Is Nu Finish as "great" as all of the consumer testing magazines say...?

boosteddub69 said:
It get's a bad rap around forums like these. It's not an enthusiast's product but it's cheap, easily accessible, pretty durable and doesn't require a pristine surface to be effective. What's not to like (if you're an average car owner)?
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I see what you are saying but that wasn't the original question. The original question was

"Is Nu Finish as "great" as all of the consumer testing magazines say...?"

And the simple answer is no. Is it good enough for average car owners? Sure. Is it better than nothing? Yep. Is it a great product? No.
 
Can someone provide a link to these magazine tests or at least the names of the mags.

Also, what month/year was the Consumer Reports results published.
 
I finish all the cars I do at my shop with Nu-Finsh! You guys are nuts... Seriously greatest stuff ever!
 
boosteddub69 said:
I admire your passion...I think it's misguided...but you're certainly entitled to your opinion.

Average car owners do come here, some stay and become detailing enthusiasts (myself included), others leave because they feel they can't adequately take care of their vehicles paint. In short they get overwhelmed. The average protection you put on your car is far better than the awesome protection you don't. To say one product or viewpoint is "the light" and the other is "the dark" is rather binary

I suspect we will never have the same point of view on this product, so perhaps agreeing to disagree is what we could agree on.
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Misguided, tell that to my clients... Or better yet all the people who I have helped bring their car to a new level.

Average car owners deserve better an they can get plenty of great otc products. Meguiars makes tons of excellent products that can be bought at the local store. People come here for help and advice. If telling them which products are better alternatives is misguided the I feel your in the wrong place. As long as I can recommend great products and help people take pride in their ride, I will do so. In they end, I've NEVER heard anyone wish they hadn't gone the extra mile.

As far being adequately caring, being on here an educating about what products and how to do things makes it easier for people. Sure, we have ocd levels here, we don't demand from perfection from anyone. We simply try an make things easier and better. To say that people leave because they simply can't take care of their ride is wrong. We try an show people simplier, easier an safer ways then basic car washes. Waterless wash, foam cwnnons etc all make things easier for an average Joe not harder. An thats not opinion...

Just for fun, a coating has knocked my maintenance down over half. My car looks incredible all the time, I recommend this to all people who to not only protect their car but don't have the time to take care of it constantly. I find more average people love it.
 
jmsc said:
Can someone provide a link to these magazine tests or at least the names of the mags.

Also, what month/year was the Consumer Reports results published.
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I don't think anyone will find them as it is all bogus. Even on the horrible Consumer Reports review they didn't think any of them were all that good. But then again read the article and you can quickly see these people aren't all that knowledgeable or qualified to proclaim something as #1.
Car wax: Latest test results separate the shiny from the dull
Products from Meguiar and Nu-Finish Top Consumer Reports’ Ratings of Liquid and Paste Car Waxes: Consumer Reports http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/
10 Best Car Waxes
 
I've never tried the Nu Finish paste version, but it's cheap enough that I'll probably just grab some and throw a video up of the water behavior. Consumer Reports lists it at the top of their list for durability, and they judge that all on water beading. They also have ICE Synthetic Paste Polish up at the top next to Nu Finish for durability in their older test. That product I have worked with and I can definitely confirm it will bead like crazy and that beading will last for some time. The question of how relevant their test is depends on how actual protection is linked to water beading. We know some sealants or coatings can protect paint at a high level (or at least advertise to) while having a low surface tension giving less impressive beading from the very start.

I've never seen their full test results because you need a subscription, but it would be interesting to see just how exactly they set up their tests. I'm sure there's a lot of relevant information they discovered, some waxes perform better on more oxidized surfaces than others (better cleaning agents in the wax) and it looks like they may have tested that, many products have low levels of surface tension durability which is why they only listed the Nu Finish and ICE Paste for their final results in that category as performing well. Some are easier to apply than others, etc. So I wouldn't completely throw their testing under the bus. If the results are verified, then it's time to start pitting them against the enthusiast and professional markets to see if we're really getting our money's worth by spending more on less consumer geared products.
 
I used the liquid in the past and have recommended it to those who could not (or would not) afford my services using better products. Is it the best? No, and I doubt there is a "best" to be truthful. Does it work and do what it claims? Yes, providing one is not a slob when applying it.
 
This falls right in with "which wax, polish, sealant, coating is the best". Inexpensive OTC vs. high priced enthusiast products. Then what defines "best"? Cost/value, ease of application/removal, appearance, durability/longevity? And lets be honest, most opinions are truly subjective based on personal experience(s) rather than objective standard testing. And what of the prep work before applying the LSP. It seems to me that a product's ability to stick around (pun intended) is going to be at least in part based on how well it adhered to the surface...which may be [even] more in question for the average enthusiast that reaches for an LSP every third wash or so.

In my 'back in the day' recollection I think NU Finish was one of the early adopters (at least in OTC) of polymer technology over carnuba wax. I think it did have greater longevity than carnuba, but I don't recall it being 'a once a year polish' as claimed. Combined with trim staining, horrible carrier dusting and a god awful smell makes it less than 'great'.

I also think that sometimes good hearted enthusiasts can unintentionally become product snobs. Some of the more expensive enthusiast products are great, but many are only just as good, but cost more. One good experience (or one bad one) tends to dictate our opinion, potentially slanted to the side of unfairness. So some specially products are great, others not so much. The same holds true for OTC products. We all find our way and champion products we've come to believe meets our individual measure of 'best'. For some it may simply be depth of shine, others may be application ease, or durability/longevity, or price/value or any combination. Lets face it....we want it all, but I wonder if we ever really get it? If there was really one 'greatest'....we'd all be using it and end of debate! ;)
 
"All you need is Nu Finish and Lemon Pledge"

(I'm sorry...I'm sooo sorry. I couldn't help myself...please forgive me.)
 
NuFinish is okay, the results seem a bit dull to me. Certainly makes nice beads. In Hawaii, ordinary wax lasts about a week. I tip my hat to the experts on here though. Now, if only I could tell who's a real expert....
 
Wasn't it a Nu Finish commercial where they got a panel from a junk yard and applied Nu Finish then put lighter fluid on it and set it on fire to prove its durability? I used Nu Finish maybe 20 years ago and from my recollection, it did dust horribly, but did leave a nice shine and as others have said it is better than nothing. Would I use it now? No. I have found many better products, just as most of the forum members. Again for the question asker, no it is not the best even though it may have been the best in the magazine review. I use Consumer Reports for buying electronics and electro domestics appliances and it has been right so far.
 
I don't think they used a fire trick. Honestly, it isn't bad. I've used it on my wife's beater and it lasted..a long time. Decently slick but the depth is not there with others. Throw some UQW on it and it does look pretty good. Easy to use. I know the formula has been tweaked, so before you kill it, give it a chance. Held up nicely during a Chicago winter with lots of runs through a touch less.
 
rlmccarty2000 said:
Wasn't it a Nu Finish commercial where they got a panel from a junk yard and applied Nu Finish then put lighter fluid on it and set it on fire to prove its durability?
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No, I think Nu Finish's thing was going thru 100 car washes. But I've seen the carni trick with lighter fluid...when in fact, the heat rises and the panel just barely gets warm. I'll bet more than just a few have been conned with that one!
 
For the 52 car wash commercial, they just claim it still beads but if look at the hood the beading is somewhat irregular. I would expect a similar effect on clean smooth paint.

 
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