Wax Test Report (46 waxes tested)

Thejoyofdriving

Thejoyofdriving

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This is something really interesting that i found on the web.

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Guru Reports Awards Top Honors in
“The Car Wax Test - Special Report”[/FONT]
Vienna, VA (June 13, 2002) Jump Media Group, Inc. Guru Reports, an independent research group, released the results of its comprehensive test of 46 automotive wax products. With top marks in performance, ease of use, and durability, Armor All, Mothers, P21S, and Zaino were awarded Guru Reports’ top designation, "Best in Class," according to the 2002 Car Wax Test - Special Report.

The inaugural study is based on a comprehensive set of test criteria and scientific research and analysis of 46 popular car waxes. The car waxes were divided into four categories; low priced, moderately priced, premium priced, and synthetic waxes. The study measured durability, ease of use, product availability, and performance amongst peers.

"Most of the waxes performed fairly well," says Guru Reports Editor-in-Chief Steve Litscher. "As our research indicates, the number of low and moderately priced waxes that performed extremely well is encouraging. This means the wax manufacturers are doing a good job of listening to consumers and delivering products that are a good value."

Litscher further states, "While consumers express great frustration in determining which wax to use, the products awarded our "Best in Class" and "Editors Choice" designations provide guidance in determining the right wax for the consumer’s individual needs."

In the low priced category Armor All Protective Barrier Car Wax took the top honor. The Gurus praised Armor All for its high marks in the ease of use category and they point out that Armor All worked better than some waxes which cost 10 times as much.

In the moderately priced category the clear winner was Mothers California Gold Pure Carnauba, a liquid wax that performs well and is easy to use. The report states the Mothers wax under-promised and over-delivered. "Mothers continuing research and development efforts appear to be working in their favor," notes Litscher.

In the premium priced category the top honor was taken by P21S Concours-look Carnauba Wax. The Gurus noted that this product applies and removes effortlessly and produces outstanding results - "We were amazed with how this product was able to drastically improve the shine of our test panels," says Litscher.

"Best in Class" honors in the synthetic wax category were awarded to Zaino Brothers Show Car Polish. This product achieved the highest overall score, one of only a handful to receive an overall grade of "B" or better. The test results indicate Zaino offers outstanding shine with unbeatable long lasting protection.

The automotive wax and polish market has grown rapidly over the past three years with sales reaching $1 Billion in the US. According to Charlie Romero, Publisher of Guru Reports, "The study shows that while there is a broad range of products from which to choose, there is room for improvement in product performance and customer satisfaction. Our research will allow us to develop a unique relationship with the manufacturers which will ultimately lead to better products that meet the demands of consumers. Customer satisfaction is determined by a product's overall performance, and we see that overall performance increasing."

The Guru Reports, "Car Wax Test - Special Report" is a comprehensive report on 46 popular car waxes. In addition to evaluating the wax products, the report includes answers to frequently asked questions, tips and techniques, tool suggestions from professional automotive detailers and feature articles. The Car Wax Test - Special Report can be purchased directly via the Guru Reports web site at Car Wax Test, Glass Cleaner Test, Wheel Tire Care Cleaner Test or by calling 866-893-9852.

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 [FONT=Arial,Helvetica] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]The 46 Waxes Evaluated in the Wax Test Special Report[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]3M Perfect IT Show Car Paste[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Armor All Protective Barrier[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]BlackFire[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Blitz One Grand[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Collinite Marque D'Elegance[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Collinite Super Doublecoat[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Eagle One Pure Carnauba[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Eagle One WET Polish & Wax[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Finish First World Class Auto Polish[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Formula 113[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Gliptone Original Carnauba Paste[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Gliptone Platinum Series Paste[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Griot's Garage Best of Show[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Griot's Garage Carnauba Wax[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Kit Carnauba Paste[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Klasse All-In-One & Sealant Glaze[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Lemon Pledge (just for fun)[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Liquid Glass Ultimate Auto Polish[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Malm's Carnauba[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Meguiar's #16 Paste Wax[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Meguiar's #19 Professional Cleaner/Wax [/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Meguiar's #26 High-Tech[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Meguiar's Gold Class[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Meguiar's Medallion[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Meguiar's Quik Wax[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Mothers California Gold Carnauba Cleaner[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Mothers California Gold Pure Carnauba[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Nu Finish[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]P21S Concour Look Carnauba[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Pinnacle Paste Glaz Carnauba[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Pinnacle Souveran Carnauba[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Prestone Bullet Wax[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Race Glaze[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Rain Dance Premium[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Rally Cream Wax[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]The Wax Shop Super Glaze Liquid[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Turtle Wax Emerald Series[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Turtle Wax Extreme Cleaner Wax[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Turtle Wax Finish 2001[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Turtle Wax Super Hard Shell[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Wizards Shine Master[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Zaino Brothers Show Car Polish[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Zymol Carbon Carnauba[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Zymol Concours Carnauba[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Zymol SUV (Zurtle) Natural Liquid[/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Zymol Titanium Carnauba[/FONT]

I dont know if this is allowed or not, so if it isnt let me know and i will delete it.
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A lot has changed since then and those people are quite biased...
 
budman3 said:
A lot has changed since then and those people are quite biased...
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Really? I says that it was preformed by an independent reasearch group. I dont really know anything about them, it just looked interesting to me.
 
