2008 BMW 328i Coupe

[dbeatty1954]

Okay I have what might be considered a dumb question, but I have never owned a car of the caliber of the 2008 BMW 328i coupe. What do the members of this forum recommend to use on my Beemer, both inside and out. In particular, I am not sure what to use on the dash and trim. My Beemer has the premium interior with beautiful red leather seats and black trim. I am pretty sure I don't want to user Armor All on the dash. I realize a good leather cleaner and/or conditioner for the leather. Meguiar has several different products from wipes to lotions and so on. I would love to hear what other people have to say. I appreciate any info you can provide.

[Shawn T.]

Re: 2008 BMW 328i Coupe

Exterior Process:

1) Wash with premium soap (Gold Class Car Wash, NXT Car Wash, Ultimate Wash and Wax, etc.) or no rinse product (Optimum No Rinse)
2) Clay with Smooth Surface Clay Kit
3) Correct swirls and scratches with Ultimate Compound or Swirlx (you will need to do a test spot to determine what is needed)
3a) Optional: Bring the paint to it's maximum gloss and clarity with Ultimate Polish
4) Protect with Ultimate Wax (read up on the application and removal process as it is a little different from traditional waxes)

Interior Products:
-Any of the Meguiars protectants like Supreme Shine, Ultimate Protectant, Natural Shine or Quik Interior Detailer (from highest to lowest gloss) will work great on hard interior surfaces
-Gold Class Leather Cleaner and Gold Class Leather Conditioner are very good products for maintaining leather

I listed a lot of products. Any particular questions? More specific questions may help draw out some answers.

[kevblah]

Re: 2008 BMW 328i Coupe

As far as the difference between a 3-series and any other car, there isn't a whole lot in terms of detailing the exterior. I agree with Shawn's exterior process, I'd personally recommend the Gold Class Car Wash.

As far as the interior on a luxury car goes, my experience with Ultimate Protectant was pretty sour, as it left everything greasy and artificial looking. A lot of the interior panels such as the dash, door panels, armrests, etc. use a combination of real leather and imitation-leather. Instead of trying to distinguish what's leather and what isn't, since it isn't always so clear, I use the Gold Class Leather spray to clean and condition pretty much all of the interior. The only exception would be like wood trim, plastic buttons, instrument cluster, etc. For that, I would use Quik Interior Detailer.

[smack]

Re: 2008 BMW 328i Coupe

I use only Meguiars products for my Bimmer and really like the new UP for interior surfaces. You can get it in either a gel or spray to suite what you like.

[wifpd4]

Re: 2008 BMW 328i Coupe

For the interior, I strongly recommend and use myself Quik Interior Cleaner for just about everything (except display screens) and on the dash I also strongly recommend Natural Shine. Natural Shine offer a nice patina without a greasy shine that will glare into your eyes in sunshine.

I only use Ultimate Protectant on exterior rough surface plastics and I love it.

I have very light colored leather and I'm still using the manufacturer recommended Woolite solution, although Meguiar's offers great products.

As always, Shawn is right on for exterior. I really like Ultimate Wash and Wax, great lubrication as I clean. If you aren't doing any corrective work, ColorX can't be beat for ease of application and removal and leaves a great shine. Follow it with any Meguiar's wax. They are all great.

Read this and so much more on MOL
http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23388