I recently put this through the paces on my car.First, I used it with a foam gun just to get the loose dirt off and initial impressions were very nice!  It covered the car with a nice sudsy coating (not SUPER sudsy, but more than a budget car wash liquid) and smelled like bubble gum!  However, the suds disappeared quickly, almost TOO quickly.  Made me a bit worried.  But I moved on to the hand wash.Poured some in a bucket, filled it up with water, and as expected, LOTS of suds, but they seemed to die down very quickly... After the rinsing off the soap and drying the car though, this is where the car wash liquid REALLY shines (bad puns are bad).In the sun, the paint was deep, reflective, and it just looked CONSIDERABLY cleaner than before.  It looked like a whole new depth was added to the paint.  Coming fromMeguiar's Wash and Wax - 48 oz., this car wash liquid takes the cake in final finish and cleaning ability.  However, I think the Meguiar's takes the trophy home for best smelling (to me), most suds, and longest lasting suds.  The Mothers left an awesome finish and kept water spots away when drying, but the bubblegum smell was nearly non-existent and the suds were worrying at first.I would consider Mothers California Gold as a nice start to a full-on DIY detailing job (or even just a quick, light detailing job).  It gives a nice base to work off of.  It seems to clean dirt off more effectively than Meguiar's (tested by clay bar) and leaves a nice, smooth finish, giving you a bit more peace-of-mind.However, if you are short on time and would rather just give it a quick wash, consider the Meguiar's.  It'll give you a one-two combo of a wash that's ever so slightly less shiny and will coat it with a (very) light wax.Sum:- Good: Smells like bubble gum, leaves a deep finish (whole new depth - especially on darker colors!), keeps water spots from forming while drying, cleaning ability is awesome!- Not-So-Good: Suds are a bit disappointing, scent isn't as defined or noticeable once rinsed off.Recommended!