Autoglym has a reputation for making excellent car care products. It’s also one of the most conservative with little in the way of shouty advertising or exotic frivolities. Even the brand’s premium range of products (called Ulta High Definition or UHD) are fairly understated.
UHD Shampoo is also unmistakably an Autoglym product. The packaging might be fancier with that thick cardboard housing but the white bottle is unmistakably Autoglym. It’s not priced like a normal Autoglym product however, with an RRP of a hair under £20, it’s priced against the likes of Gtechniq and Bilt Hamber, really impressive premium car shampoos.
Related: The best car shampoos in 2022
It’s a pure car shampoo which means there are no waxes or additives here, just pure cleaning power. It foams up incredibly well making it super slick, and it delivers a really deep shine to a car’s paintwork once washed. It helped lift away dirt and debris producing a nearly flat feeling to the paintwork once cleaned. It’s also biodegradable, a very important factor in selecting car care products and this one bottle should do 25 washes.
Verdict: A very good car shampoo, so long as you can stomach the cost.
Score: 4.5/5
Autoglym Ultra High Definition Shampoo
Price: RRP £19.99 | VIEW OFFER
Pros
• Excellent cleaning ability
• Very slick to use
• The smell is divine
Cons
• Price premium
Specs
Volume 1000ml
Biodegradable Yes
pH neutral Yes
Fragrance Watermelon
Extras Fancy storage box
What’s good?
As a car cleaner, there’s no knocking Autoglym UHD Shampoo. Lubrication was super slick, our wash mitt glided over every surface and the suds created by the shampoo didn’t break down. It’s also really effective against road film and other small contaminants, easily lifting them away and leaving behind a deep shine. The only contaminant we couldn’t shift with UHD Shampoo was tar spots, but a proper tar remover is required to remove these.
It even left the bodywork feeling smoother to the touch, a sign that this shampoo contains quality gloss enhancers to deepen the shine without relying on fillers like a wax-infused product. The fact it’s so concentrated (this bottle should do 25 washes) is another major bonus for the UHD shampoo and makes it better value for money than you’d first expect.
The packaging is probably the best we’ve seen from a car shampoo, it puts my hair shampoo to shame. The overall quality and refinement of both the bottle and cardboard packaging give it a premium feel. The cardboard housing will probably end up ruined if kept in a shed or garage but fresh out the box is such a nice touch. Then there’s the smell, a fresh watermelon that
What’s ok?
The supplied instructions appear straightforward at first but can be rather confusing regarding the cap. The cap is a flip-top cap (like you’d get on a squeeze bottle) which gives the impression you squirt it into a bucket prior to cleaning. Autoglym however say to remove this cap and use it to measure out the correct dilution ratio (four capfuls per 10 litres of water). It’s something that’s really easy to work out and not worth marking the shampoo down for, but a small note on the bottle would help avoid any initial confusion.
Any negatives?
The big elephant in the room is the price of this shampoo. It’s more than twice the price of other Autoglym shampoos and it’s not twice as good at cleaning bodywork. The premium aspects of the UHD include a slicker feel, amazing smell and better finish, but it’s hard to say that these features justify a doubling of the shampoo’s price. The greater refinement may convince some, but it’s still a lot of cash for a car shampoo.
More items to consider
Zirconite Wash And Wax Shampoo, RRP £11.99
Bilt Hamber Auto-Wash, RRP £16.95
Diamondbrite Max Foam Shampoo, RRP £8.95
How we tested it:
The test vehicle was a daily-driven Mazda CX-5 finished in Soul Red Crystal. The car was rinsed with a pressure washer prior to washing it with Autoglym UHD Shampoo as per the instructions. The car was then dried with a microfibre towel and protected with Autoglym UHD Wax. We also tested shampoos from Gtechniq and Autobead to provide a clear comparison.
Other products used in this test: Nilfisk Core 140 Pressure Washer | ShinyCar Wash Mitt
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