New Car First Polish - This Work for Basic Job?

Been a few years since I`ve been on here. Glad to see it`s still the #1 for us Car Detailing Enthusiasts. As the years have gone by I`ve had less time (and considered it relatively less important) to get super picky with my cars - busy life and I`m not entering any car shows, LOL, but I do want to continue to maintain *some* level of exterior protection.

Picked up a new Mazda CX-5 and as before on other new car purchases, most Dealers just wash it. Clear coat looks good with only very minor "wash marks" I forget what you call those other than swirls, I think "spider webs" I`m not sure if you could even call it that. Anyway, it`s super minor.

I`m not interested in buying a bunch of new product or tools. This is what my detailing (exterior) aresenal has dwindled to. Ran over my Port Cable a long time ago so I`m just left with a cheapo Craftsman 7" orbital which is fine for most jobs.

- Meguiars 205
- Meguiars 105
- Klasse AIO
- Klasse SG
- Bonnets: Wool, Microfiber, Terry Cloth, and one that looks like little pieces of yarn, think it`s cotton,
- 4" pad selection in same materials with drill bit attachment (for polishing out small areas of serious defects - yes I know how to do it without burning the clear coat)

If I recall the pad abrasiveness is wool then terry/cotton, then microfiber, then foam.

Since I`m no longer about layering and dripping wet car show finish and more about efficient use of my time I`m thinking of simply using the orbital with foam and the Meguiars 205 to get the wash marks out then finish with the Klasee SG. Yes, I know I could layer SG over AIO but I don`t think given my objective it`s worth the extra time unless I just use the AIO as step 1 instead of the Meguiars 205. However if I use the 205, I`m guessing most would recommend following with the AIO to make sure all the 205 residue is gone before applying the SG. In that case if the AIO will get the wash marks out, I might as just use that and skip the 205 for down the road when the clearcoat has more pronounced swirl marks? If so, what type of pad to use with the AIO?

I usually hand apply the SG with foam or microfiber with a light spray of Sonus Glaze and then buff off with the orbital using terry cloth or microfiber pad.

Without getting too analytical/picky, does my memory serve me well as far as a logical plan here?

Also need to fill a scratch (thanks to the cargo hatch opening higher than my MDX in my garage, oops) but that should go in a separate thread.

Is that Craftsman that you are referring to one of those machines with two handles that jiggles? If so, I think you need to pick up a decent machine like a Griots 6 inch before starting. You can get one for around $100. Money well spent.

I bought one of those Craftsman type things from Walmart many years ago and it was worthless.

JazeeJ- I`ll be surprised if the 7" Craftsman makes things better instead of worse. I`d *NEVER* use the wool or cotton bonnets on any kind of paint. AIOs don`t even come close to removing the Trade Secret Oils in M205, which I find quite tenacious. KAIO is functionally nonabrasive on autopaint and will not do any correction even on soft single stage black lacquer (although the pad/etc. used to work it might do a little correction). Don`t use a harsh pad with the KAIO or it`ll just haze up the paint.

You can`t really generalize whether foam or MF is more aggressive, but I always get the feeling that most MFs are more gentle than most foams.

Be careful doing the correction, some Mazdas have incredibly thin clear/paint.