Perhaps the best way to approach is to break it down a bit and then focus on the specific areas in a `functional` manner. Determine what will best fit your planned needs and desires and then see if recommended `best practices` for each specific area.
For example, can start with paint protection. What are your primary concerns/needs in this area? Will longevity of suitable good appearance be necessary or are you going to wash weekly regardless (or more often)?
With a daily driver, what climate do you live in? If a nicer climate, perhaps longevity is not as great a concern as you can refresh year round if necessary and the climate may take less of a toll on the paint. I mention this in consideration of your reference to Polish Angel, which is very easy to use, has an amazing look all its own...but is not the toughest/longest lasting solution out there.
When looking for LSP, the following are the main considerations in my world but likely different for all:
`live in NE Ohio so all ny findings/thoughts are based on that climate. The characteristics of a coating that matter most to me are:
1. Great Self Cleaning Abilities: Our cars see rain and often get rained on in the morning and then sit outside in the sun in the afternoon; don’t like waterspots. I like clean cars but don’t like cleaning cars.
2. Durability and resistance to environmental contamination like water spots and bird bombs. Don’t wanna have to worry about running home and immediately dealing with removing things that would otherwise etch bare paint. Like hard water spots did to our Corvette during the Zaino years. Also has to last cuz I don’t wanna be hauling out compounds and polishes every Spring, given reasonable maintenance.
3. Appearance: Well, stuff has to look good. Has to accentuate body lines, curves and hard edges. It needs to make me stop and admire it when walking towards it, walking away from it or catching a glance in the garage when I take out the garbage.
Have tried a boatload of coatings, watched `em over the course of 20k-40k miles in NE Ohio, variety of vehicle usage and maintenance patterns and that allowed me to choose what works best `for me`.
My favorite coatings have other, less tangible aspects that add to the overall enjoyment of them but the main attraction is they meet my primary criteria, that being they just plain work.
Once I had my cars where I want them (Paint, glass, wheels, tires) maintenance going forward is Gyeon Foam, Gyeon Bathe (not Bathe Essence, tried it, did not like it) and some Overcoat occasionally after wash. Takes about 20 minutes per vehicle, 2 of which are black, and leaves only a wash mitt, 2 drying towels and an plusher towel to wash afterwards.
What I`ve found is that, while initially more time/work to get to the `where I want it point`, going forward is a breeze and cars stay in far, far better condition with very little effort, relatively.
As far as expense/cost, it does not always pan out that more $$ = better results, product wise...but sometimes it does.
22ple HPC is one of the best coatings around for limited maintenance usage, the stuff is tough, looks good and lasts a long time and has one of the most bizarrely easy applications of any product I`ve used aside from Polish Angel.
I first used on a fleet van at work in March 2017. Since that time its piled up over 45k miles, been washed by hand twice, run thru a soap/rinse touchless wash about 4 times but otherwise sits outside 24/7, 365 days a year. I wash/light clay and add a topper once a year but aside from that, rain keeps it looking relatively freshly washed all of the time. It`s a nice, molten glass type of gloss.
I still use when I get a chance to do a white or metallic crimson vehicle for someone, despite my preference for another coating on my personal cars as it really looks great on those colors and I`m never sure how they will be maintained. Its not cheap at around $170 for 50ml aside from sales but it`s a case of the additional cost being worth it given its overall exceptional performance in my experiences.
And in the interest of total disclosure, I had a massive spreadsheet worked up when I was deciding between a Rupes or Griots BOSS longthrow polisher. Individual units v combo packages, pad costs, projected sales opportunities around the holidays, parts, reliability predictions, repair costs in the long term, etc. so I`m not always just wingin` it.
It`s a hobby for me, albeit one that must eventually lead to definitive results, so even the `misses` with regards to purchases teach me someting... and the `hits` sure are fun. However, I can certainly understand that may not be the most practical approach. And, given this great community of Autopians, I can always ship the remainders of anything I have to a wider variety of testers to find out if a product is truly not performing as advertised or if it didnt work for me cuz I was too dumb to use it properly; I think I`m running about 50-50 in that area
The journey is just as important as the destination for me...and therein lies the fiscal irresponsibility for me. There are certainly `worse` habits though.
