New Product Test: Meguiar's Ultimate Fast Finish

Is the new Meguiar's a spray-on? Paste wax? Or a liquid? I polish my Prius every month. Retirement is overrated, and I'm bored to death already.

 

It's a spray & wipe. They claim it protects and lasts for a whole year? Not sure if I believe that, but any product by Meguiar's is usually very good. It's certainly worth a try.

 

I use to love to Wax my Vehicle...probably way too often.
But at my age now?
I find myself using the shortcuts so much more.
Even though it's a small car...proper full waxing, buffing seems physically so daunting.

Meguiars in my opinion makes great products so I'm interested in this one.

Here's my question.
I use to use as a short cut product, Turtle Wax ICE, which I liked, for ease of application and removal, but maybe mostly because it did NOT stain black plastic or rubber parts.

IMO it didn't last particularly long, BUT it's ease of use, made using it more often to maintain, an easy trade off.
But a few years ago, it seemed they changed the formula, and I'm not nearly as impressed with it today as I use to be. Might be my imagination, but it doesn't seem as good or as durable as older formulations. It's still a pretty good product IMO, but I'm interested in trying to find "better". When I ran out this last time....I started the experimentation period over again.

Now? I'm trying to find a new product.
I've tried Meguiars Quik Wax, and I've tried their Ultimate....which is great but requires nearly a full "normal" wax dedication. I like the quik spray wax for in between full treatments.

If this product is at all any good? I'd think I'd really like it.

But I'm wondering, does it stain black porous plastic pieces and/or rubber?

If it does, it's not necessarily a deal breaker for me. Just means paying a little closer attention.
And how about applying in direct sunlight?

As I get older?
Easier to use, easier to apply becomes more and more important to me.

Doesn't matter how great a product is, if using it becomes so daunting you dread using it.

 

Sounds like something that'll work for me. Maybe after the heatwave.

 

Tried this product today.
I don't know.
First of all, my vehicle is less than 10 months old, so paint, clear coat all in pretty good condition.
As advertised it is easy to apply, and since it's not a really a wax. easy to wipe off.

But I don't know.
It's so clear, and so easy to apply and wipe off, it's kind of hard to tell what you have covered or how much you should use. A little goes a long way? I kind of suspect I used too much. But it dries so fast. including off the towel that I was spraying quite a bit for each section I was trying to cover. Except for some slight streaking, where I probably over applied, it almost seemed to disappear. You really need to pay attention to what area's you are exactly covering, because there won't be any visual clues from the product.

Unlike a liquid wax, or paste wax, which you can visually see how much you are applying, being clear and an aerosol spray, makes it kind of hard to tell how much you've sprayed on the provided microfiber towel.- I do think I used too much.

For now? The vehicles looks pretty good.
I'll see how it seems to hold up.

I'll probably use up this product, but I'm not sure I'll make it my "Go To" product, just because while ease of use IS huge to me, I think I also like to have a haze and slight dry period that makes it easier to see what's covered and know how much to use. Also, maybe it's just familiarity, but not sure how I feel about aerosol spraying of the product. There absolutely is no "buffing" needed but you need to "wipe off" every section you cover.

But as far as I can tell, it pretty much did exactly what it said on the box.
I just can't say I'm necessarily any happier with it than similar quick wax products I've used both from Meguiars and Turtle Wax.
The jury is still out for me.

 

I agree, that I think I learned two things.
#1-Use less than I used,
#2. As tempting as it might be to try to quickly apply it to large sections, it is better to carefully do smaller sections.

Next time, I think I'll be careful to do both.

It may be hard for me to tell how impressed to be by how it looks, because again my vehicle is new enough that there isn't a lot of room for improvement...paint and finish in pretty good shape without doing anything. At this point I'm using it very much as preventive maintenance, not repair of existing damage.

Maybe, I was a little too critical in my evaluation. I will try it again. LOL...probably also this fall.

 

UPDATE:
A week in, and some viewing in sunlight, and I'd say I am impressed with how it looks.
I think I want to bump my evaluation up a little higher.
The product is easy to use.....and it does seem to really make a difference.
I would say my vehicle right now looks as close to the showroom look it had when I bought it..as it has since I drove it off the lot.
I'm pretty impressed.

 

This is uniquely aerosol. And I would say, as it does say on the product itself...you need to be covering a surface in good shape. They say "Wax" but "Wax" is in quotes.
In comparison to any paste wax, this is much, much more a polymer sealant...that shines.

Meguiars touts it's durability. But I will see.

If you are use to, and enjoy a paste wax? This is a considerably different product IMO. Even if the end result is "Shiny and Protected".

I'm getting too old and out of shape for full fledged waxing and buffing. Otherwise? I'd go with paste wax's today.
If ease of use and application ISN'T a priority?
I might recommend sticking with what you like.

The biggest "negative" is also it's positive.
As an quick, easy to apply aerosol, it dries nearly instantaneously. You almost have to just "trust" you are applying it. Because as you put it on? You won't really see it. Which is why I was more impressed a few days AFTER applying it, when I could step back and really see the results. I think it's product qualities invite over application. It takes some discipline to go in smaller area's and trust that a "little" is going a long way.

But I would say, for my priorities...protection, and ease of application. This appears to be a pretty good product.

 

I'll post in this thread, in case anyone else likes to bargain hunt for high quality car care products. Ultimate Quik Wax and Ultimate Quik Detailer are in the Meguiar's family, but different products. Excellent products for after a car wash.

Walmart has a roll back price on Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax (spray) and the Ultimate Quik Detailer for $8/bottle. This is an excellent price. For example, Pep Boys has the UQW at ~$12.