yeah..joy those reports come up every so often..i think the products that came in on the high end of the report are marketed towards your average joe...out of the 46 waxes used most were high end products that have been a favorite on many forums for a long time..

i doubt the average person has heard about Soveran or the majority of the waxes listed
 
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I have the test booklet...it was done by some one from Roadfly....there were so many variables in the test....I do not think it was done by a test lab..but more of a bunch of panels with products on it washed weekly...I will have to dig mine out to see..I may be wrong...but since that report...a lot has changed....new technology...and products

AL
 
46 waxes isn't that much really. Throw in the sealants (Zaino, Klasse SG that they tested) and I bet AG carries more waxes than that. I can't recall all of the specifics but a lot of people were disappointed in the testing. I believe they were thorough and all but a lot of it was just off... like testing for durability on a panel... or looks. 10 people can look at 10 different waxes and each would like a different one... plus without proper polishing you don't get the optimal results.
 
If thats the report I'm thinking of, its junk. Didn't they give P21S props b/c of durability, lol, thats the biggest negative of PS21S (gone after about 2 weeks). They would compare a Toyota Camry to a Carrera GT and give the win to the Camry b/c its cheaper....lol
 
Al-53 said:
I have the test booklet...it was done by some one from Roadfly....there were so many variables in the test....I do not think it was done by a test lab..but more of a bunch of panels with products on it washed weekly...I will have to dig mine out to see..I may be wrong...but since that report...a lot has changed....new technology...and products

AL
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Well if you look at the "products tested" most of them are fairly recent. Also, this is what they did for every wax, its just an example of a no name wax, but it looks like a very solid report. http://www.gurureports.org/images/wizardsonly.1.gif
 
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Surfer said:
If thats the report I'm thinking of, its junk. Didn't they give P21S props b/c of durability, lol, thats the biggest negative of PS21S (gone after about 2 weeks). They would compare a Toyota Camry to a Carrera GT and give the win to the Camry b/c its cheaper....lol
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Oh that seems like a fair comparison hahahaha, that's a good one Toyota Camry Vs Carrera GT hahahahah oh that's funny hahahaha :D ooooh thanks for sharing that one Surfer that made me laugh needed that ;)
 
this report is currently more than 5 years old. Over time even the original testers agreed they did some things wrong. While a good read and a basis it would not be as clinical as most hoped.

1. Grading based upon ease of purchase -- come on think internet/credit card
2. Test panels were similar but pulled from many different areas -- think about environmental issues like Acid Rain and how much damage or further oxidation it could have mustered against panels from different regions.
3. They prepped all panels the same way -- durability and adherance to finish can be based upon compatible versus incompatible products.
4. They didnt even read the directions --took two shots to use Zaino correctly.

After all that is said ... consider the differences in products (enhancements) and polymer technology that wasnt as defined back then. Even VOC reg's took alot away. Its a much different ball game now. I still have my copy and love to relook at it.
 
Other then Consumer Reports Wax Tests this was the biggest wax test. I dont think anybody else has done a wax test on that many products since. Even Bud Abrahams test was like 28 waxes, and a lot of people think that it was also flawed. I dont see anybody else taking the time and money to do anymore tests. All these tests are just opinions anyhow.
 
Larry A said:
Other then Consumer Reports Wax Tests this was the biggest wax test. I dont think anybody else has done a wax test on that many products since. Even Bud Abrahams test was like 28 waxes, and a lot of people think that it was also flawed. I dont see anybody else taking the time and money to do anymore tests. All these tests are just opinions anyhow.
Click to expand...

I agree that Steve and Guru Reports were to be commended on testing specialty (boutique) products which has never been done, and even the recent Consumer Reports failed to see anything more than low grade mass produced price point products.
 
yeah, yeah, yeah. Tests they perform they always have Armor All, or Black Magic, or Turtle Wax winning all the time. Maybe it works for them, but not for me. I'd rather psnd a little extra buck and get good stuff from AG.
 
wow pinnacle paste glaz and souveran both were beaten by P21S.

I have P21s and Souveran and can attest that Pinnacle is better than P21S in EVERY WAY (P21s is one of the ONLY waxes out there that sucks more in durability than Souveran)
 
FMINUS said:
wow pinnacle paste glaz and souveran both were beaten by P21S.

I have P21s and Souveran and can attest that Pinnacle is better than P21S in EVERY WAY (P21s is one of the ONLY waxes out there that sucks more in durability than Souveran)
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That right there should set of the alarms.
 
FMINUS said:
wow pinnacle paste glaz and souveran both were beaten by P21S.

I have P21s and Souveran and can attest that Pinnacle is better than P21S in EVERY WAY (P21s is one of the ONLY waxes out there that sucks more in durability than Souveran)
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yeah..but i find all three to be major dust magnets...any wax with high in oil content..not just the ones you list in general
 
I think there should be more tests like this one done, but with little variables, you know have all the waxes applied to the exact same types of pannles, and all kept in the same condition. To bad these kinds of things cost oodles of money. And they take alot of time. Plus you have to make sure the reviews arent bias.
 
FMINUS said:
wow pinnacle paste glaz and souveran both were beaten by P21S.

I have P21s and Souveran and can attest that Pinnacle is better than P21S in EVERY WAY (P21s is one of the ONLY waxes out there that sucks more in durability than Souveran)
Click to expand...
P21S has a lot of beeswax, which beads water like crazy, but gives no protection to the paint.
 
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