Does anyone use automatic car washes?
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jul 2017
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From: NJ
Pole Position
Joined: May 2021
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From: IL
I'd be interested to hear the prevailing opinion on whether our Lexuses have paint that's considered hard or soft. Mine is red, and I've heard that tends to be soft paint. So far, I couldn't say.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2022
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From: NC
Wow. I also had a black Acura RL. I did as you did, but my paint stayed much more pristine. Those cars had hand-rubbed paint that made our ES's look lowbrow by comparison -- absolutely zero orange peel. It made me feel morally obligated not to ruin it.
I'd be interested to hear the prevailing opinion on whether our Lexuses have paint that's considered hard or soft. Mine is red, and I've heard that tends to be soft paint. So far, I couldn't say.
I'd be interested to hear the prevailing opinion on whether our Lexuses have paint that's considered hard or soft. Mine is red, and I've heard that tends to be soft paint. So far, I couldn't say.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2023
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From: TX
[QUOTE=LexFinally;11428451]Wow. I also had a black Acura RL. I did as you did, but my paint stayed much more pristine. Those cars had hand-rubbed paint that made our ES's look lowbrow by comparison -- absolutely zero orange peel. It made me feel morally obligated not to ruin it./QUOTE]
Interesting. My RL was a 1998 and the paint wasn’t awful by any stretch but got dull and showed swirl very easily on my black. Not nearly as deep of clear coat as my blue XJ8 or gray 528i or white LS430 had either.
im surprised you don’t like the ES paint much? My 2023 with white pearl looks really smooth and deep to me in person. Will see how it holds up I guess.
Interesting. My RL was a 1998 and the paint wasn’t awful by any stretch but got dull and showed swirl very easily on my black. Not nearly as deep of clear coat as my blue XJ8 or gray 528i or white LS430 had either.
im surprised you don’t like the ES paint much? My 2023 with white pearl looks really smooth and deep to me in person. Will see how it holds up I guess.
Pole Position
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 2,547
Likes: 1,368
From: IL
[QUOTE=BBQapple;11428491]
I wouldn't say I don't like the ES paint, because I do. It's deep, lustrous and well applied. It's just not possible to make any mass production car 100% free of even the slightest orange peel, which is what hand rubbing at the factory does. And since it's rare to apply that kind of attention to any car under $100,000, the RL was really special in that regard. (The CL, like the TL, was made less expensively as well, which it had to be because it cost much less.)
Wow. I also had a black Acura RL. I did as you did, but my paint stayed much more pristine. Those cars had hand-rubbed paint that made our ES's look lowbrow by comparison -- absolutely zero orange peel. It made me feel morally obligated not to ruin it./QUOTE]
Interesting. My RL was a 1998 and the paint wasn’t awful by any stretch but got dull and showed swirl very easily on my black. Not nearly as deep of clear coat as my blue XJ8 or gray 528i or white LS430 had either.
im surprised you don’t like the ES paint much? My 2023 with white pearl looks really smooth and deep to me in person. Will see how it holds up I guess.
Interesting. My RL was a 1998 and the paint wasn’t awful by any stretch but got dull and showed swirl very easily on my black. Not nearly as deep of clear coat as my blue XJ8 or gray 528i or white LS430 had either.
im surprised you don’t like the ES paint much? My 2023 with white pearl looks really smooth and deep to me in person. Will see how it holds up I guess.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 9,619
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From: NJ
Wow. I also had a black Acura RL. I did as you did, but my paint stayed much more pristine. Those cars had hand-rubbed paint that made our ES's look lowbrow by comparison -- absolutely zero orange peel. It made me feel morally obligated not to ruin it.
I'd be interested to hear the prevailing opinion on whether our Lexuses have paint that's considered hard or soft. Mine is red, and I've heard that tends to be soft paint. So far, I couldn't say.
I'd be interested to hear the prevailing opinion on whether our Lexuses have paint that's considered hard or soft. Mine is red, and I've heard that tends to be soft paint. So far, I couldn't say.
Pole Position
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 2,547
Likes: 1,368
From: IL
Granted, but does that mean an owner shouldn't care about how it looks or take care to maintain a nice, new finish? I don't live in a mansion but I still keep my house and surroundings just as well maintained, "daily liver" or not. It's not "pampering" to do so anymore than I'm not pampering myself to take a shower and shampoo my hair. Silly.
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Instructor
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From: TX
Intermediate
Joined: Jul 2008
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From: Tx
My rule is automatic car washes for white cars and very bright silver cars only because you can’t really see the micro Marring on those colors. Any other shade will show the scratches especially if it’s a dark color like black blue red. on the silver and white the sun light refracts so much off of the color that you can’t really see the clearcoat unless you’re really looking hard at specific angles.
1st Gear
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1
Likes: 1
From: FL
Been managing a car wash for 5 years.
I've been working as a manager at a car wash for 5 years and wouldn't recommend a tunnel wash on luxury cars. There's always a chance the brushes can catch itself in a crevice and rip parts off your vehicle.
Lexus Test Driver
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From: NJ
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Joined: Mar 2019
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From: USA
When I feel bored, I search "car wash" on my facebook to find all local carwash, and either read some horrified reviews or read few long stories of someone who had their car f***ed (those posts are normally public and they tag the carwash page on it, so everyone can read). Blame me evil but I feel very entertained
