the best car polish

Best Car Polishes – Reviews, Videos & Buying Guide

Introduction:

All of the automobiles have a specific life expectancy. But car paint, out of all, can deteriorate pretty quickly before other features. Best Car Polish ​and car paint is consistently exposed to weather elements like debris, airborne contaminants, UV rays, etc. which tend to eat up your car’s finish bit by bit!

Often you might notice small swirl marks and scratches on the surface. Is it logical to visit professional detailer every time this happens? No, right? Sometimes you got to gear up and fix it up all by yourself! That’s when Best Car polish comes to the rescue!

Polishing will give uniformity to the paint, deepen the color and create mirror-like reflections on the surface.

Let’s have a quick peek at our Top 5 Best Car polish to see what will convert your grime into gloss!

Best Car Polish

Name of the Product

Type of Product

Our Rating

​Price

Turtle Wax T-374KTR Car Polish​​

Finishing Polish

HD Polish Ultra Finishing Car Polish

Finishing Polish

Meguiar's Complete Car Care Kit - budget Choice 

​Complete Car Care Kit

Meguiar’s G19216 Ultimate Polish

Finishing Polish

Types of Car polishes

​1. Compounds

car polish Compounds

The compound is the most aggressive and strong type of car polish, generally used for very deep scratches and harsh swirl marks. It even works brilliantly in concealing imperfect paint. How does it work exactly? Well, the compounds have large abrasives in them, so you should only use them when needed.

Being harsh in nature, compounds might also leave some holograms, marring or hazing on the surface of the car. Which is why using a premium quality of polish is a must afterward.

Abrasives used in compounds are of two types

  • SMAT (Super Micro Abrasive Technology)
  • DAT (Diminishing Abrasive Technology)

As the name suggests, SMAT uses small abrasive particles and they remain as it is throughout. The ability to cut here totally depends on the shape and hardness of these particles. More uniform the size and shape of abrasive particles, more flawless will be its finish.

On the other hand, DAT features large abrasive particles that perform the task of cutting very quickly. Most of them break down easily, but some might not. Meaning, DAT products fall under a wide-ranging category, one might greatly differ from the other.

Some facts about Compounds

  • Compounds are applied with aggressive pads so that it cuts quickly. That’s why you should only use them occasionally.
  • To be more precise, compounding consists of two procedures. First compounding and then using a car polish to eradicate the haze caused due to the compound.
  • Some of the compounds available today do not require finishing polish

​2. Cutting Polishes

Cutting Polishes

Cutting polishes are neither too dramatic, nor too weak in the finish. Such glazes are used to conceal light to moderate imperfections and are less aggressive as compared to compounds. The cutting power is comparatively less, so they won’t give a very high-gloss finish.

It would be wiser to use a finishing polish on top of this cutting finish to complete the look. That way the paint will be free from hazing, holograms, and mars.

3. Finishing Polishes

Cutting Polishes

The whole point of using finishing car polish is to remove tiny imperfections on the paint. Meaning, it contains fine micro abrasive particles, so don’t really expect a finishing polish to remove deep swirl marks or scratches on its own. It is just supposed to give depth and gloss to the paint.

Such polish works as a solid foundation for the layer of wax.

Top Brands of Car Polishes

​1. Turtle Wax

Turtle Wax

With more than 75 years of experience now, Turtle Wax continues to manufacture innovative car care products. What we really love about Turtle Wax is how all of the products, as well as Complete Car care kits, are low priced. So, they don’t really dig a hole in your pocket at all!

​2. Meguiar’s

Meguiar’s

Meguiar’s Inc. has reached new levels of success by becoming one of the global leaders in surface care products. We all know how popular Meguiar’s is and how it has launched high quality of products dedicated towards car detailing. From Compounds to Ultimate Polish, ScratchX to SwirlX, for your every need there is a specialized product ready to tackle the car paint.

Meguiar’s products can be differentiated into two major categories: one line is for at-home car detailing and the other product line is for professional detailers.

​3. Mothers

mothers car PolishesMothers is another leading brand that hosts around 70 distinct car care products. High-end car demands specialized detailing and Mothers is the brand that has an affordable solution to every problem regarding car paint. The best thing about this brand is that all of the products are priced within your means!

​4. Menzerna

menzernaSince 1888, Menzerna has been launching high-grade polishes and compounds, ideal for high-end cars. Menzerna is one of the leading brands today, mainly popular for its OEM polishing compounds. Menzerna products have nothing better to offer you than premium quality and performance.  

Reviews of the Best Car Polishes

1. Turtle Wax T-374KTR Car Polish

Turtle Wax
https://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Glass-LG-100-Ultimate-Polish/dp/B0002JMIEK/

Deliberately made to keep the black cars all shiny and glossy, the Turtle Wax Jet Black Car polish just excels in both performance and durability. An exclusive range of product line dedicated to the black surfaces, the Turtle Wax Jet Black Polish uses a proprietary black-tinted technology to fix up stains and blemishes, all while giving depth and glossy reflections to the surface.

