EXTERIOR

EXTERIOR AWARDS 2009

First impressions count – so when it comes to replacing your car, it pays to have looked after the bodywork properly. There’s no real substitute for regular maintenance – washing, polishing and treating paint, plastics and rubber. At greatest risk is your paintwork, as the materials used in today’s more environmentally-friendly versions aren’t as tough as their predecessors, and it’s all too easy to end up with swirl marks and scratches.

If you’re feeling flush, a professional valeter is worth considering. But, for the majority of us, the most cost-effective way of getting the job done properly is to do it yourself. Our top recommendations for wheels and bodywork cleaners reveal how

Wheel Cleaner

WINNER - CarPlan Wonder Wheels - £5.99
Another success for CarPlan’s serial winner, Wonder Wheels. It really attacked our rims and removed grime no rivals, with the exception of Comma, could get near. It might be too aggressive for some finishes, or damaged lacquer, but if your rims are in good shape, Wonder Wheels really gets the job done. Also available in a trigger pack, this kit includes a brush and cup. A great product continues to reign supreme.

COMMENDED - Meguiar’s Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner - £7.49
For the gentle touch, Hot Rims from Meguiar’s is ideal. It can be used on bare alloy, chromed bolts and trims, and is also good on chipped lacquer. It cleans well, despite this versatility, and the trigger foams the spray, so run-off is kept to a minimum

COMMENDED - Comma Alloy Wheel Kit - £6.99
Comma was the only product that could match Wonder Wheels on cleaning power, and is a complete package. You get the choice of trigger spray or cup application, plus a pair of gloves – vital when using wheel cleaners – and a good brush.

Tyre Shine

WINNER - CarPlan Tyre Silk - £3.99
There’s no beating the ever dominant Tyre Slik, which has racked up no less than 11 victories in our car care testing programme. It’s amazing no rival has yet managed to come up with its own version of the magic formula. Tyre Slik goes on easily, without any drips, leaves a pleasing shine, then lasts like no other. At the end of the five-week run, the area treated with Tyre Slik was clearly visible and much cleaner than the rest of the sidewall.

COMMENDED - Simoniz Back To Black New Look Tyre Shine - £5.99
No product quite matched serial winner Tyre Slik, but Simoniz’s Back To Black Tyre Shine gives it a good run for its money. It led our champion for most of the test, but fell right at the end, when the CarPlan contender just had the cleaner finish. Easily the best choice if you prefer a foam.

COMMENDED - Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Protectant Gel - £7.49
For those who prefer a gel, then Meguiar’s version is definitely the way to go. It’s not the easiest to apply, needing to be worked into the sidewall, but once there, it takes a lot to shift it. Like Simoniz, it was at the front of the pack until the final freezing week’s motoring.

Bumper Cleaner

WINNER - Mer Bumper And External Vinyl Cleaning Gel - £8.99
Mer may be under the Farécla wing now, but its new owner has got at least one cracking product in the deal. The Bumper And External Vinyl Cleaning Gel is a real star. Let’s hope Farécla won’t be tempted to mess with a great product. Its stamina is remarkable and was still working way after the test had finished. There are cheaper bumper shines around, but it is well worth paying a little more for protection like this. The gel formula also means wastage is kept to a minimum.

COMMENDED - Turtle Wax Black Bumper & Trim Wax - £5.99
If your black trim is starting to lose its looks, then this is the shine for you, as it has a little colour in its formula. Despite this tinting, stamina isn’t sacrificed and it was beading right to the end. However, the finish could be more even

COMMENDED - AA Trim Cleaner - £4.99
Spray on this treatment, made for the AA by Comma, and the watery liquid doesn’t look promising. But leave it to dry, and it’s impressive, being clearly present at the end. And not only is the AA’s cleaner cheaper than its rivals, it also comes in a bumper one-litre pack.

Polishes

WINNER -Turtle Wax Platinum Extra Gloss - £9.99
When it comes to protection, few get close to Extra Gloss. Developed for harsh Scandinavian winters, it acts like a wax with no abrasives in the formula, but goes on like a dream and will bead water for months. A winning combination.

COMMENDED - CarPlan Ecocar Polish - £5.99
Making an eco-friendly polish  that works as well as a normal one isn’t easy, but CarPlan has done it. Water-based and solvent free, it beads water well, and you don’t have to pay much for the cost of going green.

COMMENDED -Collinite No. 476S - £14.99
Outgoing champ wasn’t disgraced, but our winner just performed better. Using Collinite is harder than liquids, but you get great protection for weeks. It’s still our pick of the paste polishes.

COMMENDED - Autoglym High Definition Wax - £39.99
Money no object, we’d use this on our car, as none could top it for protection. You get sponge applicators and a microfibre buffing cloth, but £40 for a wax is a lot. If you can justify the price, go for it – you’ll be amazed.

Pressure Washers

WINNER - Halfords HP2000 - £97.89
Keen pricing puts this washer at the top of the pile. More importantly, though, it has a lot of features usually found on high-end machines, but without the high-end cost. We really like the clips for the lance, hooks for the power lead and detergent tank, plus the extendable handle made wheeling it to the car and back a breeze. The HP2000 also scored well in the performance test, making it our winner.

COMMENDED - Lavor Tiger Steam - £140.00
Former champion Lavor has to settle as a runner-up this year, but it remains the unit to seek out if you want steam cleaning as well as pressure washing. Storage is good, and it blasted through our performance tests with ease. 

COMMENDED -Nilfisk E140.2-9 S X-TRA - £199.99
Quality package is well thought out, with extendable handle, holders for the lance and easy-to-use reel for storing the nine-metre hose. Not cheap, but good value for a powerful machine with great build quality