Tenderfoot

ORIGINAL POST ON 4/6/04:
With all the threads about NXT, I decided to test it on my black 2001 Nissan Maxima SE daily driver. This car handles the majority of my daily 90 mile commute and the dings on the hood attest to that. It has 5 coats of Zaino Z5, with the last coat put on almost 4 months ago in December '03. It has since gone through the NJ winter with numerous car washes at a car wash (wash only, no wax). For this test, I hand washed the car with Zaino Z7 soap and applied NXT to half of the hood and did NOT apply anything on the other side. I will leave this post up for a day before I tell you which side is which and my impressions of NXT vs. Zaino. BTW, this pic was taken on an overcast day.

UPDATED POST ON 4/7/04:
The reason for my post was to share my experience with this section of using NXT on my car which already had Zaino Z5 applied, not to play games as someone suggested. I agree that it's difficult to clearly see results looking at a jpg file on the internet, but forum members routinely post pics of a freshly waxed/polished car and claim it's the best it's ever looked. I was trying to be objective in presenting my results and get other member's opinions with the limited information available to them. This is in no way an attempt to put down one product or another.

So here goes: For background information, I first heard about Zaino when I joined this forum last year and have been using it since May 03 when I took delivery of my AE coupe. I am not against trying out other things to see if they are better. Until NXT came out, I didn't see any need to try anything else. I really like the durability of Zaino and as such did not consider a wax. It's also great applied to the wheels as brake dust and grime wash off very easily. I also don't have any problems applying or removing Zaino. For me, its very easy on and very easy off. Same as NXT. Never had any issues with Zaino streaking, etc. I also do not have any issues with mixing Z5 (or Z2) with 1 drop of ZFX. It's pretty fool proof and with the many coats on my cars, sometimes I don't even mix in any ZFX. I also don't think Zaino requires 'many steps' once you have gone through the initial car prep work such as dawn wash, clay bar, etc. Proper car prep is probably more important than the actual polish/wax product you use for the shine. I am saying all of these things because some people here post what I consider misconceptions about Zaino perhaps without ever trying out the product. However, some actual Zaino users have reported issues with it's application and I don't pretend to know what could have gone wrong for them. At least, my experience with all Zaino products (Z2, Z5, ZFX, Z6, Z7 and claybar) has been all good.

Now for my NXT evaluation/OPINION:
The correct answer to the poll question is that the 4 month old Zaino is on the driver's side and the freshly applied single coat of NXT (just before the pic was taken) is on the passenger side. The pic is probably unfair due to the reflection of the tree primarily on the driver's side. That tree is about 40 feet away and should give you an idea about the shine even though the pic is teh ghey. Zaino sure lasts and still beads.

Regarding my impression of NXT: It's an AWESOME product. Nissan calls the color on my car "Super Black". NXT has put more "Super" in it (not that Zaino doesn't, but NXT seems to do more so.) The shine is greater and deeper and has a wetter, more lustrous look. Also, it seems to have removed/hidden more swirl marks and minor scratches than the 5 coats of Z5 ever did (that is a complaint I do have about Z5 in that it does not do that great a job of hiding/removing swirl marks.) NXT also seems to have better anti-static properties (this could be my imagination) as the car did not get as dusty after 1 day as it does with Z5/Z6 combo. The car looks great, better than when I apply a fresh coat of Z5. When I parked it at work, I found myself turning around and look at it again when walking away from it. I've done this with the vette, never with the Maxima (at least not since the first week of ownership.)

My only concerns about NXT are:
1. How long will it last. I doubt if it will perform similar to Zaino in this regard. I will leave it on my Max for several weeks and see how it wears.
2. Zaino claims no abrasives, NXT has some fine abrasives. Don't know how this will impact the clear coat over an extended use of NXT.
3. NXT has cleaning properties, which probably means you can't effectively layer it's application and so it's shine, depth, etc. will not continue to improve with additional layers. I haven't tried the spray wax booster and that might increase the shine, depth, etc.

If any of the above information regarding NXT is incorrect, would appreciate your feedback.

I have attached a second pic with NXT applied over all of the car and you can see the same tree's reflection with NXT. The angle is a little different. Thanks for reading through all of this.

Z5 last applied 4 months ago on Driver's side, NXT on Passenger side:


NXT applied to entire car:

[Modified by Tenderfoot, 9:42 AM 4/6/2004]


[Modified by Tenderfoot, 9:43 AM 4/6/2004]


[Modified by Tenderfoot, 9:45 AM 4/6/2004]


[Modified by Tenderfoot, 3:49 PM 4/6/2004]


[Modified by Tenderfoot, 12:33 PM 4/7/2004]

agentf1

Pictures are very subjective and really show nothing. I don't see a difference.

lostsoulny

drivers side looks shinier but it could be deceiving due to reflection of a treeo n that part. awaiting the answer :thumbs:

C5corvetteman

NXT,,,,with any wax, over a period of time,,,it becomes dull and has to be detailed and more coats has to be applied.

:troll

AFVETTE

I won't play games. I tried to get some photo's to post of "a shine" that my eyes could plainly see but the camera (a 3.2 Mega Pixel Sony) just could not duplicate the image my eyes were seeing. It's just not possible with the technology and limited bandwidth we have on the internet to get resolutions necessary to do this.

