Quote:
Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague
It's a Rav4, not an AMG GT. You don't need to 3M it. You could get a half hood wrap I suppose, if you're particularly concerned about rock chips on the highway. As for washing, just find a good wand wash within a reasonable proximity and do that. If you enjoy washing your car by hand go for it, but it's not necessary.
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I disagree with Corsi on this. It's equally fun to take pride in a Rav4 as it is to take pride in a fancy car. I haven't waxed my Mercedes yet in 2021, but last week I clay barred, polished and waxed my wife's VW Golf Sportwagen.
Last year we put about $1K into the appearance of our 2011 Toyota Sienna at a body shop to fix up all the little rock chips that had accumulated over the years. Really wish I had put 3M on that vehicle years ago and I'd definitely recommend it for your Rav4. Also wish I had 3M'd my F-150 in 2016 - I'm going to be 3Ming everything I own from now on. Speaking of which, the new Rav4s have to be may favourite normal-guy SUV out right now. Some of the colour combos look super good...such a nice package. Great choice.
Recognizing that you may not want to make a lifestyle out of keeping your car looking its best, there are still a couple easy things your could do that will set your vehicle apart and above 90% of vehicles out there. Biggest one for me is wheels. Bring some wheel cleaner (you just spray it on), your drill, and one of these
drill-mounted brushes to the car wash. When you get into the car wash, spritz the wheels and then clean them with the drill. It'll take five minutes and they'll look insane and make the entire car pop.
Other easy thing is just get into the habit of taking your trash with you every time you leave the car. To keep the dash and all the interior plastics clean, I like using Aerospace 303 (Armor-All Protectant is fine, too, but some people hate it for some reason) on a rag and just wipe everything down.
Finally, when you're done at the car wash shine your tires with some high-gloss tire shine. People think I have a new car all the time and are always surprised at how old my fleet is. Van is 10 years old. Mercedes is nine years old. Truck is five years old. Sportwagen is a 2017 and we just picked it up so that one doesn't really count.
Those are the basics. If you're wondering what to do in the car wash, I always go to wand washes. If you
have to use the brush (some car guys never do; I don't on the Mercedes but my other cars I do), make sure you blast the #### out of it with the wand to ensure there isn't any debris in it and only do it once you've already soaped your car so it is somewhat lubricated.