Long lasting protection

Turtle wax color magic jet black polish is a complete solution to conceal swirl marks and scratches. It mostly removes all contaminants, grimes and dust particles from the surface. Moreover, it also meticulously conceals fine scratches and deepens the paintwork of your car.

Durability

Brilliant shine and mirror-like reflections stay put for quite a long time as long as you don’t wash it. Plus, it does not become all flaky or cracked up. It contains an advanced blend of polishes, pigments, and dyes that fills up all the minor scratches and swirl marks. Your older-looking faded black car will be rejuvenated and given a showroom-like glossy finish.

Customer Reviews

 Most of the reviews are in favor of Turtle Wax Jet Black Car polish. The best aspect of it? Customers have found it to be very effective on small scratches and swirl marks, but not really that great for deep scratches. One thing that’s good about this car polish is that it does not dry up to be white, like most of the other polishes in the market do. Overall, it is said to be the Best car polish for black surfaces.

Things We Liked

  • ​Works great in concealing swirl marks and minor scratches
  • Ideal for black cars; Gives a hi-gloss finish
  • Does not turn white when dried up
  • Reasonably priced

Things We Didn't Like

  • ​Applicators and your hands might turn all black during the process
  • Does not survive more than 2 car washes

Overall Impression

We must say Turtle Wax Car Polish is a life-saver for Black cars. When used with other products in their Jet Black Series along with this Car polish, you are probably going to get an astonishing Jet Black deepened look on your car, making it shine like never before!

​2. HD Polish Ultra Finishing Car Polis​h

HD Polish Ultra Finishing Car Polish

HD Polish is mainly a finishing car polish that is supposed to be used on paint finish to remove fine scratches and holograms.  Anything that's left behind after using a cutting compound can be brilliantly concealed using this HD Advanced Polish.

Nanotechnology

Cutting Edge technology used in this product gives a deep, high-gloss paint finish to your car, absolutely free from dust and swirls. Unique Nanotechnology and inclusion of super micro abrasives make it very effective in eradicating light to moderate defects on the car paint.

Ease of use

The best aspect about HD Polish is that it can be smeared with both, rotary as well as Dual Action Polisher. And let’s not forget, this polish does not contain any silicone or fillers whatsoever. Usually, the polish will do its job optimally when smeared in a shaded area, but it is quite sun-friendly as well.

Customer reviews

Users have loved how HD Polish does not mar the surface; neither does it give a hologram polishing effect. HD polish is a go-to car polish when you really want that depth and gloss for your car, free from dust. Moreover, it is extremely easy to wipe off, at least better than most of the products in the market that dry out real quick and give a hard time to buffing.

Things We Liked

  • ​Does not damage the surface
  • Very easy to apply and remove
  • Stays wet, does not entertain dust/dirt at all
  • Does not leave any oil residues behind

Things We Didn't Like

  • ​It is slightly expensive

Overall Impression

HD Polish comes from a brand that has more than 25 years of experience and strives to use natural, green and organic ingredients in their products.

If you are really looking for a car polish that smears and comes off very easily, without causing much trouble, go for this one! HD polish is smooth to work with and gives a deep glossy look to your car! When it is about providing a cleaner look, HD polish has to be the Best Car Polish in its class.

3. Meguiar's Complete Car Care Kit

Meguiar's Complete Car Care Kit

If you are an automotive enthusiast, you are going to love this Complete Car Care Kit by Meguiar’s. An affordable approach to keeping your vehicle in its top shape. Meguiar’s is a trustworthy and reputable brand, especially when it comes down to quality. So, you are to expect nothing less than a superior quality kit that produces showroom-like detailing to your car.

All-encompassing kit

Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit comes with one bottle of Car wash shampoo and Conditioner (16 oz.), one bottle of Premium Liquid wax (16 oz.), one bottle of High-gloss Tire gel (16 oz.), one spray bottle of Quik Detailer, one spray bottle of Quik Interior Detailer, 2 clay bars packed in clamshell container (50 grams each), one bottle of PlastX (10 oz.), one bottle of ScratchX (10 oz.), Microfiber kit (towel and a wash mitt) and a foam pad applicator.

Exterior Detailing

Everything that you usually require for the interior, as well as exterior detailing, are all included in the kit. First of all, the Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash and Shampoo works miraculously by removing all the contaminants from the car paint without being too harsh or scratching the surface. Not to forget, just a small cap of this product creates a huge sudsy foam.

After drying, you can use Meguiar’s Clay Bar and Quik Detailer Spray to fix up all the deep scratches and other stubborn stains.

