My father-in-law recently bought a brand-new car, and he asked me if he should wax the car since it’s a car straight from the factory. If you’re in a similar position, read on to discover why waxing a brand-new car is also important, just like any other car.
Key Takeaways:
- New cars don’t come waxed straight from the factory.
- New cars should be waxed if you want to preserve the paint and improve the shine of your car.
- Instead of wax, you can also opt for sealants, ceramic coatings, and even paint protection films.
New Cars Don’t Come Waxed From The Factory
I often hear that new cars don’t need waxes or other paint protectants since they’re brand new and they probably have some protection applied. However, the situation is totally different. Brand-new cars from factories don’t come with any sort of paint protection pre-applied.
I think that the biggest reason for that is because it isn’t profitable so much. Most paint protectants are cheap, and car manufacturers couldn’t earn a good margin by applying waxes, sealants, or ceramic coatings. Of course, that’s in my opinion.
Some car dealers offer their service to apply paint protection to your car. However, if you’re buying a new car, my advice is to refuse that offer from them. Car dealers often use the cheapest crap (sorry for the word) of waxes out there, yet they charge a lot for that.
Why It’s Important to Wax a New Car
There are thousands of reasons why you should wax any car, especially if it’s a new one. The most crucial reason for waxing a brand-new vehicle is to keep it in a like-new condition for a prolonged time. It’s as simple as that.
Reasons to wax a brand new car:
- The car will look even better (shinier, glossy, cleaner), especially black cars.
- Waxing your car will protect the paint from weather elements such as sun, rain, snow, etc.
- It’s easier to wash and keep the car clean if it’s waxed.
- It may fill extremely light swirl marks caused by improper washing at car dealers.
- You’ll protect paint from bird poop etchings, hard water spots, etc.
I mentioned easier washing of the vehicle if there’s wax applied to the paint. I’ll explain it. If there’s wax on the car’s paint, all the dirt and road grime won’t stick to the paint, which makes it easier to wash off every time you decide to wash your vehicle. I would say that it’s ten times easier to clean waxed cars.
How Long To Wait Before Waxing a New Car
You don’t need to wait, and you can wax your brand-new car as soon as you get it from the dealer. The reason is that new cars always sit in the dealership for some time, and the paint has had more than enough time to cure.
And even if you get it directly from the factory, the paint will also have enough time to cure by the time you get the vehicle.
It’s a different situation if you want to wax a recently painted car, and then it takes some time for that new paint to cure.
What Happens if You Never Wax Your Car
I highly suggest that you always apply some paint protection to your car, regardless of its age. There are many reasons to do that. I mentioned some of them in the list above.
If you never wax your car, here’s what will happen:
- The paint won’t look so shiny, and it’ll always look bland.
- Your car will become more harmful to weather elements, especially to the sun’s UV rays, which have been proven to damage the clear coat on vehicles.
- Bird poops will cause etchings on the clear coat.
- Hard water spots will easily appear on the paint, and it’s extremely hard to remove them once they show up.
- It’ll be tougher to wash and keep the car clean.
- Swirl marks and scratches are more likely to appear on non-waxed cars.
- The car will lose its value quickly.
Those were the most obvious things that could happen if you never wax your vehicle. That’s why it’s imperative to prevent them from happening by applying a coat of wax or any other paint protectant to the vehicle’s paint.
How Often to Wax Your New Car
Waxes don’t last forever. After some time, waxes will lose their properties and won’t protect your car’s paint anymore. Like everything, they, too, have an “expiration date” or shelf life.
In general, you should wax your car every 2-3 months. If you want more info, check out my article on the longevity of car waxes.
However, it also depends on a few factors:
- The quality and type of wax – if you’re using some cheap products, you can’t expect them to last long. That’s why I always recommend using high-quality car waxes from reputable companies. For instance, synthetic waxes will last longer than natural waxes.
- How you wash your car – if you don’t wash your vehicle correctly, you’ll quickly remove any protection applied to the car’s paint, and waxes won’t last long.
- If you have a garage – the car wax will last longer since it’s not exposed to all the weather elements all the time. Cars kept in the garage may extend the wax longevity even for a whole month or two.
- How often you drive the car – it’s obvious: the more you drive your vehicle, the more car wax gets weaker. It’s more exposed to all the weather elements and other things that damage waxes, so it’s expected for the wax to last shorter.
Wax Isn’t The Only Paint Protectant You Can Apply
For the whole article, I’m talking about waxes because everyone knows what car wax is. Actually, the topic is about any paint protectant. If you didn’t already know, there are other paint protectants aside from car waxes.
There’s a new generation of paint protectants out there – paint sealants and ceramic coatings. You should think about them, too, especially if you don’t have time to re-apply the wax on your vehicle.
Those paint protectants are synthetic, and because of that – they offer better protection and last longer. However, there’s one area where they can’t beat car waxes – it’s the look. Wax provides a much better appearance of the car – and that’s why I still stick with it.
Recommended Post: Best Paint Protectants For Your Car
Final Thoughts
There are so many reasons to apply paint protection to your car. It can be a wax, sealant, ceramic coating, or even graphene coating nowadays – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you do your best to protect your vehicle’s paint and keep it as beautiful as possible.
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