coating to fill in the scratches and keep your car smooth.

Do You Wax Or Polish First?

This is where it can get a wee bit tricky. We know that polish fills in those little scuffs and scrapes that we can’t see with the naked human eye. Wax protects the car from enduring those. So shouldn’t it just make sense to slap on polish first? Well, you’d be right, but you have to approach it properly.

If you apply polish, let it dry, and then immediately apply wax, you’re going to run into a problem. Now, this depends on what brand you use and what their ingredients are, but nine times out of ten, you’re going to run into one issue: the wax doesn’t stick.

It’s better to apply polish, drive around for 2-3 days, and then apply the wax. Reason being is this: your car is going to endure some wear and tear as you go through life. It’s why you’re polishing and waxing. However, applying something smooth to a smooth surface isn’t always a foolproof solution. Sometimes, the wax feels like it’s melting off, and just doesn’t look right. When you drive around for a bit, it’s like you’re using the wind as a sandpaper on your car to allow the wax to stick. Drive around a bit, have your fun, then wax on (no wax off).

What Is The Best Car Wax For Long Term Protection?

Liquid Glass LG100 is the best of the items in our list and without a doubt one of the best there is period.

What Is The Best Car Wax To Use On A Black Car?

 Once again we have to defer to Meguiar’s Liquid Wax as it’s specifically formulated with dark colored cars in mind.

Things To Look For When Buying Car Wax

While buying car wax isn’t rocket science, it’s closer to rocket science than it was 30 years ago so there are some things you’ll want to look for in the car wax you buy.

Delivery Method – Waxes come in paste, liquid and spray form and which one you use will be a matter of how hard you want to work to buff it out. Spray waxes are typically easy to buff with liquids being the next easiest and pastes typically being the most labor intensive.

Natural or Synthetic – Natural waxes like carnauba wax provide a deep, rich shine that’s very satisfying to behold. Synthetic waxes by comparison will provide a harder, higher gloss that some feel looks almost like you wrapped your car in glass. So it comes down to taste.

Machine or Hand Polish – While many folks will choose one or the other, if you really want your car to have a gold-medal shine you’ll want to do both. It will take longer and require more work to be sure, but the final result will speak for itself.

Price – While you’re not going to pay an arm and a leg for any car wax, you’ll probably find out for yourself that there isn’t a big difference between the results you get with a $20 car wax and the result you get from a $90 car wax.

Conclusion

Car wax today is way more sophisticated than it was in your parent’s day. However, the reason for using it hasn’t changed: to make your car look showroom new. Every car wax profiled above will do just that. We hope you found this information useful and check back regularly for more product guides and reviews.