To Wax or not to Wax... and rubber mats!

[johnboywalton]

I just bought a 2008 pax 5 and love it so far... I have not used a tank yet, but am averaging 47.9 mpg. A lot of it has been highway, so that hurts it a bit. But my question is, what kind of wax or ? do you recommend or what about those 5 year coating warranty - they say you never have to wax your car again and you just hose it off to get it clean again. Also, I am wanting some rubber mats and a trunk mat, what do you suggest?

[Danny]

I'll answer the mat question. These are the best mats that I've tested for the Prius:

WeatherTech Toyota Prius Extreme-Duty Floor Liners

And I actually use the ExactMat rear cargo mat instead of the Weathertech one, but the Weathertech rear cargo mat is very popular:

ExactMats - The Original Clear Floor Mat

If you already have the OEM carpeted mats, you need to get some protection over them or you're foot will wear through them very quickly (they are much poorer quality than in my previous Toyota cars). If you don't see the need for heavy-duty protection and just want to cover the carpet mats, then I would go with the ExactMats.

[strider5]

Originally Posted by johnboywalton

I just bought a 2008 pax 5 and love it so far... I have not used a tank yet, but am averaging 47.9 mpg. A lot of it has been highway, so that hurts it a bit. But my question is, what kind of wax or ? do you recommend or what about those 5 year coating warranty - they say you never have to wax your car again and you just hose it off to get it clean again. Also, I am wanting some rubber mats and a trunk mat, what do you suggest?

if you want longevity and ease of application, look into something like Zaino Z-CS. it lasts about 6 months. I cant speak more highly of Zaino, and the same goes for many many people in detailing forums.

[kazie60]

I studied all the mats. My car came with the carpeted ones but they will get too dirty alone. The WeatherTech are very heavy and I don't know if I would like those high ends. I have read on these sites that you shouldn't think they fit your car exactly. I did order their cargo mat which hasn't arrived yet. You can find on e-bay for $55. Yesterday I went to a Toyota dealer and bought the front and back Prius mats that fit my car perfectly. I really like them and was surprised at how well they fit and look. They cost $110 and I think they are worth it.

[Yankees251]

Worth a read if you are considering Zaino's, i can save you some time, don't waste your money.

Zaino v Meguiar's

[strider5]

Originally Posted by Yankees251

Worth a read if you are considering Zaino's, i can save you some time, don't waste your money.

Zaino v Meguiar's

I dont mean to burst your bubble, but while I agree with the content of that article (I would never use Zaino to hide swirls, that's why I own a porter cable DA polisher) the conclusion you draw from it is entirely false.

if you expect Zaino to make a swirled car look like a mirror finish, you will be very frustrated with the results. Zaino is not meant for that, even if they do market Z5. you must fix your finish first, THEN seal with Zaino.

if you expect Zaino to seal your finish 6 times longer than carnauba wax for 1/10 the manual labor, then you will be very happy. the guy's car is brand new. I'm gonna guess he is happy with the condition of his paint now, unless he is the most hardcore detailing fanatic (in which case he wouldnt be asking how to wax).

spend the $30 and buy the Z-CS. for the $20 over a high quality carnauba, your arms will thank you.

[seasalsa]

??? To Wax or not to Wax ???

My 04 has never been waxed and still looks like new except for a few dings and scratches.

My neighbor swears that I must have it detailed regularly.

Just regular washing and a little tire dressing does it for me though I seem to be in the miniority here.

[Yankees251]

Originally Posted by strider5

I dont mean to burst your bubble, but while I agree with the content of that article (I would never use Zaino to hide swirls, that's why I own a porter cable DA polisher) the conclusion you draw from it is entirely false.

if you expect Zaino to make a swirled car look like a mirror finish, you will be very frustrated with the results. Zaino is not meant for that, even if they do market Z5. you must fix your finish first, THEN seal with Zaino.

if you expect Zaino to seal your finish 6 times longer than carnauba wax for 1/10 the manual labor, then you will be very happy. the guy's car is brand new. I'm gonna guess he is happy with the condition of his paint now, unless he is the most hardcore detailing fanatic (in which case he wouldnt be asking how to wax).

spend the $30 and buy the Z-CS. for the $20 over a high quality carnauba, your arms will thank you.

Just offering a folks some other opinions, this site seems to be heavy on zaino to the point where I question the independence of most of them. Any wax is better than no wax.

[strider5]

indeed. I am heavily biased to Zaino because I am LAAAAAAAAAAAAZY and it keeps my car looking like I spend time keeping it clean

carnauba is wonderful and every bit as good as Zaino for sealing--it just doesnt last as long. they say carbauba lasts about 4-6 weeks, probably less on dark finishes that get hot as hell in sunlight. polymers (not just zaino) last far far longer. hell, if youre lazy AND cheap, nu-finish is a decent alternative at a fraction of the cost of zaino.

I use nu-finish on wheels and such twice a year, and zaino on my paint. I zaino my glass with great results too.

sometimes the Kool-aid really *is* that good.

[cary1952]

I love my weathertechs!