Nice try though.

Tom

DsC5

:iagree:

Aaron71771

The difference between those two sides is like night and day; I voted zaino on drivers side.

'06 Quicksilver Z06

:iagree: The variations in monitors, view angles, and monitor settings might play a role too. Forget the fact that it is overcast. You may as well tell us your personal observations/opinions now so that they can be filed right along with the rest of the opinions, testimonials and personal observations of one of the products vs the other. Your photo won't prove much one way or the other for reasons already discussed. BTW how long ago did you apply the NXT?


[Modified by EB20003, 7:57 PM 4/6/2004]

TRR

The Driver's side looks the best.

TRR

'06 Quicksilver Z06

You say you used NXT over the entire car in the second photo? I may be the only one, but to me the driver side still looks best, even though the same product, NXT, is over the entire car. :D I really cannot appreciate a difference in the clarity of the tree reflection in the top photo vs the bottom photo. The shine and the tree reflection on the driver's side, look just as good in the NXT only photo as when Zaino alone was on the driver side

I think you will find that it does. The spray wax has worked very well in my experience.





[Modified by EB20003, 12:12 PM 4/7/2004]

WWK888

I am sorry but the debate over which polish/wax/sealant is best will never be settled with pictures on the internet...nice try though and I do appreciate the effort. Too many different factors to get an objective opinion.

Tenderfoot

Thanks for the feedback on my questions Killrwheels :cheers: .

I agree that it's not fair to compare an old application of Zaino to a freshly applied coat of another product (NXT in this case.) I am very impressed how well Zaino has held up through winter and did so well in my side by side comparison test. My comments about NXT's appearance are relative to a fresh application of Zaino, as I know how my Max looks with a fresh coat on. I also have about 15 coats of Z5/Z2 (actually I've lost count) on my Anniv. Edition coupe. Will apply NXT to the half of the rear deck lid and put a fresh layer of Z2/Z6 on the other half see how it looks. The Zaino gives more depth on the AE color than on my black Max and in direct sunlight makes the little gold specks in the paint look like they are suspended in 3 dimensions within the paint.

Regarding the Maxima, I'm thinking about switching to NXT until the fall, then put on a few coats of Zaino in preparation for next winter due to it's durability. Do any of you detailing gurus see a problem with this approach.

Wayne88

:iagree: Its difficult to see the subtle differences in the pictures.
Also, from the threads I've read, Zaino & NXT probably have about the same quality shine.

Aaron71771

Woot, glad to see my eyes judged correctly. I think the difference between the sides in the first picture were quite apparent.

Killrwheels

While I am not a fan of NXT , I find your opinion to be valid and believe we should all appreciate it. (Just like mine, which is that better products exist) Until you try other similar sealants (Blackfire, Klasse, Wolfgang, Zaino) it is hard to find their differences (and there benefits) and modify from the one you are currently using. Now I am not saying you need to stop using NXT , but you "might" wanna try some others, you can always come back .....

Here are some answers to your questions based on my use and research with other real world NXT users/detailers:

1. How long will it last. I doubt if it will perform similar to Zaino in this regard. I will leave it on my Max for several weeks and see how it wears.

I doubt that with real world elements , ex rain, weather, sun, washing that it will last much longer than a traditional wax. Many have discussed on other boards that 6-8 weeks is average, but, that because NXT prefers to sheet water versus bead that it may protect longer than measurement by traditional means. As for Zaino, I believe it still to be the industry leader in protection time .


2. Zaino claims no abrasives, NXT has some fine abrasives. Don't know how this will impact the clear coat over an extended use of NXT.

the cleaners in NXT are specialized abrasives but I prefer the term chemical cleaners. They are not abrasive like a traditional polish. Now over time a chemical could dry out the paint and make it look dull, but never seen that happen with consistent use (Klasse AIO is similar, with heavier cleaners)

3. NXT has cleaning properties, which probably means you can't effectively layer it's application and so it's shine, depth, etc. will not continue to improve with additional layers.

NXT does have cleaners and can remove previous protection, and thus could not be layered in the traditional sense. (Adding layers to equal better protection) however, your finish is attacked daily by environmental issues and thus another coat of NXT should remove these in-between issues and some of the previous layer/coating, giving you a feeling that is looks better and you are correct because you removed the enviromental issues

I haven't tried the spray wax booster and that might increase the shine, depth, etc

this is the one question I could not get resolved with Michael Phillips with Mequires. I believe it is the same chemical makeup as NXT and uses additional chemicals to provide a quicker cure time, make product more liquid in nature, but having the same specialized cleaners meaning that while "boosting" the finish, it does so by removing the environmental issues the paint has seen since last Tech Wax, and some of the previous level not really adding longer protection

Either way, if you like it use it. Learn its benefits and it faults. If durability is your main concern, than Zaino is your answer or waxing more often with NXT. Or .... try something else in a similar line (sealant) and see where it takes you . :cheers:

agentf1

To be fair the Zaino side should be a fresh coat not 5 months old compared to newly applied NXT. I too am doing some comparisons with Zaino, NXT, and Wolfgang and have done side by side test. I will post my results in a few weeks as I would like to have all my data before I post here. I will say this, none of the products I have tested are bad but so far one stands out above all the rest as far as appearance. All seem to be equally easy to apply. The jury is still out on durability.