The Fit had its first wash yesterday. Used the touchless. It was OK. My Fit is white so any dirt left behind is easy to see and there was a bit left, but better than nothing, I suppose. The dryers in these things never do a very good job so I bough some of those soft, extra absorbent towels at the auto parts store (the kind that are like supposed to absorb a bucket of water). Well, they sucked. Basically, they just moved the water around. I don't know if these things are a gimmick or what. I ended up using a cotton T-Shirt instead.

I've had my Accord since 1991 and most of the exterior damage to the car has been done at car washes that use brushes. I would never EVER take a new car to one of these things again. But back in the day, we did not have touchless or knew any better.

qbmurderer13, I appreciate your points but what regimen do you recommend for someone like me who is not going to be slaving over washing his car? In the winter (I'm in New England) a hand wash is out of the question. I figure it's better to go through the touchless and have them spray the undercarriage as well rather than nothing at all.

In the summer, I have better things to do with my time than wash my car but I could do a nice wash/wax once or twice a year. I suppose a professional detail once a year is not a bad idea if I get really lazy. Anyway, the touchless is my go to back up plan, even if it is an imperfect solution. But you say that they use "harsh chemicals that strip wax and dry out seals."

So I challenge you to come up with a yearly regimen that will work for me. Keep in mind that I can't or won't do a hand wash every time. Hopefully you can recommend a program that will not cost a fortune either. I mean, we are talking about an econobox here.