Marc08EX
New member
Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus
CarPro PERL Coat Plastic & Rubber Protectant
Tire & Trim Dressing Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus
***I won't copy and paste the product description anymore. If you'd like to see them, you can directly go to the product page.
Price:
Carpro PERL:
$15.99 for 500mL
$24.99 for 1L
Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus:
$31.99 for 12oz.
Introduction:
I was one of the lucky winners in Paul's massive trim protectant giveaway. I received both Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus (UTTG+ from now on) to review and test. I was extremely ecstatic to receive both products. Thanks again to Paul and the entire gang at Autopia!
I don't know about you but I extremely hate dressing my trim and tires. When I first started cleaning cars, I was mainly using Meguiar's Endurance Tire Gel. Yes it made tires look shiny but man it was such a PITA to clean! And if you got your wash mitt or microfiber towel in contact with that stuff, man you'll have a hard time getting that stuff out. Not only that but it takes so much time to clean and dress trim and tires. You also have to be careful not to get it in contact with your paint and wheels. This is why I rarely dress my tire and trim. Sometimes, I only dress my tires when they are about to turn brown LOL! I also dress my tires/trim whenever I do a full detail because undressed trim/tires is such an eyesore on a perfectly shiny car.
I have since transitioned to water-based dressings. Yes they don't last as long as other types of dressings but man, it's so much easier to clean. I've only had Meguiar's Hyper Dressing and I love that stuff. When I got the Carpro PERL and UTTG+, I didn't know they were both water-based dressings. So SCORE!!! Can't wait to try something else out especially these 2 because I've heard so many good things about them.
The Review:
Here's a picture of the product description and instructions:
Both products really caught my attention. UTTG+ says it lasts for months and Carpro PERL says it lasts up to 3 months. I was extremely intrigued! I don't think trim dressings will survive that long in this hot desert heat. So if these 2 products survive our brutal heat and UV for at least a month, I think we have a winner.
I also read that UTTG+ says it dries to the touch. I like that in trim dressings so I'll be testing that out as well. I wish Carpro PERL said the same..
So to prep the side skirt plastic trim piece and tires, I used Meguiar's APC to clean them.
Spraying APC:
Brushing Tire:
Cleaning Plastic Side Skirt:
For the side mirrors and the wiper cowl, I just washed them with Meguiar's Gold Class shampoo as I was washing the entire car...
This is how a clean and bare tire/trim looks:
Clean tire:
Clean side skirt:
For this test, I used completely new foam applicators. I also used the same kind for both just to keep a level playing field. I understand that PERL suggested to use a dilution of 1:3 for external plastics but I didn't want to make a separate container for this. And I also wanted to use full strength on the tires so I said I'll do the same on the exterior plastics..
So I applied UTTG+ on the passenger side and Carpro PERL on the driver side wherever I'm applying it. Both the wiper cowl and the side skirts have untreated (control) sections. That way we can see if the dressing has evaporated completely or something.
Here's a picture of how each product looks when put in the foam applicator:
Here are some after pictures of different areas of the car I applied the dressing to:
Wiper Cowl (I waited 15 minutes to apply the 2nd coat):
Wiper Cowl - UTTG+ Side:
Wiper Cowl - PERL Side:
Side Skirt - UTTG+ Side:
Side Skirt - PERL Side:
Side Mirror - UTTG+ Side:
Side Mirror - PERL Side: (I may have over applied here LOL!)
Tire - UTTG+ Side:
Tire - PERL Side:
Most of the pictures you saw so far were taken when the car was inside the garage. I also took some shots when the car was outside under the sun to show you the gloss levels of each product.
Tire & Side Skirt - UTTG+ Side:
Tire & Side Skirt - PERL Side:
Wiper Cowl - UTTG+ Side:
Wiper Cowl - PERL Side:
***Most of these pictures were taken with the same lighting condition. For example, when I took the tire/side skirt picture under the sun. I flipped the car around so that the sun was behind me on both sides.
I will test the longevity and durability of both dressings. I will take daily pictures of the sections where the dressings were applied as shown in this review. I will drive the car every day to work and take pictures every day. I will also update the number of miles driven after each day but I don't drive much. However, the car will sit under the scorching AZ sun all day.
