Meguiar`s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer - Coating Topper Test

[Loach]

I recently finished up testing with Meguiar`s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer on top of the coatings that I`ve been working with on the Honda daily driver. Just want to share my results and grab some feedback from you guys. I noticed a great ability for HCD to bring back to life a lot of the hydrophobics that were diminished over the 6 months time period that I went without washing the car at all. I`m absolutely loving this product in the short amount of time that I`ve been playing around with it, I think it`s a perfect addition to Megiuar`s new Hybrid lineup, certainly a very capable coating topper. The car has been ungaraged since applying the coatings on it.

Here is the video:


At the time of the final rinse with Meguiar`s HCD, these are the durability stamps for each of the coatings/protectants up until this point:
CQUK 3.0: 20 Months
CQuartz: 20 Months
Blackfire Pro Ceramic Coating: 15 Months
Adam`s Ceramic Spray Coating (1st version): 11 Months
IGL Premier: 11 Months
Meguiar`s HCW: 11 Months
Mothers CMX: 11 Months
EXOv4: 8 Months
Gliss V2: 8 Months

Not washing the paint for 6 months definitely took a big hit out of the heavy hitting coatings. Prior to this, CQUK, CQuartz, and Blackfire Pro were being regularly maintained with Bead Maker with awesome results. Adam`s Spray Coating had begun to diminish at 4.5 months old but was still relatively healthy, never topped. IGL Premier, HCW, and CMX was heavily diminished at 4.5 months old, never topped. EXOv4 and Gliss V2 were very healthy at 2 months old, never topped.

The first wash with CarPro Reset after that 6 month period saw a drastic reduction in performance on all sections. Adam`s barely looked like anything was left, super flat. IGL-HCW-CMX looked fully dead. EXO and Gliss looked terrible, with EXO nudging out Gliss slightly after the wash, heavy spotting and staining. And the CQUK-CQuartz areas I showed in the video looking tired, Blackfire matched them.

Since I`ve had Bead Maker perform well on some tired coatings in the past, it was the first one I attempted to use in this test on top of Blackfire Pro, CQuartz, and half of the CQUK section. The other half of that section I applied Reload. I waited two weeks, ran another wash and rinse with Reset, and showcase this rinse in the video. Some slight revival, more so with Bead Maker compared to Reload in my observations. But not anywhere near the level of what I was wanting.

After this, I applied HCD on top of everything on the car, waited two weeks, and then did a wash and rinse with Reset again. Incredible repairing ability, but not equalized across the board. The areas I did not coat were much weaker than the performance of HCD on top of the coated areas, and the weaker coatings like Adam`s while repaired, were not repaired to the extent of the stronger coatings. HCD loved latching onto the stronger coatings to build up much more of a repair and performance. CQUK, CQuartz, Blackfire, EXO, and Adam`s all had a very strong revival. IGL, HCW, CMX were well beyond repair before trying to top, it makes sense why HCD would not be able to bond effectively to this surface. This is a testament to CQuartz as well, it can definitely hold its own against CQUK when maintained. I`m loving the Blackfire Pro coating as well, has a very good on/off application feel.

I`m absolutely loving HCD so far, as I said in the video - easy on/off, good slickness, good gloss, doesn`t feel like a heavy topper, and it smells delicious. $17 for 26oz, this is a very good consumer branded product that can do some serious repairing to older coatings. And this is a testament that even some coatings that look like they`re in really rough shape, can still be brought back to life without significant heavy decon methods. HCD is very hydrophobic by itself in the short term, think Reload/Cure/BSD level. This is what led me to choose it to try and jumpstart the hydrophobics of the coatings.

Anyone else get their hands on this yet? Would love to hear your feedback!

[Coatings=crack]

Looks like it did the job. Im using alkaline washes to decontaminate and it working well but probably hurting the coating. May give this a try after playing around with TW ceramic wet wax.

Have you ised elixir? How does it compare?


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[Loach]

Looks like it did the job. Im using alkaline washes to decontaminate and it working well but probably hurting the coating. May give this a try after playing around with TW ceramic wet wax.

Have you ised elixir? How does it compare?

