 Meguiars NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0. Click image to enlarge |
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Manufacturer’s web site Meguiars.com |
Review and photos by Frank Rizzuti
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NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0
Take a stroll down the aisle of your favourite auto parts store and you’ll find dozens of different brands and types of car waxes. There are products for old paint, new paint, scratched paint, clear coat, synthetic waxes, and natural waxes. And that’s not counting the polishes, cleaners and glazes! I have seen customers with looks ranging from terror to panic to utter confusion, trying to decide which one to buy. It’s mystifying for the average consumer, that’s for sure.
Meguiar’s has been in the business of making surface and car care products for over 100 years, and they have earned a solid reputation for producing some of the finest car care products available today. They have a comprehensive website that will write a “prescription” for your car and recommend various products to help you detail it. Their web site’s a good place to start, but even Meguiar’s offers a somewhat bewildering array of special products.
Simplifying things somewhat is a new product from Meguiar’s called NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0. This is a polymer wax and according to Meguiar’s, “it produces unbelievably deep, vibrant colour and a dramatically clear wet-look”. Well, what else would they say? Is it really any better than the previous generation or is it something that you’ll use once and move on to something else? Skepticism aside, I have used the original NXT and was very pleased with the results (I’ve recommended it on many occasions). How does this “new, improved” version compare?
  Top: Before – swirl marks; Bottom: After – swirl marks gone. Click image to enlarge |
When waxing a car it’s important to start with a clean, wax-free surface. I use dish detergent such as Dawn or Palmolive, to remove the old wax and leave a clean surface on which the new wax can properly adhere. After washing, dry the car with a synthetic or natural chamois (the choice is yours, although I prefer the synthetic). Make sure the surface of the car is cool (a shady area helps) before applying the wax in small sections at a time with the special applicator provided by Meguiar’s. Rinse the applicator in warm water between sections and use side to side motions rather than circular ones, as circular motions tend to create those dreaded swirl marks. Let the waxed area haze up then buff with soft cotton towels, or better yet, microfibre towels.
Meguiar’s says Tech Wax’s Hydrophobic Polymer Technology provides “relentless water beading and protection against oxidation, corrosion, UV rays and surface degradation,” and I can confirm that this liquid wax certainly goes on effortlessly, but the best part is that it buffs off easily as well, with none of that white, chalk-like dust that seems to get stuck in every little crevice. My car had a few minor swirl marks and the NXT made them all disappear. The colour seems deeper, and it definitely has that coveted “wet look” (whether it’s “relentless,” we’ll have to see). This new NXT works better than the old version in my opinion. It goes on and comes off much easier as well.
This might sound like a commercial, but I have tried many different brands and types of waxes over the years – the shelves in my garage prove it – and I have yet to find one that works better than the NXT.
NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 retails for $17.39 and can be purchased at most auto parts stores or online at Meguiars.com.
