I have the EX (16 inch wheels) and was wondering if anyone can recommend a safe and good product that I can use on the rims? I see a lot of tire cleaners as well that make them shiny while protecting from UV and cracking. Any suggestions for either?


Thanks.

 

Car wash soap/water and a soft microfiber sponge is the best thing to use

Followup with Quick Detailer for any water spots

 

Sonax wheel cleaner is quite effective but very expensive compared to other products. It claims to be no touch, but to really clean well you're going to have to use your hands no matter what you use. That said, elbow grease and regular soap and water works well.

No simple cleaner is going to leave a protecting finish in your wheels though. You need a product designed for sticking on the wheel rather than cleaning it. You could use Wheel Wax (that's the name of the product itself, though other brands like Turtle Wax make waxes for wheels that I'm sure are equally effective) and it'll protect the wheels from brake dust, grime, etc and make it much easier to clean the wheels in the future, but I don't think it has UV protection. You could also use any regular car wax, synthetic or carnauba, that has added UV protectants in it.

As for tires, I'm not sure. I don't really think tires require any special protection. I've had tires that last years on cars and the treads wear down before I see any sort of Crack in the tire at all. Any product that isn't your regular supermarket tire foam should add decent gloss and protection, and even the cheapo products are half decent. I remember using Black Magic brand and being pretty happy with that.

In terms of car products in general, from quick detailer to cleaners, chemical guys is a great brand. More expensive than mothers and meguiars, but I find the products to be superior enough to warrant the cost. And I'm pretty sure that CG does make a tire protectant with UV protection as well.