Cost: £10.00
Date of Review: 30th March 2019. Warm sunny day
The Sales Pitch from Auto Finesse:
The Auto Finesse Finale Carnauba infused, water based quick detailing spray, does not smear or streak when used in hot, cold, or humid weather conditions. When you need to quickly boost your finish’s protection, this feature makes Finale a joy to use.
Detailers love its utterly forgiving nature, sweet maraschino cherry scent and warm carnauba glow.
Source: https://shop.autofinesse.co.uk/finale-500ml
What You Get:
500ml bottle with small trigger.
These little triggers, I really don’t like them at all, they make my hand ache to use and I have lost count of the number of times they have broken on me in the past. They are unlocked from spraying by rotating the little lever ninety degrees left or right. This allows the trigger to be depressed.
Product Description:
A carnuba infused product that will clean the car without a full wax job.
Insider Information: When I visited Auto Finesse’s manufacturing plant in Ware, I was speaking to a product expert there who informed me that ‘Finale’ has a bit of a misleading name. The reason being is that the ‘quick detailer’ has a cleaning agent in it. So to get the best results possible on your paint work is to use a wax AFTER you have wiped the car over with Finale. They recommended Glisten in fact as an after Finale wax, but of course one of their show waxes in a tin like Illusion, Spirit, Soul, Passion etc. would be even better depending on your paint job and finish required. This information is not documented anywhere, as virtually nobody would be able tell the difference, unless you are using a Reflection Spectroscope for a process called ‘spectroscopy’. When you now read the instructions (below) it makes sense, it’s not a final coat finishing after waxing.
I know you have no reason to believe me, I have nothing to gain by telling you what they told me. Remember that I also bought this product at the time after being told the little (not so) secret.
Instructions:
Application:
‘Start by giving the bottle a good shake to activate the ingredients. Apply a fine mist of product onto one section at a time and spread over the panel using a plush microfibre towel. A little goes a long way, so it is unnecessary to oversaturate the surface. Turn over or re-fold the towel to reveal a clean, dry side, and gently buff until the finish is clear. If using Finale during hot weather, it is advisable to work over small sections at a time to prevent premature drying of the product. Finale is safe on all surfaces, including paint, glass, hard plastic and brightwork trim.’ All according to Auto Finesse products web page.
When I try to achieve a fine mist I seem to get a half ring of spray.
If I move the bottle much further away the mist is so fine that even my breath will disperse it away. Not really, but that’s what it feels like. So in the slightest of breeze environments you move closer to the surface thus getting over application, not that it is a problem, it’s just wasteful that’s all. I have no doubt this is down to the useless triggers of this type. Perhaps I have particularly bad one, but this is not the only time this has happened to me with their products and this trigger style. Anyway, with the fine mist a gentle wipe over the area will remove light marks such as finger prints, light dust and the odd water mark. This shouldn’t be used to remove road grime, use a dedicated waterless wash for that. This is a delicate once over after arriving at or during a car show, perhaps before a day out With the over sprayed area I found that I was pushing liquid product around rather than applying to the surface and can take a little while to even out.
The product has a wonderful cherry smell and is a clear liquid product.
Removing:
The product will have a slight working time on the paint to allow you to buff it to a shine. There are no streaks as AF claim and you are left with a nice silky smooth finish. No hard work to get a very satisfying shine with little effort. In the hot sun or warm paintwork, reduce the size of your working area to avoid the product drying too quickly and leaving you with streaks before you can buff clean, or use more product to remove the streaks. Because of the fact you can some very slight uneven gloss when captured in the right light. This is down to having to buff it again or apply more to get it even again. Not as simple as some other products.
Results:
Good, it leaves a nice clean look with no residue or streaks if you buff it correctly. It can leave a nice glossy shine.
The fact that this product can be used on glass, rubber, chrome, plastic is an all round bonus by not having to be that careful where it gets sprayed. An all in one wipe down.
To really get the best shine, (see Insider Information above) that an application of quality wax after the Finale will make the car pop. But, when you are at a show the last thing you want is to be waxing the car to get a great shine. However would it make much difference to ninety nine percent of the people who look at your car? No it wouldn’t to be fair. The whole idea of a quick detailer is the finale step. Not according to Auto Finesse.
My personal preference is for the evaporation (flash) point to be a little longer. But, when the product is in a concentrated area and not misted properly, it can be a few passes with the cloth before you get the technique right then the shine you are after.
Rating: 7 out 10
So why not full marks?
The trigger is pretty bad and leaks and occasional drip onto the surface, it makes my hand ache to hold the bottle and try to use the trigger with one finger effectively. The dispersion of the product needs to be an even mist, these triggers don’t allow for that on a breezy day. However, I do believe that AF will swap triggers if requested, although I can’t confirm that at the time of writing this. That would be an excellent piece of customer service if that is the case. The fact you have to buff check and buff again to get the proper results. Not quite the spray wipe and leave. The uneven spray can leave a lot of product and then not a lot in the same area, this will cause a uneven wipe and cause some finish irregularities.
Recommended to wax after use to get that ‘perfect’ shine.
Ease of use – 8 spray on wipe off, but it can be a little temperamental in direct sun or on hot metal. Buffing needs to be consistent for best results.
Finish – 8 good.
Conclusion:
Honestly this is a great product not much wrong with it at all. It’s perfect for a little clean up to remove light or tiny marks from your car (glass, plastic, rubber, chrome, vinyl) not just the paint. Very good to bring back the lustre after drying the car from a little rain. Good value for money comparable to other similar products.
To be brutally honest; I prefer other quick detailer products from other brands. Although I certainly wouldn’t say no to this product if I was given some.
My personal point of view and use of this product is that I use it as a prep for a proper show wax application. You wouldn’t apply wax to car after it has been driven or standing outside would you?
Would I recommend it? Yes. If it was cheap in a sale.
Would I buy it again? No.