Mazda CX-30 detailing in Houston

What we watch for

Paint and interior on the CX-30

Paint and exterior

Wide black cladding around the wheel arches and along the lower doors is a big part of the look, and it fades to grey without a UV dressing. Soul Red and Polymetal Gray are common colors.

Interior

Cloth, leatherette or leather, with some trims offering a two-tone cabin with brown or navy accents. The console's gloss black panel around the controller scratches from keys and phones tossed onto it.

Living in Houston

A CX-30 parked in a Bridgeland driveway catches construction dust from the new builds next door, which settles on the cladding as a grey haze.

• Unpainted textured trim: it fades grey in the sun, so it is cleaned and dressed with a matte UV protectant.
• Soft clear coat: it marks from a dirty towel or an automatic wash, so every wash is two-bucket with clean mitts, and polishing finishes down with a fine pad.
• Piano-black trim: it scratches if you look at it, so it gets plush microfiber only and can be polished and coated.