If you have used a bucket and sponge for the last time to clean your ride, it might be time to shop for the best pressure washer for cars.
We have collected some of the highest rated and most popular models out there and created a buying guide to save you time while making an informed decision.
Read on and discover if you need an electric or gas model, how much pressure is right, and what features are included on the best pressure washer for cars today.
Table of Contents
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Pressure Washer To Clean Your Car?
Most car owners get their rides clean using one of two methods: visit the local car wash or the do-it-yourself using the garden hose in the driveway. There is another option. A pressure washer might surprise you with its versatility and efficiency.
Let’s check out the pros of using a pressure washer to get your baby clean.
Saves Water
Your garden hose uses about 7 gpm. Even with a spray nozzle on it, you will be using 4 to 5 gallons per minute. A pressure washer uses only between 1 to 2 gpm. Your water bill, well, and the environment will thank you for using less water to get the job done.
Saves Time
You can give your car a quick wash and rinse and store the washer in just about 20 minutes. If you need to scrub some stubborn spots by hand, add another 10 minutes.
The garden hose and bucket method will result in you getting soaked and a real workout that lasts up to 90 minutes. Your pressure washer just put an hour back in your pocket.
Saves your Muscles
The pressurized spray of water and sudsy foam easily reaches the top of the car and down to the edges without making you bend and stretch.
Extend the wand and even get under the wheel wells and in the wheels without extra work on your part.
Saves Money
How much does it cost to drive through your local car wash? $10? $15? $20? Your new pressure washer will pay you back after just one summer of car washes and now you can also tackle the deck, patio furniture, and siding without spending an extra penny.
Which Is Better? Gas Vs Electric Car Pressure Washer
When comparing all the top rated pressure washers, you will find that they are often available as gas or electric. Which one makes the best pressure washer for cars?
Gas pressure washers tend to be built for more commercial applications. They are mobile so you can roll them anywhere you might be working and don’t require a cord to get powered up. Typically they have a pull start, which some homeowners struggle with to get going.
They generally offer a higher pounds per square inch (psi) of water pressure, which makes them perfect for washing tractors, houses, concrete, and a wealth of other heavy duty contracts. With the more powerful engine, they can churn out more gallons per minute (gpm.)
The electric pressure washers are usually designed for most average homeowners. They use a standard electric cord that is 25 feet long-enough to get it out to your driveway. Their psi tends to top out at around 2,000 psi compared to the 3,000 found on most gas units.
You don’t have to constantly feed them fuel and the electric motor requires no routine maintenance. You will find that they are priced below the gas pressure washers and are intended for occasional use-not daily.
For the purposes of cleaning your car, you won’t require the extra muscle provided by a gas washer. You only want 2,000 psi and don’t want the extra pressure of 3,000 psi as it can damage the paint on your car.
If you do buy a more powerful unit, make sure that the psi can be adjusted to a lower setting. When making your choice, think about what other kinds of tasks you want the pressure washer to help with.
Top Features Found On The Best Pressure Washer For Cars
If you want to get the best return on your investment of a new pressure washer to use for cleaning your car, make sure it has all the added features ready to make short work of this chore.
A bargain priced washer may not have all the tips and hoses you need and you will end up spending extra on the required accessories.
Included Foam Cannon
When applying foaming car wash soaps, you need a foam or soap nozzle. It has a larger opening so your nozzle doesn’t get clogged and you get an even application of the detergent with the pull of the trigger.
Dual Soap Tanks
If you like to use a different soap for cleaning your wheels, a pressure washer for your car will include two soap tanks on board.
That way you just hit a switch and can change between your car wash and wheel wash without emptying out a tank. It will save you tons of time.
Extra Long Power Cord
If the power cord on the pressure washer is only 12 feet long, you may have to park the car in the garage to get it clean. Make sure that you can roll the unit down the driveway with a 25 or 30-foot power cord.
Easy to Store Hose
Just like your garden hose, you need to have a quick way to store your pressure washer neatly after washing the car. The best pressure washer for cars will come with a reel caddy built-in so the hose is always free of kinks and knots and ready to get down to business.
Multiple Spray Tips
Even on a low psi setting like 2,000 psi, a narrow nozzle can actually eat away at the finish of your car.
The best pressure washer for cars will have a 25 and 40-degree nozzle tip that provides a soaking stream of water that is gentle on your clear coat and won’t automatically melt away your wax job.
This is one of those must have accessories. Make sure that you don’t have to spend extra just to start work.
Automatic Pump Shut Off
The best pressure washers for cars will have a built-in shut off at the trigger so that the pump only runs when you are actually washing something.
Some units have the pump running as soon as it is plugged in to build pressure before you need it. This really just wears out the pump before its time and wastes electricity.
Higher Gallons Per Minute
While the point of a pressure washer is to get things clean while using less water, the fact is that less water is less water especially at the lower psi ratings used when cleaning a car.
For the best results that also save you time, look for a unit with 1.75 gpm or better paired with a 2,000 psi.
5 Best Pressure Washers For Cars Reviews
Here’s a list of the best pressure washer for cars on the market:
1. Sun Joe SPX3000 Pressure Joe
The Sun Joe SPX3000 is an electric pressure washer really designed to make the most out of its homeowner-friendly target market.
The compact machine has 2 soap tanks on board so you can load one with your favorite car wash and the other with a wheel-cleaner detergent.
It pumps out 1.7 gallons per minute, so you really get a good blast of water or soap to speed up the process.
There is no need to buy extra accessories. It comes loaded with 5 interchangeable nozzles including a foam nozzle. Best of all, it completely shuts off the pump when you let go of the trigger, so the pump will last longer.
