Consumer Reports on car waxes

I�m surprised that no one has commented on the recent Consumer Reports rating of car waxes. A wide variety of liquid, paste and spray waxes was evaluated over an extended period for: gloss; durability; ease of use; cleaning; likelihood to haze or scratch the finish (important for dark finishes); compatibility with plastic trim. Top 2 liquids were Black Magic & Turtle Wax Carnuba. The highest ratings for those waxes I see mentioned on this site were 3M Perfect-it at @4; Zymol Cleaner Wax - #8; Griot�s Best of Show - #11. Top 2 pastes were Nu Finish & Turtle Wax Platinum. P21S was #3, and Meguiar�s NXT - #4. Top 2 sprays were Eagle One & Turtle Wax 1 Step. Griot�s - #4 & Zymol - #6. CR also commented that the most durable of waxes showed significant loss of protection within 5 weeks.

Did they test products like Zaino, Einszett or Menzerna? Without them included I can't put too much stock in the test. Zaino durability last much longer than 5 weeks. I could see 5 weeks for something like P21S which is carnuba based. Not to mention that NXT is a liquid not a paste (unless they have come out with a new version lately).

First, just to be clear, I am merely passing this info along for whomever may be interested. I am not captaining the side of a debate that supports any of it. As for Zaino, etc. .... my original post mentioned the only premium waxes I spotted in the tests .... which I indentified as "the ones I see mentioned here". RE: Mequiars NXT .... CR tested both NXT Generation Tech Wax Liquid and NXT Generation Tech Wax Paste. Judging by the typical lead time for testing and then publishing, neither could have debuted very recently.

Zaino is the best! But I don't consider it a wax...more of a surface treatment.

If I listened to CR, I'd be driving a Taurus....

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Or a Honda/Toyota!!!!!!!!!!

If you were listening to CR you would be driving a Camry!!...this is what my Inlaws are doing for the last 10 years.....I think CR gets money from them to promote..... you would also be wearing a timex watch!!

CR doesn't get money to promote and they don't accept advertising, but they're entirely about bang for the buck. Or at least what they perceive as bang for the buck. YMMV.

I heard/read similar comments from another forum a few years ago when I posted up CR's tire testing results. A year or two later most people accept that their results were pretty damn accurate and are happily driving with what they recommended. I for one don't question data due to it's source, but only if I see something wrong with their testing procedures. More often than not CR lays out their judging criteria and in some cases that invalidates their results for my purpose, but with that in mind I have not problem trusting their results.

OKAY...I forgot to mention that I was kidding about the promotion money!! Sorry Snaproll..I was kidding....and CR is all about bang for your buck..for people who don't like spicy food, drink decafe without sugar/sweetner, buy their underwear at wallmart, eat at the Olive Garden and think it is real italian, etc.etc........a car buy is an emotional buy.....for most of us!..and CR seems to forget this when doing a test.

What wax do you guys recommend for a black 996?

get in touch with larry reynolds. carecarespecialties.com or something to that effect.

Zaino.com

When you find out let me know... My only problem is the smearing. It seems that the only time I can keep the smearing down is when I use a clay bar first. I'm experimenting with a littel vinegar and water to wipe away smearing right now..

HAHA good one! Didnt you know that "Black" in Stuttgart means "wash me daily"?? -Keith

Simple..Zaino...Start with Dawn dish soap..do the clay thing...wash again...Z-5Pro (with ZFX), Z-8 wipe, Z-2Pro(with ZFX), Z-8 wipe, Z-2 Pro (with ZFX), Z-8 wipe. Then dust and Z-8 wipe regularly. Of course use MAFs for the wipes. Black is simple & beuatiful!

I have had very good results with Zaino and the Glanz Wax by Einszett on my wife's jet black car. However, constant cleaning is still required. The Glanz Wax is a durable synthetic wax but has the "glow" of a carnauba and is a easier to use and hides imperfections better than the Zaino. I somewhat prefer the higher shine/reflective nature of prefer of Zaino vs. Glanz Wax, but the real kicker is I am addicted to Zaino's Z8 Grand Finale spray. IMO, Z8 is hands down the best detailing product I have ever used which tips the scale in Zaino's favor. I just ordered the new Z5-pro to see if it does a better job of hiding micromarring than the old Z5 (which I thought was useless).

OK I took the bait and did a little test for myself on this wax thing. I went to Peep Boys and bought a bottle of Black Magic liquid, the top choice for liquids. Washed the car and then applied the wax. Compared to the original Meguiars that I have been using for 20 years this product does put on a much deeper shine than the Meguiars. Even deeper than the two step process that I use which is a final coat of yellow wax. But now for the real test. No, I didn't go to the car wash 52 times. I went to the local car hop to get a burger for lunch. Will she notice when she comes to the car to take my order? Well no mention the first time.....but, when she came back to deliver the burger she stepped back and said, and I quote " what year is your car...this is very nice". SOOO....there you go. I am now a firm believer in Black Magic liquid wax and no one at Black or Magic paid for my burger, drink or gas.

