Opinions on Wolfgang Auto Bathe? (+ list)

[maecrispy]

Hi All!



Haven`t seen many reviews of Wolfgang`s Auto Bathe car wash and I`m wondering what you guys think of it. I`ve tried ten different ones now and it`s right up there with the best of them. Just curious to see if you guys feel the same/differently?



My favorites (best to worst):



1. Wolfgang (best performance/price, pH=7)

2. 1Z Perls (excellent, too expensive)

3. Sonax (excellent, little pricey/hard to find)

4. Zaino Z-7 (reasonably priced)

5. Megs GC (easy to find locally)

6. Eagle One WCW (cheap, sold everywhere)

7. P21S (lots of suds but that doesn`t mean much)

8. Megs NXT Wash (cheap, sold everywhere)

9. Griot`s (nothing special)

10. Too embarassed to list #10



So... am I nuts listing WG at the top of the list?



Oh I just had to add that I`m confused as to why everyone makes a big deal out of the amount of suds a wash produces. Any chemist will tell you that the amount of suds are not necessarily indicative of cleaning power or lubricity. Suds (bubbles) do help spread soap molecules around but I would argue that the agitation we provide by using wash mitts will do the same thing.



Anyway, just had to toss that it in since so many reviews of car washes seem to use suds as one of the main criteria on whether a wash is good or not.

[SilverLexus]

"Any chemist will tell you that the amount of suds are not necessarily indicative of cleaning power or lubricity."



True on lubricity but my organic chemistry teacher taught me that suds do improve cleaning power.



Also, NXT Wash is all but impossible to find in the greater Atlanta. I have looked for it in 25 stores and counting now. For some reason our WalMarts here and other places carry the wax but not the soap. Atlanta may be unique in this respect.



We need to get Mike Phillips on the case...



My list looks like this:



(note: I have not tried WG but I will order it)



1. P21S - great all around performer

2. Z-7 - usual quality product from Sal

3. 1Z Perlz - best lubricity but does not clean as well as P21S IMHO

4. Sonax - bit disappointed by this one to be honest but love the bottle.

5. Eagle One Wet

6. Duragloss



Will never buy again: Griot`s, Meg`s Gold Class (heresy!), any Blue Coral, anything made by Turtle

[RobertNQ]

Originally posted by SilverLexus

"Any chemist will tell you that the amount of suds are not necessarily indicative of cleaning power or lubricity."



True on lubricity but my organic chemistry teacher taught me that suds do improve cleaning power.



Also, NXT Wash is all but impossible to find in the greater Atlanta. I have looked for it in 25 stores and counting now. For some reason our WalMarts here and other places carry the wax but not the soap. Atlanta may be unique in this respect.



We need to get Mike Phillips on the case...



My list looks like this:



(note: I have not tried WG but I will order it)



1. P21S - great all around performer

2. Z-7 - usual quality product from Sal

3. 1Z Perlz - best lubricity but does not clean as well as P21S IMHO

4. Sonax - bit disappointed by this one to be honest but love the bottle.

5. Eagle One Wet

6. Duragloss



Will never buy again: Griot`s, Meg`s Gold Class (heresy!), any Blue Coral, anything made by Turtle





Oh so true! The Walmarts here in Virginia were stocked full of NXT wash about 2-3 months ago, but now, I can`t find it anywhere and counting. In fact, I had to order it from autopia a week ago along with 1Z perls. IMO, NXT wash is very good. 1Z is very good too along with sonax(but its hard to find like one other person said).

[Mr Monk]

maecrispy . . .



I can`t comment on WG products, (haven`t tried them yet) but one of my favorites that`s not on your list is - Zymol Auto wash (Ocean blue color - very nice smell).



PS: Gotta love your new TL. VERY nice. :xyxthumbs I`ve definitely warmed up to the new look.

Question: do you notice any torque steer when accelerating hard ? There`s not a hint of that on my `03. Car reviews mentioned that was a problem.



Good luck with it.

[RobertNQ]

Originally posted by Dr Groove

maecrispy . . .



I can`t comment on WG products, (haven`t tried them yet) but one of my favorites that`s not on your list is - Zymol Auto wash (Ocean blue color - very nice smell).



PS: Gotta love your new TL. VERY nice. :xyxthumbs I`ve definitely warmed up to the new look.

Question: do you notice any torque steer when accelerating hard ? There`s not a hint of that on my `03. Car reviews mentioned that was a problem.



Good luck with it.



