What is the best way to protect your paint? Is it a car wax? Which one? Is 5 star shine any good and worth the money?
I use Mothers and I have been very happy with it. I haven’t heard of 5 star
Any Carnuba wax is excellent. Lasts a long time and very durable.
Most of the waxes today are very good. I tend to think of them in two classes.
Class one, lots of work, great shine, lots of work. Not so long life.
Class two, some work good shine very good life.
If you are showing the car do #1 if you just want your car to look good and be easy to clean use #2 If lazy just don’t bother. Modern paints are so so much better than say what they were using in the 60’s that there is no comparison. Frankly the paint does not really need the “protection” but it may look better and be easier to wash if you provide some.
What it comes down to, IMO, is what you’re protecting the paint for. If it’s so that you can keep your vehicle for 20 years and have it still look beautiful at the end of that time, your requirements are different than if you simply want to ensure that the paint doesn’t deteriorate and look crummy when your lease expires at the end of 3 years. In the latter case, there’s really not much to worry about. Modern paints (particularly the latest generation of “hard” clearcoat paints like M-Bz uses or powder-coats on high-end BMWs) are formulated to stand up to the elements far better than ever before. But environmental factors (soot, acid rain, etc.) are also much more significant today than they were in the past. Garaging the car and regular, frequent washing are the most obvious things you can do to prolong the cosmetic appearance of your car.
If you’re in it for the long haul, with a little online research and some trial-and-error of your own, you’ll find a protective coating that you like and fits the amount of effort you’re willing to invest in the job. A good carnauba wax (a minimum of 30% or so) is great; it gives a high-gloss wet-look shine, but isn’t long on durability (refresh it every 8-12 weeks). Alternatively, the new generation of synthetic acrylic sealants have better durability (~20-30 weeks), but some people consider the result to lack the luster of carnauba wax. If you’re looking for recommendations, P21S Concourse-look carnauba wax was the top-rated natural wax in a widely-publicized test of dozens of products, and Zaino polishes were the top-rated sealants in that test. You could start there, and make up your own mind. P21S is available at selected retail shops, and both are available over the Internet. Not familiar with 5 star shine.
I have used many different products. The one I have consistently used and can recommend is Zaino. It protects very well and provides a great shine. Not saying there aren’t other great products out there …there are. I just know Zaino has been an exceptional product for me. You have to buy it online. Just google Zaino if are interested in checking it out. Best of luck to you!
turtle wax or autoglym twice a year will do the job!
Consumer Report’s latest test had Turtle Wax “Carnauba Car Wax T-6” and Black Magic “Wet Shine Liquid Wax BM48016” as best and best buys, both under $10. No reason to spend big money for this stuff, using a wax is the big step, differences between them is fairly small.
I will second the opinion of texases. Save your dough and get a better shine.