Car polishes are substances that provide cars their smooth, shiny surface finish when properly polished.
Unlike car wax that can give paint surfaces only temporary barrier from dirt and UV rays, some experts say polishing can also do the same and yet bring a more pristine appearance to every car’s overall appeal.
The best car polish can work in many ways: maintain and prolong the beauty of the car’s paint, remove old (oxidized) paints, smooth out surface scratches, remove swirl marks and even bring back to life old paint by putting deep shine into it.
10 Best Car Polish for 2018
| Image | Model Name | Price | Our Rating | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Menzerna Fast Gloss 400 Compound (Quart) | $$$ |  | |
 | Menzerna Power Finish 2500 Compound | $$$ | | |
 | AutoGlym Ultra Deep Shine 500ml with Free Professional Edgeless Microfiber & Applicator | $$$ |  | |
 | Nu Finish Liquid Car Polish | $ |  | |
 | Liquid Glass LG-100 Ultimate Auto Polish/Finish | $$ | | |
 | Meguiar's M205 Mirror Glaze Ultra Finishing Polish | $$ | | |
 | Turtle Wax T-241A Polishing Compound & Scratch Remover | $ | | |
 | Turtle Wax T-3KT Black Box Kit | $ | | |
 | Mothers 05101 Mag & Aluminum Polish - 10 oz. | $$ | | |
 | Turtle Wax FG6905 Light Red Color Magic Plus Colored Car Polish Cleans Shines Restores Scratches Includes Chipstick | $$ | |
Menzerna Fast Gloss 400 Compound (Quart)
This product is Made in USA so you can be sure it meets all your standards in a car polish. It has fast gloss high-performance compound which is used in the car making industry and in industrial polishing applications.
It can even remove 12000 grit scratches and finish it off with high-gloss finish on your car’s surfaces. It can also eliminate haze marks, holograms or buffing marks and always leave a mirror finish.
This high-performance car polish is actually the leading solution in the car’s reconditioning and polishing industry. Car shops would be happy to have it.
Because of its extensive use, the marine industry can also rely on it in eliminating oxidation on boat’s surfaces and providing protective coating wax against harsh UV rays. It also acts as a corrective compound and can be used as a finishing polish.
The only not-so-bad thing about the Menzerna is it dries quickly so you must work on small areas and must buff immediately.
Menzerna Power Finish 2500 Compound
This medium cutting polish is very efficient on intermediate to softer paints. Though it contains mild abrasives, it is also mixed with lubricants so that blemishes, sanding marks, and fine scratches are broken down and get fully restored totally eliminating the imperfections.
It is water based, suitable for rotary, DA or by hand, it is also perfect for all paint finish types. There is no silicone in it and fillers.
Best for cars that have good paint finish, it can remove the buffer tracks and the holograms everyone hates to see on their dark-colored cars.
You can also apply it even under direct sunlight and the result is a deep shiny gloss on paint. Basically, this compound can equal multiple car polishes put together and get the results you need especially if you pair it with the Fast Gloss 400. But then, this is a one-step polish so it always does it work beautifully.
AutoGlym Ultra Deep Shine with Free Professional Edgeless Microfiber & Applicator
This product is known in making black and dark colored cars look amazing. It can eliminate blemishes on paint, and also the swirls, spots and marks leaving your car surface glossy without imperfections.
It also acts very quickly and you can see the shine after minutes of polishing and buffing. This can be your all-in-one formula if you want to protect your car from dirt. After polishing, you don’t have to put on gloss protection or wax to make your car shine.
It’s very versatile and can eliminate scratches and swirls and you get quick results. This product can complete your choice if you are using many products just to make your car protected and shine.
With its fantastic job, consumers see this as the basic but best car polish for a quick polishing job. As a tip, don’t let the product dries up when using it or it can cause stain on the paint. Apply it panel to panel, let it haze and buff off quickly.
It’s not very durable, though – will not last long so need to be applied every few months. Only shows excellent result on new paint but removing swirls and fine scratches on old paint may not show the finest result.
Nu Finish Liquid Car Polish
This is not a wax but a sealant which last longer and protects your car even more. This product is made from series of zinc cross-linking polymer emulsions that make the formula stays longer than the polishing products.
Rated as the best car polish by testing magazines for durability, gloss, and protection, it can also protect bodies of motorcycles, airplanes, and fiberglass boats or even your refs, kitchen cabinets, granite countertops and a lot more.
This is one of a kind wax-free formula that you can apply regardless of the weather conditions and no need for heavy buffing or rubbing.
Aside from providing full protection for your car, you can use it on any types of vehicles with chromes to complete an overall beautiful paint makeover.
If you reside near the seas and commonly have salt spray on your car’s surface or bird droppings that won’t easily go away, use this product and it will show you what is say it is. Application is also fairly easy.
Gets dry very quickly so you should not let it hazes but buff it quickly. Advertised as “once a year use” but this can be possible if the weather in your area is fair all year round.
For best results, do twice or thrice application per year especially if your car experiences harsh and extreme weather conditions all year round. Some costumers only advised to use this on light-colored cars.
Liquid Glass LG-100 Ultimate Auto Polish/Finish
For a super durable high gloss finish, this Liquid Glass product is known for this. With lots of positive reviews online, consumers are generally satisfied with it.
What does it do? It actually forms a glass-like protection on the paint that never cracks, chip, peel, fade or turn yellowish over time. And the nice thing is, you don’t have to remove it once gloss becomes blurry and you just need to reapply the solution and there’s the tough glossy protection again.
This unique product doesn’t need to be removed and applied to restore the mirror-like shine of your auto surface. All it needs is reapplication and that would take months to happen.
