Subaru Crosstrek detailing in Houston

What we watch for

Paint and interior on the Crosstrek

Paint and exterior

Bright yellows, oranges and greens are popular alongside the usual greys. The heavy black cladding and wheel arches fade quickly, and the soft paint picks up swirls from automatic washes.

Interior

Cloth on most trims, StarTex on Sport and Wilderness, and leather on Limited. Contrast stitching in orange or yellow shows grime, and the rear seat and cargo floor get sandy.

Living in Houston

Crosstreks that head to Galveston's West End or the Sam Houston National Forest come back with sand, mud and pine needles in places their owners did not know existed.

• 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.
• Unpainted textured trim: it fades grey in the sun, so it is cleaned and dressed with a matte UV protectant.
• Sees dirt roads and lease land: mud is softened and rinsed before any mitt touches the paint, and wheel wells are cleaned out.
• Cloth seats on many trims: spot-treated in every interior detail, with shampoo extraction as an add-on when they need it.