Dr Groove,



I forgot about that one. Is this the one that has the pineapple smell? If so, that`s a good one too! BTW, I have 01 NBP TL. Love the wolfgang sealant on my dark colored TL!:xyxthumbs

[maecrispy]

SilverLexus, cbsharpe - I haven`t checked the Wal-Mart around here but as of yesterday, Meijer and Target still had the NXT Wash. Also, the local auto supply stores around here (AutoZone, Murray`s, etc..) all had plenty in stock. Maybe it`s regional thing?



Dr Groove - haven`t tried Zymol Auto wash yet. I`ll have to put it on my list.



As far as my 04 TL, excellent, excellent car. I`m under no illusion that it`s a true sport car. It`s a sports sedan that can seat 5 when it hast to.



As far as torque steer, it`s not a problem when VSA is on. However, VSA will also throttle you back as it sees fit in order to prevent torque steer. If I want to really stomp on it, I turn the VSA off. Even then, even though toruqe steer is present, I don`t have a problem fighting it off and keep the car straight. And really, the way I drive the car most fo the time, VSA stays on. Give it a test drive! :p

[roadman]

As other have notes suds mean nothing, auto dish detergent makes NO suds and they work fantastic (in the dishwasher that is, not on a car)



Maecrispy, I also have an`04 TL, way better now that I have diff tires, Great car

[killrwheels]

I like Wolfgangs wash also but find it extremely familar (other than smell and color), could it be close to Pinnacles Soap ??? Both offer "Tuff Suds" in their descriptions also !!!



1. Wolfgang or Pinnacle

2. P21S

3. Einszett (older one, grey bottle)

4. Einszett Perls

5. Zaino

[SilverLexus]

My Target as of last week did not have NXT Wash, but I will recheck...



Not to change the subject but how do you TL owners like the DVD-Audio playback?



The Acura TL is getting top flight reviews.

[tom p.]

the Wolfgang soap was decent. I just finished my free sample yesterday. I liked it but probably would not place it at the top of my list. I have a couple of alternates that I like very much and work well with my water.



The auto shampoo "thing" is VERY subjective and I think water quality and mineral content vary dramatically from location to location. It`s going to be difficult to find a consensus on shampoos.



May your car always dry without water spots !!



Enjoy.

[NozeBleedSpeed]

NXT Wash is usually available here at Advance Discount Auto Parts for about $5.50 a jug. Its very scarce at Wally World, Target` and Vato Zone. Its funny how the one good product in the NXT line is the hardest to find.



Another wash that Ive found to very good thats not on your list is PUPP. I really like the stuff.

[maecrispy]

Originally posted by SilverLexus

Not to change the subject but how do you TL owners like the DVD-Audio playback?



The Acura TL is getting top flight reviews.



It varies. When a DVD-A is recorded well, IMHO, the Acura TL`s ELS audio setup is among the best (at least equal to the Mark Levinson and way better than the shameful Bose.) It`s balanced very well. No `boom-sizzle` going on here.



When a DVD-A is recorded poorly, it really doesn`t matter what system you playback on, it`s just disappointing.



I`m embarassed to say that I like the TL`s 5.1 setup better than my home 5.1 setup. :o

[maecrispy]

Originally posted by tom p.

The auto shampoo "thing" is VERY subjective and I think water quality and mineral content vary dramatically from location to location. It`s going to be difficult to find a consensus on shampoos.



I just got first hand experience on what you say above. I just tried WG`s car wash using the water at my in-laws place which is very soft (they have well water and soften it) and it`s like using a completely different wash. :nixweiss



I posted the list for two reasons. First, I think it`s cool when people give their honest opinoins about all the different products. Second, it might help newbies to the forum when searching for car wash ideas. I remember thinking as a noob that I wish people would just try every product out there and then list them in the order the liked them. :p




Originally posted by tom p.

May your car always dry without water spots !!



Amen to that!

[maecrispy]

Originally posted by NozeBleedSpeed

NXT Wash is usually available here at Advance Discount Auto Parts for about $5.50 a jug. Its very scarce at Wally World, Target` and Vato Zone.



Vato Zone!! :p For some reason, I`ve never heard that one before. It had me rolling on the floor when I first read it.



Ok, I`m better now...




Another wash that Ive found to very good thats not on your list is PUPP. I really like the stuff.



PUPP? I thought that was a LSP? Or does Four Star also have a car wash?

[imported_BigBoy]

Zymol(blue), P21s, Pinnacle, Sonax. Worked execellent for me. Pinnacle; Expensive. Sonax; expensive after the price hike. P21s & zymol are my favorites. Menzerna auto wash is another good wash. I tend to stay away from big jugs & auto washes that are real watery. Prefer a thick wash. I read this sign in a laundromat. It`s the suds that clean your duds. This would apply to your vehicle.