Certainly needs a response from Meguiar's

[TKDDAD]

I just received and read the latest issue of a popular consumer magazine. In it is an article on car wax. It was an ok article but only really focused on waxes. My favorite line from the article is this one: "And our other best all around choice, Turtle Wax Carnauba Car Wax T-6, can cause slight scratching or hazing on newer dark-colored finishes" HUH !!?!?!?!? ...They rank all waxes from #1 to #28.

I work for a company that provides products that prevent, heal and treat a major medical problem, pressure ulcers, commonly known as beds sores. For the most part they are 95% preventable. Our biggest problem ?..educating people that they can be prevented.

Here we see an article that looks to educate the millions who will read it and puts Meguiar's products at the mid to bottom of their list. I don't like it, not one bit.

Here's some shots from the article:








Would love to hear what others think and if anyone else saw the article.

[gb387]

I think they missed the mark on that report but I may have to see if I can find the issue curious how they tested. If its CR I have never been all that impressed with their results.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Certainly needs a response from Mequiars

Originally posted by TKDDAD
My favorite line from the article is this one: "And our other best all around choice, Turtle Wax Carnauba Car Wax T-6, can cause slight scratching or hazing on newer dark-colored finishes"

Now this really takes the cake. How on earth do you come up with a product that can scratch and haze, yet it ends up #2 on your list? Seriously, name a car detailing forum where the members would recommend a product that did such a thing? That statement alone just blows the whole "ranking" out of the water for me. I just can't take it seriously.

[TSR6]

Here is the thing about magazines....

They write to an audience. I'm sorry to say that the forum members on here are already one step ahead of that magazine's general audience.

Popular Consumer's audience is not hardcore detailing and automotive people. Their audience is just the regular Joe living on Main St. USA. They need to aim their articles towards those people. If you are reading this post, you are not one of those people. Just reading and posting on here shows that you have a passion for cars, and your car's finish. The average Joe & Jane that read Popular Consumer for the most part just use their car for daily driving, and as long as their car passes the "10-15" feet test ( meaning, it looks good & clean from around 10 feet away ) - they don't care. Swirl marks to them are not a big deal. They won't worry until they truly scratch thier car.

For this type of person, a quick wax that protects is pretty much all they care about. This is the same type of person that will watch you spend countless hours on your finish, and comment "How many more coats of wax today? I've seen you put 3 coats on" - and when you explain what waxes and why - they'll comment on how easy thier one step "BRAND X" wax is.

I used to be one of those people. I bought "BRAND X" - whatever was on TV wax before, and thank god the bottle broke one day while in Florida - and I tried Meguiars Gold Class. I moved to NXT, and then became smart through the forums here and gave the DC1-3 a try. I've been hooked since.

While this article may frustrate most people on the forums, it's just not written for you. It's hard writting for a magazine and writting about products that are on the "beginner" level - and yet still write a fair, unbiased "because i am more experianced" article. I write for R/C car magazine. A lot of the times we give very "beginner" level R/C cars a very good review, but the article's have an area that states the type of person who would enjoy this vehicle. Such classes as "beginner, Intermediate to advanced racer, advanced racer, ect" are used so that when you read the article, you know what the article and the product are showcased for.

[fuzzydd]

but that remark about scratching and hazing seems a little bit more on the "misinformation" side

even if people care more about user friendliness and etc, they are implying that this kind of effect is good, seeing how they ranked it #2..

btw i have not read the article

[TKDDAD]

Originally posted by gb387
I think they missed the mark on that report but I may have to see if I can find the issue curious how they tested. If its CR I have never been all that impressed with their results.

It is the magazine you mentioned...

[cydewaze]

I have used several of the products they rate higher than the NXT, and I strongly prefer the NXT.

In fact after trying many products, I found that I prefer the Megs, which is how I ended up posting here.

But it's more than just the product. I like the way Megs supports their products, with the detailing classes, and all the additional info. It's more than just some paste in a can. It's the support and all the experience that's behind it.

I can't wait for my new car to arrive so I can give it the full Megs treatment, and I betcha dimes to donuts that people will once again stop me in parking lots and ask me what I use on my car. The proof is in the results, not on the page of some magazine.

[Erik Mejia]

Personally I think results speak for themselves, and once consumer joe realizes that, then he'll be better off not reading those reports.

[Michael Stoops]

Originally posted by TSR6
Here is the thing about magazines....

They write to an audience. I'm sorry to say that the forum members on here are already one step ahead of that magazine's general audience.

Troy, I couldn't agree with you more. I am just appalled that any magazine reviewing any product with any target audience in mind would actually rank a product second in a long list but add the caveat that it can be harmful! As you said, members of this forum have a greater appreciation for and knowledge of auto detailing and finish care, but just how dumb does this magazine think their readers are?

[Richirich]

I have been detailing cars for many many years. I personally have invested, because when you buy Zymol, it honestly is an investment. I used it for years on my car and when the wax is $400 for 8 ounces...it is an investment. Any way on to the point at hand. I hv recently turned on to NXT due to my son and I have nothing to say but WOW. It out performs Zymol like my 2006 Saleen S/C does to a Gremlin. I would say that most off the shelf waxes are just that...off the shelf for the average consumer. One has to dig for info on what is best. Reading about wax in some consumer magazine is not going to give the car fanatic a true grasp or reality. See that same article in an automotive magazine that is geared for the fanatic and I would be concerned. My opinion....trash the article and move on.

