Ultimate Compound

Brings Old Paint Back to Life with a Deep Mirror Shine Meguiar’s Ultimate Polish is one of those car care products that actually earns its name. I used it after a full wash and clay bar treatment on a 12-year-old sedan that hadn’t seen a proper polish in years—and the results were remarkable. The paint went from flat and tired to glossy and rich, with that “wet look” depth that’s usually only seen on freshly detailed show cars. Application is straightforward: a small amount on a foam pad, work it in evenly, then buff off with a clean microfiber towel before it dries. It goes on smoothly and wipes off easier if you do smaller sections at a time. For best results, I paired it with Meguiar’s Ultimate Compound first to remove deeper oxidation and swirl marks, then followed with this polish to refine the finish before waxing. Even on dark paint, the reflections looked dramatically sharper and clearer afterward. What stands out is how forgiving it is—gentle enough for beginners yet effective enough for enthusiasts. It’s safe on clear coats, doesn’t stain trim, and leaves the surface prepped perfectly for wax or sealant. Used by hand, it takes a bit of elbow grease; with a dual-action polisher, it’s a breeze and produces a truly professional finish. Bottom line: an outstanding finishing polish that restores depth and gloss to aging paint and preps perfectly for wax. For under ten dollars, this is one of the best DIY detailing upgrades you can make—turns dull paint into a head-turner with minimal effort.

There are a million detailing products out there, and Ultimate Polish is one that I keep coming back to. If you're a do-it-yourself / hobby / weekend detailer, this is one of the best finishing polishes. It won't correct deep scratches, but that's not what it's meant for. A finishing polish is meant to add that final clarity, depth of color, and gloss for paint that is already in decent or good condition. Especially if you have dark colored paint, this step is necessary for that perfect finish. If you do have deeper scratches / defects / oxidation, you will need to use a compound first, such as Meguiar's Ultimate Compound. Ultimate Compound and Ultimate Polish are the "consumer" versions of their M105 and M205 products. The key difference is that the consumer versions are slightly less aggressive (meaning that they take off less clear coat) and have a longer working time (meaning if you polish too long or with too little product you're at less risk for damaging the paint). For most of us who aren't preparing show cars and who do not want to risk ruining their paint, the choice is easy. Be sure to pair each with an appropriate pad. Foam pads are easy to work with, but the colors / aggressiveness varies between brands. If you're new, look for a light to medium cut pad for the Compound, and a finishing pad (usually black) for the Polish. Run slower speed and less pressure with the polish - especially on black paint. And if you're new, definitely use a dual action (a.k.a. random orbital) polisher instead of a rotary - less risky and easier to use. Meguiars has a TON of different polishes in their pro line for specific use cases, body shops, etc (such as M200, M205, M210). I've researched the heck out of these but it boils down to the fact that I don't want to buy all of them and fuss with it. I've read that M210 is specific to finicky black paint and works well, but it may interact poorly with trim pieces and other non-paint materials (plus it's sold in a big/expensive bottle). One thing I like about Ultimate Polish is how it barely leaves residue on trim so I don't waste time with painter's tape. Basically - if you want to get into polishing but are overwhelmed by all of the options and information - Ultimate Polish is arguably your best place to start. And if you're like me - you just keep using it.

This was the best price found online and all the items included were definitely a plus. Having three clay bars, the Quik Detailer and Premium Microfiber cloth all in one package was a real value. Other clay kits have different composition of items included, but this one was the best value IMHO. Plus, the instructions were very easy to follow and worked well, easier than I had expected. Overall, its a great investment in keeping up and maintaining the appearance of your vehicle.

Bought a used car and it had some light swirl scratches on the hood. Was about to use this to remove them. Some other deeper scratches, it wasn’t about to completely remove them but was about reduce it a bit

Easy to use, just a few drops go a long way. Removed a lot of scratches and got a smooth and shiny car

Amazing product! The color of my car is Manufacture White Diamond. I took note of a place about the size of a golf ball on the hood that was very dull and did not have a high gloss appearance. I asked the service team at the dealership, and they recommended I try Meguiar’s Compound. When I first used it, I saw no difference, so I applied it a few more times, applying a little more pressure. I was absolutely amazed and thrilled to see the place magically disappear as the high gloss emerged. I then used it on a couple other minor scratches, and they also disappeared. Thank you!

This wax is great. I hadn't waxed my Jeep Grand Cherokee in a few years (yea, yea, I know). I gave it a good wash and went to work with this wax. I applied it by hand but I buffed it off with a buffer and wow, am I impressed. My 6 year old Jeep (dark red) was glimmering in the sun. A week or two later I washed it and water beaded on the surface and slid off the vertical sections. It's been over 2 months now and the Jeep still looks great.

The clay bar is really small on your hand the come in 3 pieces not wider than 2 fingers put together. Very stiff when you need to blend the bar. I've tried other brands and im going to avoid this one. Still do the job tho. It's just hard to work with it.