Its compound actually penetrates the paint so that its gloss will be hard as glass while you have a permanent protection against acid rain, road salt, sap, corrosion, rust, tar, bird droppings and a lot more your car encounters on a daily basis.
Does not meet the glossy expectations of one consumer. Does not shed water.
Meguiar’s M205 Mirror Glaze Ultra Finishing Polish
This is what we can call a professional grade product that deserves to be the best car polish for its level. It is used as finishing touches after polishing your car with another high-grade polish product.
But then, this can be your stand-alone product because it uses advanced technology formula that is meant to produce the shiny gloss of cars and eliminating swirl marks altogether and permanently.
Easy to apply, easy to remove and so buffing is a breeze. It can best perform its maximum gloss and protection if you can be able to use DA polisher or a rotary buffer.
If none of these are available, manual buffing will do but it will take a lot of effort to achieve that fantastic glow in your car.
Turtle Wax T-241A Polishing Compound & Scratch Remover
A compound is designed to remove below surface defects and that include blemishes, stains, and scratches. This Turtle Polishing Compound polishes and does its work as a scratch remover.
A heavy duty paste that can bring life to faded paints, it is also best for use on new paints to make the surface more glossy and lock the gloss altogether. Most products see this as the best car polish among Turtle products that is compound made.
It’s very easy to apply, economical, won’t damage your car’s coat even if you are not a pro polisher and not abrasive unlike other compounds.
It is not as soft as the liquid clear coat either so you just get what you want with this product. Some users also advised that this is the best in restoring the clarity of cars’ headlights, removing scratches and erasing signs of oxidation on door panels.
Sadly, it doesn’t work well with wide scratches. You have to use a lot of elbow grease in order to remove the scratches. Ideal to apply by hands on small areas but a polisher on larger ones.
Turtle Wax T-3KT Black Box Kit
So many people are asking about car polish for black cars particularly the Turtle products. Well, this is it and in a complete set.
This is basically an all-in-one solution to the many problems that black car owners encounter with their cars’ paints. It includes a Carnauba wax, 2 Black Spray Detailers, 1 Pre-Wax Cleaner, 1 Conditioner and 2 applicator pads.
This package is full of surprises because everything you need in restoring the beauty of your black cars is in here and all are new blends made exclusively by Turtle Wax. The Carnauba wax will bring out the real beauty of your car’s finish.
Unlike with clear paste or liquid polish that may leave whitish stain on the black paint, this surely will not. From cleaning your car, conditioning it and waxing it, your car will look like it’s been in a car wash and polished by professionals.
Some people find the products messy and application can be time-consuming. Without latex gloves, it could stain hands.
Mothers 05101 Mag & Aluminum Polish
For people who want to know the best of Mothers products that are intended only for polishing metals on cars, this is the product they are looking for.
People are amazed at the variety of metals it can bring to life and bring back the luster which they previously have. Chrome, stainless, brass, aluminum rims or even shower fixtures and glass shower, you name it. Regular use won’t harm your metals.
Mothers have put up a secret formula with this product that’s why every hazed, heavily smudged and beaten metal that is previously shining come back to life once this polish is used.
Buffing metals with it is enjoyable and you don’t need a lot of effort to eliminate the dirt, rust, oxidation, and stains that may have been there for years. Perfect for car rims, door handles, stainless bumpers, and exhaust pipe. This is basically your best car polish for your car’s accessories.
You do have to use a single towel for every specific item to avoid smearing of oxidized metal on other metals. Strong smell.
Turtle Wax FG6905 Light Red Color Magic
Those who own colored cars and wanted to have a special car polish for their car’s color, here is what they need.
Its purpose: remove minor scratches including swirl marks, cleans the paint of blemishes and stains and restore the color of car’s paintwork.
What you get is refined, smooth, glossy and stain free car finish. It also comes with a Chipstick which is very useful in masking deep scratches and chips from stones.
It won’t wash out as well even you wash your car 25 times. For owners of colored cars, this can be the best car polish for them.
It’s quick to apply and works wonderfully in removing persistent swirl marks while it will enhance the color of your car. This is actually for all colored cars whenever you want them to be rejuvenated with their paint jobs leaving your car surface like new again.
Suitable for all types of car paint finishes, it can also bring the sparks on metallic painted cars and those with clear coats. The Chipstick is also a fantastic bonus to clear up your car from scratches that cannot be covered by the polish.
On dark red cars, the solution must be left for a while before buffing or it won’t work according to one consumer.
Types of Car Polish to Consider
There are four types of car polish so you have to option which can work best for your car:
- Heavy Cut Polishes – For removing heavy swirls, deep scratches and imperfections, these polishes are the best. But these are recommended for use only by auto paint experts as these contain aggressive elements.
- Medium Cut Polishes – Used to remove water spots, give life to dry-looking paint and repair abrasions.
- Light Cut Finishing Polishes – Best in removing scratches and light swirl marks. Also good as a finishing polish to smoothen out haze marks left by aggressive polishing or improper waxing.
- Paint Cleansers – Excellent for removing oxidation, sealants and wax on paint.
If you get confused with all these criteria, you can also choose the all-in-one car polishes. These products contain mild aggressive substance to smoothen out fine scratches and swirls, fillers to cover up these marks and finally wax like carnauba to protect the paint finish from UV rays and provide gloss to the surface.
To make it easy for you to target which among the popular car polishes today that can be your best car polish, here are the great choices with the most positive reviews to choose from.
Wrapping Up
Having a new car makes you proud. But making your car shine with beauty is more than an accomplishment. That’s the wonders of car polishes. It can bring life into old car paints while your new cars can retain their glossy look even for years.
With the efficient car polishes, you know you don’t have to worry your car will get beaten up by nature. It only takes a little effort in restoring your car’s beauty. All you need to do is finding the best car polish and use it accordingly.