Mothers vs. Meguiar’s vs. Torque Detail (Ultimate Showdown)

Torque Detail Vs. Mothers Vs. Meguiar's: Which Offers The Best Products?

If there’s one thing the car care industry can’t be accused of, it’s monopoly.

No, we’re not talking about the famous board game (curse the player who ends up getting Park Place and Boardwalk!).

We’re talking about a business monopoly.

There are literally dozens, if not hundreds of detailing companies out there who cater to a wide market of car enthusiasts. The competition has brought out the best and weeded out the worst as professional cleaning, waxing, and shining products are now available at insanely low prices.

While it’s super obvious that we have a bias for our own products, we’re going to share the benefits of each product in this article. Hopefully, this guide will give you a clear idea of the playing field.

Rank #1: Torque Detail Ceramic Spray

What’s Good About Us? The Pros: 

• Made right here in the U.S.
• Proprietary silica-seal formula gives you BOTH candy-gloss shine and protection
• Certain products’ effects can last up to 12 months
• Comes in an affordable and easy-to-use 12 oz. spray bottle
• No unwanted residue or flaking
• Buffing and wiping requires minimal effort
• Sturdy packaging that can withstand transport

First on the list is our very own Torque Detail. Torque Detail offers a lineup of straightforward and affordable car care items that cater to the average owner who wants the best aesthetics for their vehicle without having to break the bank. These products include our Torque Detail Mirror Shine for waxing and sealing as well as our Torque Detail Tire Shine for your wheels.

For now, let’s take a look at our staple item: Torque Detail Ceramic Spray.

The basics: Torque Detail Ceramic Spray contains silicon dioxide, which is the standard chemical used for spray-at-home ceramic products. It separates itself from the crowd, however, by incorporating a proprietary silica-seal formula suspended in resin. This renders it much more effective than the competition - so much so that the gloss and protection provided to your car can last for up to 12 months if applied properly. There are very few brands out there that can match this level of longevity.

The nitty-gritty: The product is simple to use. First, make sure the exterior doesn’t have any dust or grime, since this can obstruct the formula from coming into full contact with the car’s paneling. It might be necessary for you to give your vehicle a quick wash with a garden hose or a bucket of soapy water (use our Ceramic Car Wash shampoo if you need something to get rid of heavy stains).

Once the car is dirt-free, spray the Torque Detail Ceramic Spray evenly across the surface, then buff it off with a clean microfiber towel.

That’s it. You can work through sections of your car pretty quickly and have the whole thing coated within 15 minutes.

Talk about do-it-yourself!

Where we outshine the competition:

There are a lot of things we share in common with our competitors, but we’ve made an effort to outshine them in other ways. Here are the parts where we truly stand out from the rest:

Special Formula – Our special silica-seal nano formula can’t be compared to other regular silicon dioxide mixtures on the market. It will give you a much clearer shine and more robust protection for your vehicle.

Low Price – $24.95 is extremely affordable for a ceramic coating, considering that auto shops will charge you at least a thousand dollars for this effect.

Large Quantity – Each bottle of Torque Detail Ceramic Spray contains 16 oz. of formula. One spray is enough to cover a wide surface area, which means you can stretch one bottle out over several uses.

Lasts Longer Than Usual – If applied properly, the hydrophobic protection and candy-gloss shine can last up to an entire year. Successive layers also build on top of previous ones, increasing the longevity the more you use the product.

No Residue or Flaking – Unlike Mothers or Meguiar's, our formula doesn’t leave any unwanted residues, flakes, or streaks, ensuring that you won’t be embarrassed as you take to the streets.

Easy Buffing – All it takes is a quick rub and the chemical particles will immediately bond to the clear coat. There’s no excess gimmicks or extraordinary arm strength required.

Synergistic Effects – Our entire Torque Detail product lineup works well with each other, building up individual strengths. You don’t have to worry about any untoward reactions when using any of the items under our brand.

Sturdy Packaging – If you’re ordering through the mail, you’re guaranteed not to get a chipped container with the product leaking out. The delivery man would have to be swinging a hammer if he wants to break this!

Rank #2: Mothers CMX Ceramic Spray Coating

What’s Good About It? The Pros: 

• Contains a special silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide blend
• Can be used on both wet and dry surfaces

Where It Lacks. The Cons:

• White crystal flakes form as the coating dries
• Doesn’t last more than a month

Our second contender is from a company named Mothers. Why would someone pick that name for a car detailer? It’s unclear. Apparently, the founders must have really loved their parents (or at least one of them).

Regardless, Mothers exudes a certain family-oriented, old-school aura around their product lineup, which includes a trim and plastic restorer, wheel and tire cleaner, mag and aluminum polish, vinyl-leather-rubber protector, and odor eliminator, among others.

