Consumer Reports review of scratch removers.

S

snowskate

New member
Just wanted to post a summary of Consumer Reports review of scratch removers.



1 - Quixx High Performance Scratch Remover - score - 90

2 - Mother's CG Scratch Remover - score - 76

3 - NuFinish Scratch Doctor - score - 74

4 - Meguiar's ScratchX - score - 62

5 - GS27 Scratch Remover - score - 62

6 - Black Magic Express Scratch Treatment - score - 58

7 - Turtle Wax Scratch and Swirl Remover (T-237) - score - 58



I think they based some of the scoring on the fact that "only Quixx did a good job of smoothing out a scratch that's deep enough to feel if you run a fingernail across it."



They say Quixx comes with 3000 grit sandpaper, too.
 
I heard that Quixx works very good, found it at walmart this past weekend at 14.97. I'll be picking up a box this weekend if i have the time.
 
It's not hard to get out a scratch. The trick is to do so without leaving the paint in horrible shape or causing a great deal of extra work to polish out the scratch remover.



Any discussion along these lines in the article?
 
the only caution they added was "keep in mind that scratch removers can cause hazing, as the GS27 and Mequiar's products did in our tests."



short article, one page.
 
LazerRed1 said:
It's not hard to get out a scratch. The trick is to do so without leaving the paint in horrible shape or causing a great deal of extra work to polish out the scratch remover.



Any discussion along these lines in the article?
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LOL no kidding. I can take a scratch out with a brick, Im going to leave 1,000,000 more of them but I will get that scratch out.
 
Every time I need a good laugh I read CU. What they don't know about detailing would fill a library. They are a bunch of screwballs. You would think that as they repeatedly demonstrate how little they know about detailing, that reasonable people would begin to suspect everything else they review.
 
What ???? a brick ??????? Why don't you post something that makes some sense and gives value to the thread?



WilliamHBonney said:
LOL no kidding. I can take a scratch out with a brick, Im going to leave 1,000,000 more of them but I will get that scratch out.
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WilliamHBonney is just making a joke...



I would also take CR with a grain of salt. Last time CR made some review of waxes, and didn't really match the reviews of us autopians.
 
mikebai1990 said:
WilliamHBonney is just making a joke...



I would also take CR with a grain of salt. Last time CR made some review of waxes, and didn't really match the reviews of us autopians.
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...especially when they downgraded P21S because it doesn't have any cleaning ability. Duh, it isn't supposed to. :hairpull
 
You guys have to admit, CR is not a reliable source by Autopian standards, when it comes to car care. BUT, on defense of the magazine which on the contrary does expose valuable information, the products they mentioned are all available OTC, and meant as OTC use. I think their test results are probably accurate, and informative for "your neighbors" use.

If you had to buy a washer/dryer, or refrigerator, GPS, etc (Things us Autopians dont know a great deal about) what better place to find information? Or are you just going to take Sears' advice!?
 
I think an important factor to know is what are the paramaters by which products were scored?



For instance, if ease of purchase meaning, being readily available as an OTC product is a parameter well then, that's not so bueno in my book.
 
mikebai1990 said:
WilliamHBonney is just making a joke...



I would also take CR with a grain of salt. Last time CR made some review of waxes, and didn't really match the reviews of us autopians.
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CR makes claims all the time when there are better options out there. Its good for washing machines and vacuums but thats about it.
 
WilliamHBonney said:
CR makes claims all the time when there are better options out there. Its good for washing machines and vacuums but thats about it.
Click to expand...



I doubt that CU can even do a reasonable job with appliances. I bought a Maytag Neptune Washer based on their high rating and it is a POS. It had a bad motor, horrendous mold issues, and finally a class actions lawsuit.



I seriously doubt CU has the talent and expertise needed to differentiate good products from bad products. This latest article is just another indicator that they don't get it and they should not be making recommendations about things they don't have expert knowledge of.



They do have good writers though. They spin a nice story but unfortunately it's mostly BS.
 
I've been a member of CR for many years now. I always check their ratings on vehicles before I buy one. HOWEVER, a few years ago they used to give extremely high marks to BMW. They made it sound like God Himself built them. Then a few years later, they don't even recommend them any more. How is it that they went from being the greatest cars on their planet to not even being recommended anymore? Sounds like Honda & Toyota are willing to grease a few more palms over at CR.



Patrick
 
ptaylor_9849 said:
I've been a member of CR for many years now. I always check their ratings on vehicles before I buy one. HOWEVER, a few years ago they used to give extremely high marks to BMW. They made it sound like God Himself built them. Then a few years later, they don't even recommend them any more. How is it that they went from being the greatest cars on their planet to not even being recommended anymore? Sounds like Honda & Toyota are willing to grease a few more palms over at CR.



Patrick
Click to expand...





Just this week CR announced that they will no longer give automatic high ratings to Toyota products. (That they did this in the past seems like plain stupidity.) Apparently the Camry and Tundra did not do so well recently.



That said, I have pretty much stopped using their reports on anything. A long time ago I saw through their Automotive biases and disregarded their auto reports. More recently have found them to be just plain wrong about several other items I purchased.

I find topic-oriented websites (like this one) to be more useful, timely and relevant.
 
I wouldn't be so quick to discount CR. I know of a respectable detailer on here who was impressed with the Quixx system.



Regarding CR, they can't test reliability themselves so their ratings can vary with trends. Their scores are almost always based on the lowest common denominator. For instance, a car enthusiast probably won't use CR to choose the best car, but someone who just wants something sort of sporty might use a CR recommendation to get a Solara or something. In the same vein, Autopians are probably not going to get the Corolla of car waxes, that does everything reasonably well, when we can get that German made wax that doesn't clean paint!



But like all "reviews" one ought to take it with a grain of salt. IMO, CR provides and excellent starting point from which to shop. The thing is, it'd be a bad idea to do your shopping out of a CR magazine.
 
I read the article and it offered some very good advice to the average car owner - you guys are not the average car owner. 95% of the folks out there would benefit from these lines out of the article.



And even with Quixx, you have to be careful you don't make the condition worse.



Swirl marks are the light, often circular scratches that can result from washing or drying your car with a dirty cloth, using an overly abrasive polish, or using a drive-through car wash that hasn't been well maintained, among other causes.



Wash your car once a week. Dirt on the paint can easily lead to scratches.





Don't slide objects across the paint. Even grocery bags can cause scratches.





If you wash a car by hand, don't use an abrasive cloth such as one with synthetic fibers. We suggest a clean sponge or sheepskin mitt.





Hose off any dirt or grime before you begin washing, and frequently rinse the sponge or mitt in clean water. If it drops on the ground, don't use it until it has been thoroughly cleaned.



And yes, there are some an Autopian would take great exception to as well.



I'm a CR fan and I think they did a decent job on this for their target audience.
 
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