In 1901 Frank Meguiar Jr created his first bottle of furniture polish in his garage.
In 1910 he decided to move into the automotive industry after realizing that exact same polish would work on wooden vehicles. 110 Years later, Meguairs is still going strong.
Even in the early days Frank Meguiar was constantly developing and trying new products, he believed they’d only sell if they were the best on the market.
It’s clear that they still follow this idea to date. There are so many different Meguiars products it can be hard to choose between them.
In this article I’m going to compare the 3 Car Shampoos that they have to offer.
Ultimate Wash & Wax vs Gold Class vs NXT Generation Car Wash: They’re all very similarly priced but which one should you buy? and for what reasons?
Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo
LSP Safe: ✓
Cleaning Power: ★★★★☆
Value For Money: ★★★★☆
Check Price On Amazon: 64oz / 1-Gallon
Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner has been around for as long as I’ve been detailing.
If you’ve been into any motoring store and looked at the detailing products, this old but gold solution was probably staring right back at you.
The fact that Gold Class has existed for such a long time with advancing soap technologies, tells you just how good it was in the first place.
Gold Class shampoo is designed to gently wash & condition your shampoo in one simple step. It offers an abundance of rich suds that foam well and help to safely remove grime that has built up on your car.
Because it’s an older solution, it doesn’t have the same bite as today’s modern soaps. Yes, it offers great cleaning power, but it’s not as strong as the other two in this department.
That being said, it’s still more than strong enough for regular maintenance washes, offering a slick and gentle washing experience.
This shampoo is an all-in-one solution that includes “conditioning” agents. These agents will clear away debris and bring out an extra level of clarity in your paint.
While the Gold Class Shampoo will make your car look like it’s been waxed, it will not offer the same protection. If you want extra protection, you are better off buying Meguiars Ultimate Wash & Wax.
You can use this product in a normal 2 bucket wash, or you could even use it as a foam cannon soap. If you’re using it as the latter, try a 5:1 Dilution ratio to begin with, this is what Meguiars recommends.
Meguiars Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner is a very flexible, maintenance wash solution. It’s cheap, offers a slick & safe wash all while adding an extra level of depth to your paint.
Yes, it doesn’t offer any protective qualities, but that’s when you’d opt for Ultimate Wash & Wax or even apply a standalone wax product or sealant after you’ve finished washing the car.
Buy Meguiars Gold Class from Amazon
Meguiars Ultimate Wash & Wax
LSP Safe: ✓
Cleaning Power: ★★★★☆
Value For Money: ★★★★★
Check Price On Amazon: 48oz / 1-Gallon
Meguiars Ultimate Wash And Wax is perhaps the modern-day gold class shampoo. They still offer slightly different washing experiences, however, they’re by far the most comparable products on this list.
I don’t know why this is, but every time manufacturers add wax or sealants to a shampoo product, they’re less sudsy and don’t foam as well as they otherwise would.
Don’t get me wrong, they still provide enough lubrication for regular maintenance washes, However, if your car is very dirty and you’ve not pre-washed it, you may want a product like Gold Class or NXT which provide extra lubrication.
Despite the lack of suds, Wash & Wax still cleans your car very well. It super easy to wash away and leaves behind a deep glossy shine, similar to gold class.
The one area where it beats gold class, is protection.
A combination of Carnauba Wax & Synthetic Polymer Technology promotes water beading and sheeting, helping to remove any loose contaminants from your car with very little effort.
The additional wax properties also lead to a much deeper gloss and shine, comparable to any standalone sealant that I’ve used.
I would suggest using this product in a traditional 2-bucket wash with grit guards after you’ve snow foamed and rinsed the car. This is by far the safest way to use soap.
One thing to keep in mind, is that when buying the smaller containers, both Gold Class & Wash & Wax cost the same price. That being said, Gold Class gives you 64oz of product, whereas Wash & Wax gives you only 48oz.
It’s a slight difference in value, however, you don’t need to buy a wax or sealant when using Ultimate Wash & Wax.
I really like this product, it’s super versatile, completely safe to use on paint and provides an extra level of protection. Great for regular maintenance washes, not so great for heavily contaminated cars.
Buy Meguiars Ultimate Wash & Wax from Amazon
Meguiars NXT Generation Car Wash
LSP Safe: ✓
Cleaning Power: ★★★★☆
Value For Money: ★★★★★
Check Price On Amazon: 532ml / 1800ml
The Meguiars NXT Generation Car Wash is completely different from either of the before mentioned products. It’s a soap that’s made with pure cleaning power in mind, and clean it does.
For starters, Meguiars’ expertise in Engineered Synthetic Polymers (ESP) allows them to create a fully synthetic soap solution that targets and loosens heavy contamination.
They’ve also added extra water softening properties to allow prevent any hard water spots from occurring, leaving behind a completely spot-free finish.
The NXT Generation Car Wash provides a truly satisfying washing experience. Your wash mitt will glide across the paintwork and remove dirt with ease.
If you’re someone that worries about scratching your car, this soap is for you.
Of course, there are some downsides.
It seems as though this product has limited availability. I can’t find it anywhere in the states.
You’ll also need to apply a standalone wax or sealant to really make your car stand out.
Overall though, the NXT Generation Car Wash Shampoo is great for those heavy jobs. It’s also great to use for washes before polishing.
I wouldn’t use it as a regular maintenance wash option, but it’s certainly useful to have in the garage for times where I’ve neglected my car.
Buy NXT Generation Car Wash Shampoo from Amazon