Now it comes down to waxing. Meguiar’s Gold Class Liquid Wax is a combination of synthetic polymers and pure Carnauba wax. So naturally, it will prevent your vehicle from UV rays and give a high-gloss finish to the surface. We have to say, the Liquid Wax works brilliantly in concealing all the swirl marks.

For fine scratches or too much oxidation on paint, use the ScratchX 2.0 for a clear shiny finish.

Why forget the Tires and the Headlights?

With just a thin coat, the Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel gives a nice dark shine and sleekness to the look of tires! Often the headlights tend to become a little cloudy and lose its shine with time. PlastX works to provide a mirror-like clarity to both rigid as well as flexible plastics.

Interior Detailing

Interiors can become really dull and invite dirt particles, especially if it's a convertible. Keeping that in mind, Meguiar’s has included a special Quik Interior Detailer spray bottle. This Detailer particularly works great in renovating interiors without feeling too greasy to touch.

Customer reviews

Customers are really appreciative and fond of this Meguiar's Complete Car Care kit, thanks to its versatility. Pretty much everything that you need to renovate your car into a sleek and showroom-like look is included in the package. If you buy each product separately, it will cost you a fortune. So the most liked feature about this kit is its value for money and premium quality of products offered altogether.

Things We Liked

  • ​All that you need is included in one huge kit
  • All of the products are of top quality
  • Cost-effective; If you buy them separately, the price goes too high
  • Accessories needed for cleaning are included

Things We Didn't Like

  • ​Polish is missing in the kit to be applied as a base for wax

Overall Impression

For all of you who take pride in detailing your car, the Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit is just the professional quality of pack you need. From washing to conditioning the paint, cleaning the interiors to exteriors, giving a glossy finish to tires, headlights as well as the surface of the car, everything is virtually achievable by using just one kit! And all of it for this price? What a steal!

Within just a few hours, your vehicle is set to look and smell all brand new! No doubt, all of the products are reliable and of excellent value.

4. Meguiar’s G19216 Ultimate Polish

Meguiar’s G19216 Ultimate Polish

Meguiar’s is one of the prominent brands to manufacture automotive products. This brand is famous for their cost-efficient and state-of-the-art products. The Ultimate Polish by Meguiar’s, when precisely applied, works wonders and leaves a hi-gloss finish on your car.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish comes all-included with premium quality of polishing oils, all of which will eliminate fine swirls from the surface of your car.

Deep reflections and Hi-gloss

This rich car polish gives an excellent gloss to the car and also deepens the color. When applied, the polish in itself feels very smooth and soft.

Let’s face it, applying a car polish can be really tedious sometimes! But, that’s not the case with this one in particular! Meguiar’s Ultimate polish is very easy to apply and you can smear it both ways, by hand or even with a Dual Action Buffer.

Best Value for money

You get about 16 ounces of product for less than $15, which is no doubt a great deal! To be precise, it works stunningly on black cars! How? There are no visible streaks and it produces a sleek gloss and shines on it. This is why it is #2 on our list and right on one of the Best Car polish available in the market today!

Customer Reviews

When used after Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound, the customers have found the Ultimate Polish to be excellent! Users have stated that it eliminates all the tiny scratches, swirl marks effectively and leaves a great shine on it!

Ultimate Polish is said to be very easy to use and acts as a perfect base foundation for the wax layer. Many customers have complained that it dries off very quickly and is hard to buff off. On the contrary, some users found it to be amazing when used with an electric buffer!

Things We Liked

  • ​Gives depth of color and leaves a gloss on the surface
  • Creates mirror-like reflections
  • Works beautifully on dark colored cars
  • Eradicates swirl marks and scratches
  • Works as a solid base for layer of wax

Things We Didn't Like

  • ​It dries off very rapidly, so buffing is quite challenging
  • Might not remove all scratches when used without a compound

Overall Impression

For this price, we think the Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish is a steal! You just need to use it accurately. It's highly recommended to use it with Meguiar's Ultimate Compound for best results. What will be the outcome? Even smallest of swirl marks and scratches on dark colored cars will be virtually invisible!

Detailed Buying Guide for Best Car Polish

Trying to find the best car polish is irksome, especially when there are loads of products flooding the market. How do you know what is ideal for your car? The bottom line is to check the type of polish and whether it is capable enough to tackle the problems with your car paint.

To be on the safe side, start off with a lesser aggressive polish. If you don’t really see much difference, then switch to highly aggressive polish.

How to recognize the Best Car Polish?

As soon as you hear the word "polish," the first thing that strikes your mind is shine. Even though shine is a pretty significant factor, one should not neglect its ability to work as a protective foundation for the wax.

Best Car Polish is the one that is durable and does what it is supposed to do- conceal and deepen the car paint!

Features to look for in Best Car Polish

If the car polish does not do what it says, it is nearly useless! Let’s have a look at what all features you need to check before buying it.