That sir is an objective and very scientific test!. I usually haunt the OT and 997 forums, and was wondering when someone would quote the CR tests. I've been using Zaino Z2 Pro, and love it. Too bad CR didn't test it along with some of the other premium waxs, but that is the way CR tends to be. They are about bang for the buck more than ultimate quality most of the time. I think their tests are objective. It's just that they are so focused on value that it's frustrating to those of us that are looking more for top quality. I'll stick with Z2 for now, since I still have some, and I prefer a sealant type of treatment that will last over ultimate shine. Still, I am curious about the Black Magic. Anyone do a test of it vs Z2?

I don't think they will test products like Zaino against regular car waxs since Zaino is more of a Paint Treatment than a wax. I still swear by Zaino!

And what's more the Z8 smells so good.

If you really want no issues with black cars, or any other color, try using 3M Hand Glaze followed by One Grand's Blitz wax. You will swear the paint is "wet" all the time. Been doing so monthly on my cars for the last 5 years or so and the dealership still wonders why my cars' paint looks better than new!

Nothing tougher than what I use! www.collinite.com They don't even have to advertize! Here's my wife's 91 Black Cab with it.

This thread is timely becuase I used a new product this weekend that I was very impressed with. Zaino has a brand new version of the Z5 swirl remover/hider (it is none abrassive and does not actually remove the swirls just hides them). It is a vast improvement over the old Z5, which I thought was completely worthless. I used it on my wife's daily driven black car that I have not polished in over a year. The new Z5 did an amazing job of hiding the small "spider webbed" type of micro marring that you see surround the reflection of the sun or powerful light in just one application (multiple applications are possible for even better results I have been told). My usual complaint with swirl mark "maskers" is that they are not durable and the hiding properties quickly diminish, but Zaino has always had incredible durablity so it will be interesting to see how long this last.

That's because anybody who knows anything doesn't waste time with CR. They've never been right about anything. I know about cameras and tools, so it's always fun for me to check out what they have to say, and they are always SOOOOOO wrong, and often they state the opposite of what is true. I honestly think they get all their info by going to the manufacturers website and reading the advertisements.

That's got to be one of the goofiest, most uninformed posts I've seen since I began browsing this forum.

I am going to subscribe to Consumer Reports.

I am with it...CR SUCKS! So just as I did last weekend pay me to run all of the product tests you need run and I will get it done. Now, I will need an expense report account billed directly to your MC or Visa, a lab (which I can probably rent as needed and charge to your MC or Visa) and products with which to test (billed to your MC or Visa). My hourly rates are reasonable and I am very bias....just like CR? Hey this could work out well for everyone!!!

Just a little bump here... What do you use to apply and remove your wax? Foam pads? Terry cloth? Microfiber? I want my 996 to look like Don's wife's car!!! Holy cow!

To get a great shine, and save those wrists - use a Porta Cable and suitable foam applicator pad for putting on the wax. Available from stores and ONLINE For wax removal and buffing - you slip a MF Bonnet over a pad, and use the Porta Cable again This get's you the result you're after, without giving you some form of carpal tunnel injury! Chris.

Yowza! Pretty! Have you ever noticed any stippling/minor pitting of the clearcoat using the random orbital polisher? I have heard that it could happen due to heat generation.

Random Orbitals work compltely off of mechanical action and build very little heat. Rotrary polishers on the other hand spin on an axis and do generate LOTS of heat which is where you run into burning paint, etc. A Random Orbital like the PC 7424 is a must for any enthusiest...trust me your car will never look better and you'll wonder why you waited soo long to pick one up. It's actually very hard to mess up paint with a RO to the point that you cannot fix what you've just done with the very same machine. And while everyone is going to have their favorite products...a deep, wet, swirl-free finish is not about products...rather it's about prep work. The last show I went to I polished the A4 with the PC the night before and intended to get up and seal and wax the car the morning of the show...over slept and didn't have time to put anythig on the car... got comment after comment asking what wax I used...Didn't have the heart to tell the people there was nothing on the paint at all. Andy

As Andy said - the PC is a 'must have' and it's really safe to use for us weekend warriors. At full speed, leaning into the polisher, you can get the paint warm, but not hot - Warm enough to 'activate' some of the acrylic glazes (as they are suposed to), but not enough to damage paint or clear coat. The rotary polishers should be left to the pros, or those with less anxiety and/or more experience! Get a PC and a set of pads, you'll be a happy waxer - get some good anti-swirl polish for your black 996 as well, your PC will make that a breeze as well. Take a look at SONUS SWIRLBUSTER It's absolutely the best polish I've used for a black car - use before you wax of course! Chris.