Out of all the new SEMA releases, this was the one that most piqued my interest. And based on some of the hype that is already out there by the folks who have tried it before release of at SEMA, I was further cautiously optimistic about the performance. I recall some specific line to the effect that, 'you can't make it streak even if you try' and 'it's like wiping on gloss'; that would be nice.
The bottle seems to be easily stained by the thick, teal mixture. I found that the dilution on the bottle differ slightly from what is listed on another distributors site (the latter being more dilute). Those listed on AG do match the bottle. I chose to start with a dilution of 1:20, adding 2 oz of concentrate to 40oz of distilled water in a garden sprayer. The product itself is very thick, it clung to the sides of a small measuring cup that had come from a cough syrup bottle. I poured a little of the dilute product back into the measuring cup and stirred it to reclaim the concentrate. Once diluted the product appears more of a blue color through the opaque plastic of my garden sprayer. This product does not have a distinct fragrance, rather, the smell is a byproduct of the solvents/carriers and whatever magic they put in the bottle. As long as the product performs well, I can dismiss the less than stellar odor, though I do find that my work spaces smelled a bit like a body shop afterward.
After finishing a rinseless wash, I applied a light layer of Ech20 to one panel at a time as well as a light misting on the plush side of a 530 towel. After wiping on, I used a second 530 towel to wipe it off. Any streaking flashed away within moments. It went on and came off very easily, and the towels went smoothly over the paint. After the sun went down, the pattern of condensation on the car did mimic the wiping pattern, so even though you can't see any streaks, something of that pattern is left behind.
The surface has a soft slippery feel, almost oily much like a traditional sealant, I feel that is new to carpro products; Reload and the CQuartz options all seem to have a hard slickness to them. This was a pleasant surprise.
As for Gloss, yes, it's a gloss boss. I imagine at a more concentrated mixture it would have even greater gloss, but both of my vehicles showed a noticeable increase in gloss after using Ech2o at 1:20.
In terms of cleaning as a waterless wash at a lower dilution, I think it's close to Ultima Waterless wash, but Ultima still holds a slight edge. I often choose to use Ultima as a prespray before doing a rinseless wash and I feel that using Ech2O in the same way would likely inhibit the gloss additives and negate any benefit of using it over Ultima. As a specific waterless wash, my use will depend on my desired result. If I'm just trying to clean the car, I will use Ultima for the cost savings and similar performance. If I'm cleaning before or at a show, I will reach for Ech2O.
I will most certainly be purchasing this again. I plan to use regularly as a gloss booster just before returning vehicles to clients. At its listed price point, it's not going to complete on price with UWW, but I feel Ech2O outperforms UWW in the finish department. I will need to do some additional testing on it's cleaning ability. For now, UWW will remain the waterless choice for me in most situations, while Echo2 will be the gloss boosting QD, replacing Finish Kare 425.
Requisite product photo
After application and spreading the product with a 530 gsm towel
After final buff
Couple after shots