We’ll take a closer look at their most popular item: the CMX Ceramic Spray Coating.

The basics: CMX is a standard ceramic spray coating that you can apply to give your car that candy-like gloss. Mothers boasts that they not only use the typical silicon dioxide mix that you find in other detailers, but that they also add in a titanium dioxide blend, claiming that it gives your car long-term durability against the elements and high-grade water resistance. Their product comes in a fairly large 24 oz. bottle at the affordable price of $21.99.

The nitty-gritty: Like other such products, CMX works best if there aren’t any contaminants on the car’s paint job. This might mean that you have to wash your car before applying the formula, especially if it’s heavily soiled.

With that said, one of the best things about Mothers ceramic coating is that it can be used on wet surfaces, which means you don’t necessarily have to dry the car off after hosing it down in the preliminary cleaning.

Spray the product directly on a clean microfiber towel or applicator pad, then slowly and evenly wipe it over the vehicle’s exterior in an organized fashion. The fluid will start to disappear as it bonds with the car’s clear coat. Wait for a few minutes, then use another microfiber towel to buff the surface.

Your car is now well protected and shined! Mothers also recommends that the towels be laundered as soon as possible to avoid the chemicals from bonding to the fabric and making them unusable.

What’s lacking?

The components that Mothers uses to make their ceramic spray is obviously exclusive, so we don’t know exactly how they concoct it other than the basic ingredients, but suffice it to say that there’s something in the mixture that causes crystal flakes to form. These white particles don’t seem to do any damage, but they can get really annoying to look at, especially if you’re applying this product to a black car. Unless you want your vehicle to look like it has dandruff, you probably want to avoid this.

Besides the crystal flaking, the gloss and water beading won’t last for more than a month. This is probably the downside to having a bottle with more contents in it than the other brands on this list - what you gain in quantity, you lose in longevity.

Overall, Mothers is a fairly decent ceramic spray for those on a budget, but it doesn’t have too much mileage, and you definitely don’t want to use it for darker-colored cars because of the unwanted white residue.

Rank #3: Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax

What’s Good About It? The Pros: 

• Extremely affordable for a high-grade ceramic coating
• Comes in a large 26 oz. container

Where It Lacks. The Cons:

• Requires a tremendous amount of arm strength to remove the product
• Sticks to the windshield if you accidentally get it on the glass
• The spray bottle has been reported to easily crack and chip

This next item on the list is from a company named Meguiar’s. They’ve been around since 1901, making them absolute veterans in the car care game. Because of its long history, Meguiar’s not only has all the basic detailing products that every other company has, but they’ve even branched out to other vehicles such as boats, yachts, and RVs. They also have a separate, more expensive catalog that caters specifically to professional detailers.

With this in mind, let’s see if their expertise shines through with their flagship item: Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax.

The basics: This is probably one of the most unique products on the market in the sense that it doesn’t follow the usual pattern when applying it to your car. Basically, Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax silicon dioxide formula is made with some special elements that make buffing obsolete. The product can both protect and polish your vehicle with half the work needed compared to other conventional brands.

The nitty-gritty: As usual, you’ll need to clean your car prior to using this item, since dirt and grime can interfere with the formula’s ability to stick.

Afterward, however, is where Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax separates itself from the rest of the competition. All you need to do is spray the mixture directly onto the car, then immediately hose it down with water. That’s right - the ceramic wax actually merges with the water molecules, using them as a conduit to spread itself over the surface. Once you’ve given it a good hosing, simply dry your car the regular way with a microfiber towel and inspect the shine!

What’s lacking?

One of the most frustrating aspects of Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax is that it does the opposite of what it claims: while it’s true that you don’t need to buff the product, there’s going to be some residue that will be left over if you overdo the spraying, and this takes an incredible amount of effort to remove - you’ll definitely be sporting some huge guns after using this on your car!

Of prime importance is to avoid splashing the formula over your glass windshield or windows, since the corresponding stain will distract your driving. This makes it much harder to get around, since hosing down with water is part of the application process. In this case, aim away from the windshield or windows rather than toward it.

Besides the unwanted biceps and triceps workout you’ll be getting, another flaw of Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax is that it comes in a fairly cheap spray container. If it doesn’t get crushed or chipped during transport, you’re one of the lucky ones. To prevent this, it’s best to buy the product over-the-counter in a store rather than having it shipped to you.

Summary: The Best Detailing Spray

The car care industry can only benefit from more companies and entrepreneurs joining the fray, which is why we’re especially thankful to have the people at Mothers and Meguiar’s doing their job to further the science and art of automobile aesthetics.

Torque Detail has also been in this game for a long time, and our family is always proud to serve you, our loyal customers, and to take your needs into consideration. Ceramic Spray is something we’ve spent a lot of effort on, and we’re ready to pit it against all the others and prove that we’re the best in the business.