Priced at $149, it is a little pricier than the competition, but you get everything needed to get going. What are some of the drawbacks?
The SunJoe has plastic quick-connectors that tend to leak and crack compared to brass. There is also no place to wind up your hose-it only has a couple of hooks to hand the power cord and hose.
If you want to buy a metal connection, make sure it has a 22-15mm connection, not the more popular 14mm found on most Made in USA pressure washers.
Pros:
- Dual soap tanks
- More GPM compared to others
- Five nozzles including a foam nozzle
- Automatic power interrupt
Cons:
- Plastic pressure connectors
- Uncommon 15mm size
- No hose reel for storage
2. Stanley SHP2150 Electric Pressure Washer for Cars
The last unit vying for the position of best pressure washer for cars is the Stanley SHP2150. You are paying a few dollars more than the SunJoe, but saving some over the Karcher.
However, what the Stanley offers is more confidence upfront as this unit includes a few extras guaranteed to see you past some simple problems?
All of the quick connections are brass instead of plastic, so you have the feeling this one will last more than a year or two. Those little O-rings that are the key to a quick and good seal for your nozzles?
Yes, the ones that sometimes fall out and disappear. Stanley includes a replacement kit. It does only have a single tank on board, but its foam jet nozzle really excels at pumping out loads of sudsy foam to get your car sparkling.
When it comes down to the drawbacks, they are hard to find. It is a little pricier and yes you will have to rinse out the soap tank before moving on. However, the added durability and parts make this one a solid choice for a long term home improvement tool.
Pros:
- Brass connections
- Included O-ring replacement kit
- Light 26 lb. weight
- All needed accessories
Cons:
- Higher price
- Single tank
3. Greenworks Pressure Washer for Cars
If you are convinced that you want to keep the price low for the best pressure washer for cars, check out the Greenworks electric pressure washer.
For a few dollars more than the AR Blue, the Greenworks includes a dual soap-tank design, storage reels for the hose, and a complete selection of nozzles including one for foam.
Its hose is a full 25-feet long and the power cord reaches 35-feet, giving you all the flexibility needed to wash the car away from the house. It has everything you really want, except power.
It says it has 1950 psi, but users report lower actual pressure, especially when used with the narrow nozzles. Also, it only pumps through 1.2 gallons per minute, so you will spend a few more minutes rinsing down after giving your car a good scrub.
Finally, the manufacturer only provides a 1 year warranty, so after storing for the winter you may find last summer’s purchase is all done.
The other units with a slightly higher price include 2 years of protection. Still, for a low price, you do get a lot of bang for your buck with the Greenworks.
Pros:
- 35-foot power cord
- Low price
- Foam nozzle and dual tanks
Cons:
- No reel for power cord
- Low 1.2 gpm
4. AR Blue Clean AR383 Electric Pressure Washer for Cars
Now we are checking out the bargain basement option available with the AR Blue Clean AR383. Like a too high price, sometimes a low ball entry will not be the best pressure washer for cars or for you.
You can find this one listed for under $120, so it will save you a few dollars up front. It also includes a longer wand for reaching high SUV roofs, a few nozzles, and a detergent bottle.
You get 1.5 gpm and a reasonable 1950 psi. and you can wind up the hose with the onboard reel. There are also clips for all the wands and nozzles. It all looks good. Now for the reality check.
It includes the detergent bottle because there is no onboard tank. The weight of the extra detergent is all on your arms, not sitting comfortably on the ground.
Next, all the connections are plastic and are known to leak right out of the box. If you want to replace those connections with brass, make sure that you shop metric.
And once you are into replacing parts, you just wasted that low purchase price. The hose is also short-only 20 feet long with most pressure washers including a 25-foot hose. In the end, you can do better.
Pros:
- Attractive low price
- Comes with a variety of attachments
Cons:
- No onboard soap tank-hand held unit
- Short 20-foot hose
- Plastic components with metric sizing
5. Karcher K5 Premium Electric Power Pressure Washer for Cars
Next up we have the Karcher K5 bid for the best pressure washer for cars. It is an attractive yellow color in a compact upright design that is easy to store in the shed or roll out to get the car clean.
You might think that its $220 price tag might mean that you get more features, but that is not the case in this instance.
There is only a single soap tank on board, so you will have to swap it out if you want to work on a different project using a different chemical.
It does have nice reel storage for both the power cord and the hose, so that helps you clean up and get ready for the next time you want to use the machine.
Another supposed bonus is its Vario Power Spray nozzle, which means instead of swapping out tips you just spin the tip to change the width of the stream.
The problem is that it can change angles without warning, which can cause you to high a narrow stream capable of damaging your car’s finish. It is also a plastic part that will wear out.
In the end, the Karcher looks really nice, but for the extra $80 to $100 you will spend, you don’t really get the best buy for your dollar.
Pros:
- Reels for power cord and hose storage
- Adjustable nozzle–no need to swap tips
- Convenient upright design for easy storage
Cons:
- More expensive
- Single soap tank
So, Which Pressure Washer Is Right For Cleaning Your Car?
Ultimately, when shopping for the best pressure washer for cars, the ultimate choice sits with the SunJoe SPX3000. While you will be juggling to roll up the hose, the fact is that it comes with the extra nozzles, second tank, and the extra muscle you need to make short work of cleaning your vehicle.
As a close runner-up, the Stanley SHP2150 offers a superior foam jet nozzle and spare parts. However, if you are set on saving the budget, the Greenworks offers a good return on your dollar.
Please let us know if you have any experience using one of these pressure washers. Leave a comment below or on your social media page.
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