Tyre dressing is that last, important flourish to get your car looking show-worthy, but there’s a huge variety of products available, including silicon-based and water-based. So which tyre dressing is best?
We had a 2001 car with some very faded trim to spruce up for this test, as well as a newer car with some modestly greying tyres. Making sure that the rubber was clean, we applied the products as per the instructions, and used the provided applicators if they were supplied. We factored in ease of application, the finished look and how long they kept the tyres and trim looking good.
So who came out on top?
Best buy - Diamond Shine Tyre and Trim Dressing
Price: £13.46 (500ml)
Buy from: Amazon
Applicator included? Yes
This did a brilliant job of rejuvenating our faded trim, plus the foam and sponge applicator is ideal for getting into awkward nooks around the wing mirrors or bumpers. You can layer a couple of coats onto tyres for extra shine, or it brings a more understated, clean-looking finish with a single application. It lasted well, too. The trim faded a little after a few days and needed another application, but it still bettered any others, and the tyres looked fresh for a couple of weeks and more. On balance of cost, and especially with the applicator included, this is a great product and a good price.
Autocar says: 5 stars
Recommended - Nano Go Tyre Dressing
Price: £18.99
Buy from: Amazon
Applicator included? No
This is silicon-based product that you spray on and leave to cure. It leaves a really high shine on tyres and also did a fine job of restoring depth of colour to our faded plastic trim. It lasted best of all of our products, although we wouldn’t say that it lived up to the claims of it providing eight to 12 weeks of shine. Even so, it’s excellent stuff if a bit expensive.
Autocar says: 4 stars
Best budget buy - McLaren Gloss Tyre Dressing
Price: £6.78 (500ml)
Buy from: Amazon
Applicator included? No
We found that one application of the McLaren dressing brought a nice, medium shine, while a second coat brought a high shine that lasted well over a couple of weeks of rain showers and routine driving. It did a reasonable job on hard rubber trim initially, but faded quickly on these surfaces compared with some others. Still a brilliant option, especially if you’d rather avoid silicon-based dressings that can affect grip levels if you get the product on the tyre treads.
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I like to keep my cars clean and tidy, but polishing the tyres is a step to far.
Come on Autocar there is more important stuff to be reporting on. Leave the tyre cleaning products to the Classic Car connoisseurs! Why not test the actual tyres instead...
Petrol £1.60? per litre? £3,000p/a home energy bills? Mortgage going up but disposable income going down? Never mind, give your rubber a polish, that'll get you through the winter.
I suppose it's better than the annual, patronising, "now's the time for winter tyres".