Thoughts & Observations:
- Smell: UTTG+ had an unpleasant smell IMO. It smelled chemical like. I don't know exactly what it smelled like but I didn't enjoy it. On the other hand, Carpro PERL had a very nice smell to it. It was fruity like. Maybe coconut smell? I'm not sure.
- Ease of application: UTTG+ was very hard to spread. The product seems to dry up very quickly and I find myself wanting to re-apply product to the applicator often. This seems to agree with how much product Paul used in his testing. There was a lot of product used and I can see that. In addition, I had some difficulty making my application even on the plastic. I had to come back and touch up some areas that seem like it didn't have much dressing on it. Carpro PERL was the complete opposite. PERL was extremely easy to spread. A little goes a long way.
- Shine: UTTG+ has more of a matte finish. It definitely darkens the trim but doesn't produce a glossy surface. I think this has something to do with the product drying to the touch. I'm perfectly fine using this product on plastic trim but I wouldn't use this product on tires. It darkened the tires but there is absolutely no gloss on it. I like gloss on my tires. As you can see above, it didn't leave any shine behind. Carpro PERL was extremely shiny undiluted. It's perfect for what I want with tires but I think it's over the top on exterior plastic trim. But hey, the manufacturer suggested using a 1:3 dilution so I'm not following the manufacturer's recommendation.
- Durability: Testing is still on-going.
- Price: UTTG+ is very expensive at $32 for 12oz. It also doesn't bode well that I seem to want to use more product.. PERL is very economical. It's $16 for a 500mL bottle and you can dilute it!
Conclusion:
Both are extremely nice trim/tire dressings. You can't go wrong with either one of them. But if I had to choose, I'd have to go with Carpro PERL. It's more economical, can be diluted, easier to use and produces a glossy surface. Some people may not like too much gloss but you can tone this down by diluting the product with water. It's so versatile!
Now, if UTTG+ lasts a lot longer than PERL then it might even things out. So stay tuned for durability results!!!
Hope you enjoyed this review. Comments are appreciated and criticisms are welcome.
CarPro PERL Coat Plastic & Rubber Protectant
Tire & Trim Dressing Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus
***I won't copy and paste the product description anymore. If you'd like to see them, you can directly go to the product page.
Price:
Carpro PERL:
$15.99 for 500mL
$24.99 for 1L
Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus:
$31.99 for 12oz.
Introduction:
I was one of the lucky winners in Paul's massive trim protectant giveaway. I received both Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus (UTTG+ from now on) to review and test. I was extremely ecstatic to receive both products. Thanks again to Paul and the entire gang at Autopia!
I don't know about you but I extremely hate dressing my trim and tires. When I first started cleaning cars, I was mainly using Meguiar's Endurance Tire Gel. Yes it made tires look shiny but man it was such a PITA to clean! And if you got your wash mitt or microfiber towel in contact with that stuff, man you'll have a hard time getting that stuff out. Not only that but it takes so much time to clean and dress trim and tires. You also have to be careful not to get it in contact with your paint and wheels. This is why I rarely dress my tire and trim. Sometimes, I only dress my tires when they are about to turn brown LOL! I also dress my tires/trim whenever I do a full detail because undressed trim/tires is such an eyesore on a perfectly shiny car.
I have since transitioned to water-based dressings. Yes they don't last as long as other types of dressings but man, it's so much easier to clean. I've only had Meguiar's Hyper Dressing and I love that stuff. When I got the Carpro PERL and UTTG+, I didn't know they were both water-based dressings. So SCORE!!! Can't wait to try something else out especially these 2 because I've heard so many good things about them.
The Review:
Here's a picture of the product description and instructions:
Both products really caught my attention. UTTG+ says it lasts for months and Carpro PERL says it lasts up to 3 months. I was extremely intrigued! I don't think trim dressings will survive that long in this hot desert heat. So if these 2 products survive our brutal heat and UV for at least a month, I think we have a winner.
I also read that UTTG+ says it dries to the touch. I like that in trim dressings so I'll be testing that out as well. I wish Carpro PERL said the same..
