What does that old adage, “You get what you pay for” have in common with the speed of light? They’re both constants.
Or are they? Light may be the theoretical speed limit of the universe, but do you always get more for an extra outlay of cash? Maybe not.
Carnauba wax has been shining and protecting cars since the 1950s. It’s as traditional as serving turkey at Thanksgiving or hearing oldies music blaring at a car show. But today there’s a broad range of more modern synthetic waxes on the market that promise to deliver much more. Are they really a better option than the tried and true? In this review we put both to the test, sprucing up a 2009 Pontiac G8 GT in need of a little TLC.
To get a sense of what each one delivers, the folks at Meguiar’s sent us a sample pack of popular merchandise, including a tub of Gold Class Carnauba and a bottle of Ultimate Liquid Wax, a pure-synthetic product.
Meguiar’s was founded in 1901 and began developing polishes for lacquer-based paints in the 1920s. By the ‘60s they were focused on meeting the needs of professional car-care shops. In fact, the company’s first consumer product, a cleaner wax, didn’t hit store shelves until 1973.
Positioned as a premium brand, items proffered by Meguiar’s will rarely be the cheapest available. Instead of delivering the lowest price possible, they’ve had great success focusing on the enthusiast market. With more than 350 products in their range, including items for boats and RVs in addition to cars, Meguiar’s is the No. 1 brand in its segment based on dollar spend. Anyway, onward to the test!