1.Ease of Use:

This is the most neglected factor when it comes to buying a car polish; while actually, it is the most crucial aspect you need to look for.

  • A car polish must easily spread across the surface and come off easily as well.
  • The polishing element is supposed to leave a fantastic shine on the surface, without becoming white when dried up or leaving mars.
  • Some of the car polishes become so hard right after application that it gets really annoying to buff them off. That should not be the case.

2. Value for money:

Instead of looking for high price tags, make sure you look for a product that offers great value for money and consistent results with time.

  • It's not necessary for a high-priced product to work great for your car
  • Even affordable products can do that for you. All you need to do is look for the car polish that best suits your requirements.
  • Check whether the price complies with the quantity of the product given

Not to mention, some people don’t even know that not all car polishes are created same. Some of them are deliberately made for a specific color of cars. Check this detail before deciding on a purchase.

3. Your location:

If the area where you live is prone to acid rains, ice or snows, hot weather, you might want to rethink your choice of car polish. All of the weather conditions and environmental factors need to be taken into consideration before you buy the actual product.

4. Main aspects:

Some products are exclusively made for specific purposes. For example, some car polishes are made only for black cars, while others are ideal for bright colored cars.

Apart from this, make sure to check what all features are offered in the car polish. Whether it provides high-gloss finish or is just okay for concealing swirl marks and so on. According to your needs, choose the one that best heals the condition of your car paint.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do I really need to use a car polish?

A: Polishing is a significant step of the whole car detailing the process that gives a dramatic look to your car paint. The main objective of a car polish is to eradicate all the imperfections on the clear coat and rejuvenate its look.

Most of the imperfections consist of swirl marks, oxidation, water spots, scratches, etc. Depending on the intensity of these imperfections, select a specific car polish to remove finest of imperfections.

2. How often do you need to use a Car polish?

A: There is no specific number, you can polish your car as needed. To be precise, a typical frequency of car polishing goes about 1 or 2 times in a year. If you keep the polish in best of its condition, you won’t really need frequent polishing.

3. What is a polisher?

A: While you can perform hand polishing as many of us do, it is always better to use a Car polisher for best results. A polisher will spread the car polish more evenly and deeply into the imperfections. Using your hand will just not provide the right amount of pressure that’s needed.

Polishers come in various types viz. Orbital Polisher and Rotary Polisher. You can even use them in combination with different pads!

4. What is the Best method of Car polishing?

A: Method of car polishing:

  1. Wash the car and clay it thoroughly to remove all the contaminants from the surface
  2. Use a mild shampoo and conditioner. Rinse it all.
  3. Let the car dry completely, so there are no water spots seen
  4. Place the polish on a soft cloth or the buffer pad and rub in circular motions
  5. Hand polishing with the help of a soft cloth will provide better control over the whole process than orbital polisher
  6. But hand polishing is quite a lengthy process
  7. Apply polish only to the parts that can be easily buffed
  8. Once it’s polished, apply a thin layer of wax on the surface for enhanced protection
  9. Rub it with the help of a soft dry cloth
  10. Do all of this in a shaded area
  11. Now polish off the wax quickly, or else it will be hardened
  12. Microfiber cloth and soft terry cotton cloth are two best options for waxing and polishing.

5. What is the difference between a Car Wax and Car Polish?

A: Car Wax forms a protective layer over the surface of the car, but only after it has been polished. All this so that wax can preserve the benefits of polishing. On the contrary, car polish uses abrasives to eradicate minor scratches and swirl marks from the surface.

  • Polishing is preferred when the car looks dull and loses its shine
  • Polish can also even out the rough spots
  • If the surface is smooth, ditch the car polish and use car wax instead
  • Benefit of using car polish is that it stays for a long period
  • If you are using Best Car Polish, the water might even bead for about a year
  • Wax, on the other hand, needs to be frequently applied
  • Car wax can also melt or become yellow when overexposed to the sun, which is usually not the case with car polish.

6. What happens if I don’t apply wax after Car polish?

A: If you don’t apply a good car wax after polishing, the polish is likely to wash away very easily in the next car wash or rain.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, the best Car polish when we talk about performance, quality and cost, has to be the Liquid Glass LG-100 Synthetic Sealant. Delivering a mirror-like sleek to almost all hues of the car paint, LG-100 does not demand too much effort from you.

Why is it so good, you may ask? It's extremely easy to apply and comes off swiftly, does not chip off, crack up or haze and stays for about 8 months straight. And let’s not forget, for such a low price you get ample amount of quantity!

In addition to this, if you really want something that gives high-gloss, yet is quite mild, go for Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish. It is hands-down one of the premium and the best car polish in the market, coming from a reputed brand like Meguiar’s. Two things guaranteed with this product are excellent sleek look and remarkable concealment of all imperfections!

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