OK, count me as another skeptic who has seen the light. I've seen this item advertised on TV for a little while now but scoffed at the idea of a spotless, towel-free finish. The water where I live -- the central valley of California -- is extremely hard. Spotting is a constant problem when I wash my cars, which I do regularly, and I simply couldn't imagine that any product could fix that. I ran across this item in Target the other day and noticed it offered a full satisfaction guarantee. So, I decided to put this thing to a challenge. On one side we had two dirty cars (one an always garaged '03 and the other a much more used '98) and valley water, and on the other side: Mr. Clean. Mr. Clean won, hands down.

Most other reviewers have gone into great detail about how the AutoDry system works. They've done such a good, thorough job I'll yield to them and skip right to the comments. I found the handle/sprayer a bit bulky, but well designed. The knobs were well placed and had a good feel to them, and the whole thing was well balanced which offset the bulk and weight. I washed two cars in row and didn't have a problem. I'm a reasonably big, fit guy, so smaller hands might be less comfortable. Not being tied to a bucket was a treat. I found I was able to operate the sprayer with one hand, handle the sponge in the other, and power through each car in short order. I later found I missed a few spots on the first car, but the second car was much better. I think that will be sorted out as I get more familiar with this method. As many other reviewers noted, my sponge quickly became filthy, and I was unable to wash this out. Not that I really care (sponges are cheap) but I was surprised. The soap smelled pretty good (yeah, who cares, but it's a nice touch) and the applicator did a good job of distributing it over the vehicle. You still have to scrub the surface as in any other cleaning method, but that goes quickly enough. The soap rinsed off easily, and the filterer water spray was simple to use. I'll admit, I had to force myself not to use a chamois to dry the cars afterward. It just seemed wrong to leave them wet, and I was envisioning the spotting disaster that would happen if I used regular water. Fully expecting to have to rewash the cars, I let them sit only to discover... a truly perfect spot free shine. Really. Even the windows are clear! After a close inspection in the bright California sun, I do not see the milky cloudiness that a few other reviewers mentioned. Perhaps after multiple cleanings, but I tend to doubt that.

I have noticed a few complaints in other reviews that this product still left spots or residue. After using it myself, I cannot imagine how it would not work. If it can handle my local water, trust me, it can handle yours. I suspect that most problems can be cleared up by taking more time to rinse the car, first with regular water to completely remove the soap, and then thoroughly with the filtered water. The goal of the filtered water is to rinse off all the regular tap water. The instructions suggest you take special care to rinse those areas where water collects from other locations. Following these suggestions, I had terrific results.

I was expecting to return the AutoDry system after smugly proving that it didn't work. On the contrary, I am totally sold. It's easy to use and does a great job. It saves some time - though some is lost due to the need for a careful, second rinse with the filtered water. The system is a little pricey, but not too bad. I bought it for regular price (I just know I'll find a coupon tomorrow) at Target for about $18. It comes with enough soap and filter for about three washes (their estimate). Additional soap and filters run about $4 and $8 respectively, and are supposed to be good for about 10 washes. Is that more expensive than a traditional soap & bucket wash with a chamois dry-off? Yes. Is it worth it? To me, yes.

Recommended: Yes