So to prep the side skirt plastic trim piece and tires, I used Meguiar's APC to clean them.
Spraying APC:
Brushing Tire:
Cleaning Plastic Side Skirt:
For the side mirrors and the wiper cowl, I just washed them with Meguiar's Gold Class shampoo as I was washing the entire car...
This is how a clean and bare tire/trim looks:
Clean tire:
Clean side skirt:
For this test, I used completely new foam applicators. I also used the same kind for both just to keep a level playing field. I understand that PERL suggested to use a dilution of 1:3 for external plastics but I didn't want to make a separate container for this. And I also wanted to use full strength on the tires so I said I'll do the same on the exterior plastics..
So I applied UTTG+ on the passenger side and Carpro PERL on the driver side wherever I'm applying it. Both the wiper cowl and the side skirts have untreated (control) sections. That way we can see if the dressing has evaporated completely or something.
Here's a picture of how each product looks when put in the foam applicator:
Here are some after pictures of different areas of the car I applied the dressing to:
Wiper Cowl (I waited 15 minutes to apply the 2nd coat):
Wiper Cowl - UTTG+ Side:
Wiper Cowl - PERL Side:
Side Skirt - UTTG+ Side:
Side Skirt - PERL Side:
Side Mirror - UTTG+ Side:
Side Mirror - PERL Side: (I may have over applied here LOL!)
Tire - UTTG+ Side:
Tire - PERL Side:
Most of the pictures you saw so far were taken when the car was inside the garage. I also took some shots when the car was outside under the sun to show you the gloss levels of each product.
Tire & Side Skirt - UTTG+ Side:
Tire & Side Skirt - PERL Side:
Wiper Cowl - UTTG+ Side:
Wiper Cowl - PERL Side:
***Most of these pictures were taken with the same lighting condition. For example, when I took the tire/side skirt picture under the sun. I flipped the car around so that the sun was behind me on both sides.
I will test the longevity and durability of both dressings. I will take daily pictures of the sections where the dressings were applied as shown in this review. I will drive the car every day to work and take pictures every day. I will also update the number of miles driven after each day but I don't drive much. However, the car will sit under the scorching AZ sun all day.
Thoughts & Observations:
- Smell: UTTG+ had an unpleasant smell IMO. It smelled chemical like. I don't know exactly what it smelled like but I didn't enjoy it. On the other hand, Carpro PERL had a very nice smell to it. It was fruity like. Maybe coconut smell? I'm not sure.
- Ease of application: UTTG+ was very hard to spread. The product seems to dry up very quickly and I find myself wanting to re-apply product to the applicator often. This seems to agree with how much product Paul used in his testing. There was a lot of product used and I can see that. In addition, I had some difficulty making my application even on the plastic. I had to come back and touch up some areas that seem like it didn't have much dressing on it. Carpro PERL was the complete opposite. PERL was extremely easy to spread. A little goes a long way.
- Shine: UTTG+ has more of a matte finish. It definitely darkens the trim but doesn't produce a glossy surface. I think this has something to do with the product drying to the touch. I'm perfectly fine using this product on plastic trim but I wouldn't use this product on tires. It darkened the tires but there is absolutely no gloss on it. I like gloss on my tires. As you can see above, it didn't leave any shine behind. Carpro PERL was extremely shiny undiluted. It's perfect for what I want with tires but I think it's over the top on exterior plastic trim. But hey, the manufacturer suggested using a 1:3 dilution so I'm not following the manufacturer's recommendation.
- Durability: Testing is still on-going.
- Price: UTTG+ is very expensive at $32 for 12oz. It also doesn't bode well that I seem to want to use more product.. PERL is very economical. It's $16 for a 500mL bottle and you can dilute it!
Conclusion:
Both are extremely nice trim/tire dressings. You can't go wrong with either one of them. But if I had to choose, I'd have to go with Carpro PERL. It's more economical, can be diluted, easier to use and produces a glossy surface. Some people may not like too much gloss but you can tone this down by diluting the product with water. It's so versatile!
Now, if UTTG+ lasts a lot longer than PERL then it might even things out. So stay tuned for durability results!!!
Hope you enjoyed this review. Comments are appreciated and criticisms are welcome.