[Mosca]

Originally posted by TSR6
...I'm sorry to say that the forum members on here are already one step ahead of that magazine's general audience.

Popular Consumer's audience is not hardcore detailing and automotive people. Their audience is just the regular Joe living on Main St. USA. They need to aim their articles towards those people. If you are reading this post, you are not one of those people.

I understand what you are saying, and up to a point I agree; but I also think that you are wrong. Not about Consumer Reports, but about the audiences being different.

I believe that the whole point of this forum is that it ISN'T harder to do it "the right way". The audience for this forum is properly "the average Joe" who just wants to slap a coat of wax on the truck and drive to work and golf. The idea is to get him to use clean materials and common sense, and the job takes just as long and comes out beter, and is better for his vehicle as well.

The mere fact that one of their top products supposedly causes swirls and hazing is prima facie evidence that they have absolutely no concept of the importance of proper process. Turtle Wax is obviously not a Meguiar's product... but I don't think that even anyone at Meguiar's believes that it causes swirling and hazing if used with proper process.

So, if Consumer Reports has no idea of how to properly use the products, then their conclusions have absolutely no value.

Trust your own judgement. We don't need a magazine full of self-appointed experts. We are all experts on our own tastes, our own preferences, our own way of working. And that's the way it should be. We don't need independent validation, because we already did all the work ourselves.

Tom

[miked2]

There's another thread on this topic, as well as one on www.autopia.org. I think the general consensus is that CR doesn't really know waxes . . .

[TSR6]

Originally posted by Mike-in-Orange
Troy, I couldn't agree with you more. I am just appalled that any magazine reviewing any product with any target audience in mind would actually rank a product second in a long list but add the caveat that it can be harmful! As you said, members of this forum have a greater appreciation for and knowledge of auto detailing and finish care, but just how dumb does this magazine think their readers are?

Mike,

Yeah, I did not see that whole "wax adds scratches, but it still good" comments when I made that post. I also find that comment odd - makes me wonder if the editor / contributor, or who-ever wrote that part of the article was washing properly. I imagine that the scratches were probably from dirt in the applicator? Although, one sentance out of a complete article may not show the intention the author had. So I may just be guessing here.

While I have never used the wax in question, so I do not know if it truly did cause scratches & swirls or not. I figure that anything is possible - even when unlikely.

Also you would be surprised at how ...... "unexperianced" ..... some readers can be. This is the same reason How To articles have to remind readers to be safe with sharp, hot, and otherwise dangerous items or tools. I'm also not familiar with that magazine itself, but I'm guessing it's more of a household "anything" magazine. That would probably explain the dumbed down article.

Originally posted by Mosca
I understand what you are saying, and up to a point I agree; but I also think that you are wrong. Not about Consumer Reports, but about the audiences being different.

I believe that the whole point of this forum is that it ISN'T harder to do it "the right way". The audience for this forum is properly "the average Joe" who just wants to slap a coat of wax on the truck and drive to work and golf. The idea is to get him to use clean materials and common sense, and the job takes just as long and comes out beter, and is better for his vehicle as well.

The mere fact that one of their top products supposedly causes swirls and hazing is prima facie evidence that they have absolutely no concept of the importance of proper process. Turtle Wax is obviously not a Meguiar's product... but I don't think that even anyone at Meguiar's believes that it causes swirling and hazing if used with proper process.

So, if Consumer Reports has no idea of how to properly use the products, then their conclusions have absolutely no value.

Trust your own judgement. We don't need a magazine full of self-appointed experts. We are all experts on our own tastes, our own preferences, our own way of working. And that's the way it should be. We don't need independent validation, because we already did all the work ourselves.

No, It's definately not harder to do it the "right way" - and although it may take an extra couple of minutes taking care that you do it the right way - a lot of people just will not care. They either just don't want to spend the extra time to do it right, or they just don't care about the over-all appearance of their car - as long as it isn't caked with rust and mud.

I still say that the members of this forum are here because they want help, and/or to help improve the look of their vehicle. I bet if we did a poll on here for how often members washed and waxed their car, versus posting the same exact poll on some other "general interest" website, I would bet that the numbers would be quite different.

[MandarinaRacing]

Re: Certainly needs a response from Mequiars

Originally posted by TKDDAD
My favorite line from the article is this one: "And our other best all around choice, Turtle Wax Carnauba Car Wax T-6, can cause slight scratching or hazing on newer dark-colored finishes"

Not if you wax in straight lines and not in circles....
Alex

[Accumulator]

Too bad CR can't get their act together on this topic. I've been about their takes on car care since the mid '70s and that's a long time to be out to lunch when people are counting on you for reliable information.

You don't have to be a detail nut to keep your car in great shape, but it's harder when you start off on the wrong foot, and IMO that's what's *really* wrong with CR's take on this stuff.