I was going to use Elixir on top of the Gliss section first, but the sprayer was toast, and my spare Tolco replacement sprayer was leaking all over the place so I ragedquit and just went with HCD. Elixir is definitely different, it`s a bit heavier on first application, not quite as hydrophobic as HCD but still very good, but it has that nice oleophobic behavior that wants to really aggressively repel all of the soap off the surface when you go to wash it, HCD isn`t going to do that as well or as quickly. Because of this, it`s also very chemically resistant in the short term, same type of performance as something like Seal N Shine that you`re not going to get from HCD by itself. Elixir also doesn`t feel quite as slick to me right after application with a dry towel wipe, but it`s definitely slick underneath the metal base of the gloss meter when I`m sliding it around slightly. HCD feels slicker right after application, but I don`t get the same sense of slickness underneath with the gloss meter base.

[acuRAS82]

Thanks for the info, Loach. Might need to try HCD after this.

[tom p.]

WOW! GREAT video and loads of information, Loach! Most impressive. Thank you.

[Coatings=crack]

So.... peaked my interest and of course I’d stop by AutoZone and of course only one left.... with a $5 rebate..... so yeah more ceramic stuff. Im probably good for like 5 years on ceramic toppers.....

Jimbo also gave it props as best of the Meguiars Ceramic line. Your review though is why I bought it. Your tests i feel mirror real world situations and I appreciate the effort you pit in.



Did a maintenance wash Wednesday but didn’t top.

Bilt Hamber auto foam prewash followed by a 1 bucket wash with Reset wash to get all the Salt and sand off.

Washed today with BH Autofoam on lower rockers and optimum CW today. Bilt hamber does a pretty good job of getting rid of traffic film if mechanically agitated. Beading came back to life.

Covered most of car with Kamikaze overcoat as a drying aid. V1 seems to work best that way.

Did last rear quarter panel with Megs HCD. Want to compare hydrophobic restorative properties compare to OC. Gonna rain next couple of days.

It goes on smooth. Less towel drag than OC but not super slick. Felt substantial smell was like candy banana? Not sure but if you like smells its nice.

Looking like a winner in your videos so I hope it is. Thanks again for review and ill post how it


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[Coatings=crack]

Problem area that was decon washed and treated with Megs HCD. Before water would sheet off in area instead of roll off. Decon wash made it better but HCD made it slicker and beads rolled off faster. Almost like when new... great find on a sleeper product Loach

Being a QD I’m not expecting this to last long. Would love if i could get more economical in gallons.
Anyone know if Megs 799 Bead Booster is the same product? It can be diluted to a QD.


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[William_Wallace]

Hey waxmode I missed this thread an opened up started a copy cat one like a ding-a-ling. Your video are gonna land you an executive position in a detailing company my favorite video was when you debunked DPC product when you caught Scott benefiting from the sheeting of the cleaner he was using in his stress test on his products water sheeting capabilities. That was really good.

[The Guz]

I agree with your findings. I picked some up a couple weeks ago and I used it as a topper on 1.5 year old 22ple VX Pro 2 that I did not like in the long term lol. HCD did a good job.

[Loach]

Thanks for the feedback Mike!

What I`m seeing out of HCD, is the areas on the coatings that are failing are going to show through HCD after the soap wash. Before the wash during the pre-rinse, HCD covers really well and everything looks great, very hydrophobic even when the paint is dirty and even on the uncoated sections of the paint. So it`s covering up those failing areas and lasting through a few weeks on the paint enduring the elements and heavy pollen. Once I wash with Hyper-Wash or Reset, that`s what breaks HCD down a bit on those failing coating spots or uncoated sections when I go to rinse the soap off.

So HCD is going to help boost back up the weakened areas on the coatings and these areas will perform strongly after the soap wash with the mitt, but failing areas of the coatings will prevent HCD from lasting effectively over top beyond the soap wash.

[acuRAS82]

What I`m seeing out of HCD, is the areas on the coatings that are failing are going to show through HCD after the soap wash. Before the wash during the pre-rinse, HCD covers really well and everything looks great, very hydrophobic even when the paint is dirty and even on the uncoated sections of the paint. So it`s covering up those failing areas and lasting through a few weeks on the paint enduring the elements and heavy pollen. Once I wash with Hyper-Wash or Reset, that`s what breaks HCD down a bit on those failing coating spots or uncoated sections when I go to rinse the soap off.

So HCD is going to help boost back up the weakened areas on the coatings and these areas will perform strongly after the soap wash with the mitt, but failing areas of the coatings will prevent HCD from lasting effectively over top beyond the soap wash.

So Loach, it sounds like you’re saying that HCD performs better for longer when applied on top of a coating (even weak areas), but HCD does not last nearly as long (a few weeks / gone after a wash) when used on failed areas, in other words, areas where there is little-to-no protection of any sort. Am I understanding correctly?