Some general polish(ing) questions

[Honda Fan]

From what I've been able to determine regarding polishes is the least destructive method is using one that does not contain abrasives (chemical). After that there are polishes where the polishing particles lose their abrasiveness as you polish and then there are polishes that will continue to polish through that cycle. I'm sure there are more categories and polish attributes but I've broken them down into those 3.


I'm about to start testing a few polishes on my new 2022 Honda Pilot. Although the paint looks really good I still think there is room for improvement and want to try and give it a bit more "pop". I wanted to begin with the least aggressive product/method and work my way up from there. It was suggested on this forum that I try Meguiar's #6 Mirror Glaze Cleaner Wax (already purchased). Although I'm pretty sure this is all I'm going to need I was wondering what's next most least aggressive polish I should try? I want to take this one baby step at a time.


I understand that the Meguiar's #6 contains wax and that the other/next solutions may not and that an additional wax/sealant/coating would be necessary.

[luckydawg]

Well if you already purchased it, I would go ahead and use / try it out
Pad selection is going to be important for you, as far as your next step- get on the megs web site and look up where on the scale the product you have is and go up from there.

[2black1s]

From what I've been able to determine regarding polishes is the least destructive method is using one that does not contain abrasives (chemical)...

I wouldn't really call any product "destructive". "Aggressive" is a more appropriate description. Even the most aggressive products are not necessarily "destructive" when used appropriately.

... I'm about to start testing a few polishes on my new 2022 Honda Pilot. Although the paint looks really good I still think there is room for improvement and want to try and give it a bit more "pop". I wanted to begin with the least aggressive product/method and work my way up from there. It was suggested on this forum that I try Meguiar's #6 Mirror Glaze Cleaner Wax (already purchased). Although I'm pretty sure this is all I'm going to need I was wondering what's next most least aggressive polish I should try? I want to take this one baby step at a time...

Next up in the Meguiar's line-up would be D166. It is also a cleaner wax or AIO, although it does contain abrasives and will provide better correction ability than the #6. From my experience with D166, it will not finish out as nicely as the #6 or even some dedicated polishes like M210. By the description of your paint and what you're trying to accomplish, I think the #6 is the better choice as far as AIOs go.

... I understand that the Meguiar's #6 contains wax and that the other/next solutions may not and that an additional wax/sealant/coating would be necessary.

If you opt to go the dedicated polish route, followed by your LSP of choice, I'd suggest Meguiar's 210. It's a very fine polish that finishes out beautifully.

[PaulMys]

Does anyone know if Honda paint is still on the soft side?

That would be a good thing to know for future answers here.

[noorth]

Megs 210 is probably a great option(never tried it) but another very well known polish is sonax perfect finish. My favorite. On soft paint it will remove a lot of defects with the right pad. Pad selection is very important. The orange SDO or HDO with CCS is my favorite polishing pad to date. I'm not a fan of flat pads anymore they tend to skip on you.

[Honda Fan]

Thanks for the help. I know a lot of my questions on this forum can be answered by "just go out and give it a try and see how it works". I think I'm going to get some of the Meguiar's 210 and have it on hand so that I can possibly do a panel by panel comparison and go from there. I have 3 different pad grades and once this rain ends I'll be jumping in with both feet.

[2black1s]

Thanks for the help. I know a lot of my questions on this forum can be answered by "just go out and give it a try and see how it works". I think I'm going to get some of the Meguiar's 210 and have it on hand so that I can possibly do a panel by panel comparison and go from there. I have 3 different pad grades and once this rain ends I'll be jumping in with both feet.

That is exactly the way I do it!

While other's reviews are usually beneficial, you really need to weigh your situation, your idiosyncrasies, your expectations, etc.