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  1. #1
    Marc08EX's Avatar
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    Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    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.

  2. #2
    DETAILED TODAY? PA DETAILER's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Nice products to compare. And great review. For tires i will agree with your findings. Looks like perl is the winner. Looking foward to updates.
    2018 Chevy Colorado ZR2
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  3. #3
    haris300's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Nice review! PERL is my favorite all around dressing. Diluted 1:1 looks great on tires. Optimum Opti-Bond is great on tires too. I stopped using UTTG+ on tires because I felt like I had to use way too much product just to get a finish that my customers would hardly even notice. It works wonders on trim though and has pretty decent durability.
    Houston, TX - 300zx twin turbo - F355 F1 Spider - Miata turbo


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  4. #4
    Super Moderator Pats300zx's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Awesome review. Both sides look great. My guess is that you will see better durability from Ultima. Subscribed for updates.
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  5. #5
    Detailing Gnosis Bunky's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Great review!!

    Al
    The Need to Bead

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  6. #6
    Marc08EX's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Quote Originally Posted by PA DETAILER View Post
    Nice products to compare. And great review. For tires i will agree with your findings. Looks like perl is the winner. Looking foward to updates.
    Thanks a lot, PA DETAILER! I will keep you guys posted.

    Quote Originally Posted by haris300 View Post
    Nice review! PERL is my favorite all around dressing. Diluted 1:1 looks great on tires. Optimum Opti-Bond is great on tires too. I stopped using UTTG+ on tires because I felt like I had to use way too much product just to get a finish that my customers would hardly even notice. It works wonders on trim though and has pretty decent durability.
    Thanks a lot, Haris! I now understand why everyone loves PERL! I noticed the same with UTTG as well.

    Quote Originally Posted by Pats300zx View Post
    Awesome review. Both sides look great. My guess is that you will see better durability from Ultima. Subscribed for updates.
    Thank you so much, Pat! I`m kind of hoping that UTTG+ will last longer because if it doesn`t, it`s a very expensive dressing..

    Quote Originally Posted by Bunky View Post
    Great review!!
    Thanks a lot Al!

  7. #7
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    This is why I love all of your reviews. Very thorough. Great job and Thanks for sharing Marc.
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  8. #8
    Autopia Specialist RaysWay's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Another great review Marc08EX! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. There`s no doubt CarPro PERL is a great product.
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  9. #9
    Paul@Autopia's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Awesome review and comparison Marc08EX
    I`m interested to see how these two hold up on hard plastic trim.
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  10. #10
    Migue's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Great review, once i`m finished with my current dressing which is very soon, i`ll be picking up some Perl . Been eye balling it for a while but now i`m definitely sold, looks great on tires and seems to be very flexible when it comes to dilution ratios for different apps.
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  11. #11

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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Awesome review. Can`t wait to see the longevity update!
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  12. #12
    4u2nvinmtl's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Great review, happy I picked up PERL.
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  13. #13
    Marc08EX's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Quote Originally Posted by jsou View Post
    This is why I love all of your reviews. Very thorough. Great job and Thanks for sharing Marc.
    WOW! Thanks so much for the compliments. I sincerely appreciate that. I`m really glad to hear this and it pushes me even more to do better reviews. Thanks again.

    Quote Originally Posted by Vega@Autopia View Post
    Another great review Marc08EX! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. There`s no doubt CarPro PERL is a great product.
    Thanks a lot, Ray! Means a lot! I`m extremely glad to have been able to try PERL now. It`s AWESOME stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul@Autopia View Post
    Awesome review and comparison Marc08EX
    I`m interested to see how these two hold up on hard plastic trim.
    Thanks a ton Paul! Will keep you posted. Thanks again for this opportunity.

    Quote Originally Posted by Migue View Post
    Great review, once i`m finished with my current dressing which is very soon, i`ll be picking up some Perl . Been eye balling it for a while but now i`m definitely sold, looks great on tires and seems to be very flexible when it comes to dilution ratios for different apps.
    Thanks a lot, Migue! You will not be disappointed with PERL!

    Quote Originally Posted by kamakaz1961 View Post
    Awesome review. Can`t wait to see the longevity update!
    Thank you, CJ! I can`t wait myself. Will keep you posted!

    Quote Originally Posted by 4u2nvinmtl View Post
    Great review, happy I picked up PERL.
    Thanks, 4u2nvinmtl!
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  14. #14
    Marc08EX's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    1 WEEK UPDATE!!!

    I took pictures when I got home each day. I backed the car in the garage so the light was coming into the front end of the car. I tried to keep external variables as constant as possible. I drove approximately 10 miles each day and the car was parked outside the entire day under the scorching desert sun.

    Pictures will be grouped each day in the following order:
    1. - UTTG Cowl
    2. - PERL Cowl
    3. - UTTG Side Mirror
    4. - PERL Side Mirror
    5. - UTTG Tire
    6. - PERL Tire
    7. - UTTG Side Skirt
    8. - PERL Side Skirt


    Without further ado, here are the pictures!

    DAY 1:

















    DAY 2:

    I didn`t drive that day so there is no update.

    DAY 3:

















    DAY 4:

















    DAY 5:

















    I took some extra sun shots at the end of day 5.

    UTTG Tire/Side Skirt:


    PERL Tire/Side Skirt:


    Here`s the cowl under the sun. I was surprised at the dust difference between the two products. Not only that but I as even more surprised which product attracted more dust!!!




    Observations so far:

    • - The shine of PERL on the tire quickly went away. But it was still black throughout the entire week. I totally understand this given how much brake dust and dust/debris the tires make contact with. Just don`t expect the shine to last long on tires with PERL. UTTG+ on the tire wasn`t anything impressive from the get go so that side didn`t really matter.
    • - Applying a second coat on exterior trim seems to make it look darker / more dressed than the section with only 1 coat. But the difference is minimal. I don`t plan on applying a second coat myself when I continue using these dressings.
    • - UTTG+ seems to attract more dust than PERL. A LOT more... I was SHOCKED. I found this very surprising because UTTG+ is supposed to dry to the touch. Originally, I thought PERL would attract more dust because I seemed to applied it heavy and the product didn`t say it dries to the touch.
    • - Durability on exterior trim is very good after a week. Given how it didn`t degrade too much, I can believe how this dressing would last for months. But I don`t know how these would fare after a rain storm or after washing the car. I will give another update whichever I encounter first (rain or wash).


    I`m thinking I won`t wash my car for 3 or 4 weeks. If I last that long without the itch of washing it, I will give another update then.
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  15. #15
    Autopia Specialist RaysWay's Avatar
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    Re: Review, Comparison And Testing: Carpro PERL and Ultima Tire And Trim Guard Plus

    Wow, I love your thorough approach. Great job Marc!
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