2024 test10 productsCar Care & Detailing
Which Tire Shine Brand Wins?
We compared 10 tire shine options head to head. Car Guys came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Car Guys
Price shown in test: $18 for 18 oz or $1 per oz
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Runner-up
Jay Leno's Garage
Price shown in test: $9 for 16 oz or $0.56 per oz
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Budget pick
Black Magic
Price shown in test: $10 for 23 oz or $0.43 per oz
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Consistency Of Finish | Residue | Water Repellency | Wash Durability | Wheel Cleaner Resistance | Dry Dust Resistance | Dust Rinse Off | Painted Panel Dirt Test | Mud Wash Off | Overall Average Score | Gloss Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Car Guys$18 for 18 oz or $1 per oz | most consistent finish among the first several brands tested, nice dark and clean appearance | not much residue, but more of an oily finish than Jay Leno's Garage | most hydrophobic product of the initial group, water was not getting past it | 1st place after soap and water wash, leaving a very rich dark appearance | had great hydrophobic qualities before the wheel and tire cleaner, not much water resistance left after | 7th place after driving on a dusty road | 6th place | tied near the top with Adam's, both performing very well | 2nd place | 2.9, best overall average of all products tested | not tested |
| 2Jay Leno's Garage$9 for 16 oz or $0.56 per oz | rated 1.5, most consistent finish among the first several brands tested | least amount of residue of all products tested | not repelling water at all | 6th place after soap and water wash | no change after wheel and tire cleaner exposure, already had no water beading | 3rd place after driving on a dusty road | 2nd place | 1st place, very little dirt remaining on the panel | 6th place | 3, close second overall average | not tested |
| 3Adam's Graphene Tire Dressing$17 for 16 oz or $1.06 per oz | looks similar to Car Guys with a bit more glossiness but not as dark | similar residue level to Car Guys, seemed a little less oily, one of the least oily finishes along with Jay Leno's Garage | not repelling water, similar to Jay Leno's Garage and 303 | 3rd place after soap and water wash | no change after wheel and tire cleaner exposure, water was never beading on the tire | 6th place after driving on a dusty road | 1st place, described as amazing how clean a quick rinse left it | tied near the top with Car Guys, both performing very well | 7th place, performed well with dry dirt but mud was a problem | 3.1, third place overall average | not tested |
| 4Cerakote$14 for 8 oz or $1.75 per oz | less glossy than the Xtreme brand but a very consistent finish | more residue than the Xtreme brand but not too oily or sticky | by far the best at repelling water of all products tested, beading up nicely | 2nd place after soap and water wash, still a very consistent appearance | rated 1, best possible rating, performed even better than the Xtreme brand after wheel and tire cleaner exposure | 10th place after driving on a dusty road, described as a magnet for dust despite great hydrophobic qualities | 7th place, dust stuck even after rinsing with water | close with 303, both performing quite a bit better than the earlier brands tested | 3rd place, great hydrophobic qualities | not tested | not tested |
| 5303$13 for 16 oz or $0.81 per oz | very high gloss, done the best job of a consistent wet look so far at the time it was tested | oily residue on the tire, though not as greasy as Armor All or Meguiar's | not repelling water, performing a lot like Jay Leno's Garage | 4th place after soap and water wash, lost a lot of gloss but still had a rich dark appearance | no change after wheel and tire cleaner exposure, started off without any water beading | 5th place after driving on a dusty road | 4th place | close with Cerakote, both performing quite a bit better than the earlier brands tested | 8th place | not tested | 1, highest gloss finish rating of all products tested |
| 6ExoForma$18 for 16 oz | glossier finish than Adam's but some areas glossier than others, darker look than Adam's | more residue than Car Guys and Adam's, had an oily feel | great job repelling water, similar to Chemical Guys | 5th place after soap and water wash, lost some shine but still looked pretty good | rated 2, still very good hydrophobic qualities after wheel and tire cleaner exposure | 8th place after driving on a dusty road despite great hydrophobic qualities | 8th place, holds onto dust | 7th place, quite a bit better than Chemical Guys | 4th place, excellent hydrophobic qualities | not tested | not tested |
| 7Chemical Guys$12 for 16 oz or $0.75 per oz | not as consistent as Jay Leno's Garage, pretty inconsistent glossiness | a lot less residue than Black Magic, Armor All and Meguiar's, but more than Jay Leno's Garage | repelling water just as well as Black Magic in the initial test | 7th place after soap and water wash, no longer very shiny | started with great hydrophobic qualities but was wiped out by the wheel and tire cleaner | 9th place after driving on a dusty road | 5th place, barely edged out Car Guys | 8th place | 9th place, performed just slightly better than Meguiar's | not tested | not tested |
| 8Armor All Extreme$10 for 22 oz or $0.45 per oz | a little more consistent than Black Magic but still pretty inconsistent | leaves behind an oily coating on the tire | not tested | 8th place after soap and water wash, most of it washed away | completely wiped out by the wheel and tire cleaner | 4th place after driving on a dusty road | 9th place | 9th place, collected a very thick layer of dirt | 5th place | not tested | 2 |
| 9Meguiar's$12 for 16 oz or $0.75 per oz | more gloss than Jay Leno's Garage but an inconsistent finish just like Armor All, also pretty oily | a lot like Armor All with a pretty oily residue | not tested | 9th place after soap and water wash, most of it washed away | wiped out by the wheel and tire cleaner | 2nd place after driving on a dusty road | 10th place, really holds onto dirt | 10th place, dirt really stuck to the panel | 10th place, still quite a bit of mud on the tire | not tested | 2 |
| 10Black Magic$10 for 23 oz or $0.43 per oz | very inconsistent finish with patches of high gloss and other matte areas, very sticky | leaves behind a pretty sticky residue, the only product described as sticky | did a better job of repelling water than Armor All in the initial test | 10th place after soap and water wash, still very inconsistent | wheel and tire cleaner caused a lot of damage to its hydrophobic qualities | 1st place after driving on a dusty road, very little dust collected | 3rd place | 4th place | 1st place | not tested | 2 |
How it was tested
- initial glossiness and finish consistency rating on tires
- residue and oiliness assessment
- water repellency (hydrophobic beading) before and after exposure to wheel and tire cleaner
- dry dust and dirt accumulation on tires after driving on a dusty road
- dust wash off with a water rinse
- overspray and sling dirt and dust pickup on painted test panels
- mud accumulation and wash off on tractor tires
- overall average score combining finish durability and category ratings
“The Car Guys came in on top with the best overall average of 2.9”