You pull up to the car wash, stare at the menu board, and wonder if the $30 upgrade actually does anything. Or you scroll our site, see Express, Full, and Premium exterior packages, and think, "Which one does my car actually need?"
Here's the honest breakdown from someone who washes cars in Pittsburgh driveways every day.
Express Exterior ($59)
This is a maintenance wash. Foam bath, hand wash with clean mitts, wheels and tires cleaned, windows cleaned outside, quick spray sealant for a few weeks of protection.
Pick Express if: Your paint already feels smooth, you washed the car within the last month, and you just want the road salt, pollen, or bird bombs gone before the weekend.
Skip Express if: The paint feels rough, there are water spots that won't rinse off, or it's been a full season since the last real wash.
Full Exterior ($149)
Everything in Express, plus the steps that actually reset the paint. Clay bar treatment to pull out embedded contaminants like brake dust, rail dust, and tree sap residue. A light machine polish to knock down haze and swirl marks. A proper paint sealant that lasts two to three months.
Pick Full if: You run your hand across the paint and it feels like fine sandpaper, you see swirl marks in direct sunlight, or you want the car to actually look glossy in photos again.
This is the package most of our customers land on. It's the "make it look like I just got it back from the dealer" tier.
Premium Exterior ($199)
Full Exterior, then we go deeper. More thorough polish stage to remove more defects. A longer-lasting ceramic sealant with six months of protection and real water beading. Plastic and rubber trim restoration so faded bumpers and mirror housings look black again. Exhaust tip polishing on most vehicles.
Pick Premium if: The paint looks dull or faded even after a wash, the black trim has turned grey, you're prepping the car to sell, or you just want it to look its absolute best before a trip or event.
The 10-Second Test
Wash your hand and run it lightly across the hood after a rinse.
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Glass smooth: Express is enough.
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Slightly gritty, like fine sandpaper: You want Full.
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Dull, faded, or you can see swirls in the sun: Go Premium.
One More Thing: Combos Save Money
If your interior also needs attention, book an exterior and interior together. We bundle them at a lower price than booking each one separately, and we knock both out in the same visit so you only block off your driveway once.
Still Not Sure?
Text a photo of your car to (412) 475-1960. We'll tell you which tier actually fits, with no upsell. If Express is the right call, we'll say Express or book here.
