I think this concludes this round of testing. I have learned a lot more about the testing protocols this round which should help in future trials of other products. As we can see from the videos, both before and after the wash, both zones have similar water action and both zones are pulling very close to the baseline numbers we ran before applying the products.
Anyway, I am going to rate each of these products on a scale of 1 to 5 and then tally up the score. If you find some of these things don't matter to you, then you can skip the ones that done matter to you and add up the ones that do to see which product may be better for you.
The scale is 1 to 5 with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. I am going to try and take into as many considerations as possible, some of which may not matter at all to you, but probably matter to the average Joe.
Ease of Access (how easily can you get the stuff):
Zaino: 3 (Usually available only online which can be a PITA for some people, but you may be able to find it locally if you ask around. I give it a 3 out of 5 because some people don't have a problem ordering online.).
Meguiars NTX 2.0: 5 (Available virtually everywhere)
Ease of Application (how easily is it to apply and remove):
Zaino: 3 (This product takes countless coats, multiple products, and countless hours of application if you follow the extended tips for the best application, but it comes off very easy, which is why it gets a 3 out of 5 rating)
Meguiars NXT 2.0: 3 (This product would be a 5 if it didn't leave white residue in cracks and on black plastic)
Cost:
Zaino: 3 (Zaino is about 3 times more expensive than the competition)
Meguiars NXT 2.0: 4 (It's priced about the same as the competition, but cheaper than FUKKEN and CHEMICAL GUYS and about 3 times cheaper then Zaino)
Protection (how long does it last and provide a slick non-stick surface or beading):
Zaino: 3 (Zaino did an excellent job of beading, but I think Zaino could have done a better job at providing a slicker surface to repel contaminants. A higher surface tension does not equal better protection)
Meguiars: 3 (Meguiars provided a very slick surface, but when it came to "relentless beading" as the label claims, it fell flat on its face.)
Shine:
Zaino: 5
Meguiars: 5
Total:
Zaino: 17/25
Meguiars: 19/25
*Note, I made some adjustments to the numbers.
If you can look past the price, ease of application, and ease of access, it would come down to whether beading or a slick surface is more important to you. If beading is important to you, you will want to go with Zaino. If a slicker surface is important to you, you will want to go with Meguiars. I have seen many comparisons online which only used a beading test, and if we only used a beading test, Zaino would have been the clear winner in terms or protection and longevity, but with the drag tests, it's clear in all of our testing that Meguiars has provided a slicker surface every single time. Honestly, until I do more testing with other products, I am not impressed at all with either product.
Some other things we have learned is that the next time the wax/polish is applied to the surface again, the surface protection will almost double. Of course you probably have to apply that second application within at least 3 weeks of the first application.
Now it's time to find a product that provides relentless beading (if beading is important to you, I personally like the sheeting since it leaves a hood almost dry) and a slick surface.
I think for the next tests, I might use the Wife's Saturn which sits in the garage 24/7, which will eliminate any contaminants, but in a way, I like the real world testing. Perhaps I will use both vehicles at the same time to test the same products to see if there is any major differences? Decisions.