Audi A3 detailing in Houston

What we watch for

Paint and interior on the A3

Paint and exterior

A compact body means less paint, but the A3 is often run through automatic washes, so the hood, roof and trunk lid carry the most swirls. Glacier White and Florett Silver hide it well; Mythos Black and Navarra Blue do not. S3 and RS 3 front bumpers pick up chips quickly.

Interior

Older cars have leather or leatherette with plenty of hard plastic, while the newest generation uses textured plastics and a tiny toggle shifter. The vents and tight footwells take compressed air and patience, and the small rear seat means kids' shoes mark the front seatbacks.

Living in Houston

Commuters running the Westpark Tollway or the Hardy Toll Road every day bring home brake dust baked onto the wheels and road tar along the rocker panels; both come off easier with regular decontamination.

• Hard clear coat: swirls take more cutting to remove, so correction is slower, but a corrected finish holds up well afterwards.
• Black and dark colors are common: they show swirls, water spots and pollen film first, and benefit most from a coating.
• Fabric convertible top: cleaned with a top-specific cleaner and protected, with no pressure washer on the seams.