Car Wash in Santa Barbara, CA

“I have used Sunshine Auto Spa in the past but never wrote a review. Since I recently had two cars serviced here, I thought I’d write a multi-part review about my experience.

I had two cars treated with ceramic coating. One is a brand new Audi Q3, the other is a 2018 BMW 4-series. For both vehicles, I chose the Ceramic Pro two-year warranty (a.k.a. bronze package) option. Both vehicles also had minor paint correction done before the coatings were applied. The BMW also received a “mini interior detailing“.

Overall, the service was good. Both vehicles came out very shiny and clean, inside and out. Each vehicle took one full day to complete. The exteriors definitely have that “wet” look that I was hoping for. And, since both vehicles have metallic paint this made them look even better. There is definitely some hydrophobic qualities about the coatings such that water tends to bead and roll off the surfaces easily. This also helps them stay cleaner looking by allowing dust to also release more easily.

For the mini interior detailing on the BMW, all the surfaces were clean and conditioned without any greasy residue. I wasn’t a huge fan of how the conditioner smelled but it did dissipate over the next couple of days. A vehicle air freshener covered it up easily until it was gone. They did a good job of removing dust and debris from cracks and crevices on the doors, dash, and center console.

Ceramic coatings look good and are supposed to be fairly durable. Since this was just done I can’t really comment on how it will wear over time. I intend to come back to this review several months from now to report any changes or issues that might have come up. I realize that ceramic coatings are not bulletproof but my hope is it will be durable enough to prevent minor blemishes and help keep the car looking clean and shiny for quite some time.”

“Oscar and his team did a beautiful job on my 2005 Sequoia—it looks so gorgeous! They are very helpful and responsive. Call them now—you won’t be disappointed!”

“Best self service car wash in SB. My routine: start with high pressure soap including on wheels/tires, rinse with high pressure wax, finish with spot free rinse all over. You can do this in 4 mins for $3 which gets all but the micro dirt off.

Then pull forward into the vacuum spots and wipe down the entire car with one or two large microfiber towels. Start with windows (get bone dry), then work on cleaner painted areas up high, finish with dirty areas down low. Move to different parts of the towel as needed. Takes 5-10 mins.

The key to this is it allows you to avoid the dreaded scrubbing brush that (in every car wash) will scrape your paint. Despite the signs that tell customers not to do it, I regularly see people scrub their wheels and tires with the brushes. If you're going to use the brush, at least power wash it first with high pressure soap.”

“My first time at wash and go I got the full wash, inside and out, on my 2014 Toyota van. It was fast, efficient. Excellent. I mistakenly left a small bicycle pump on the ground. I came back eight days later when I realized where I had left it, and the manager, Jorge, spent 15 minutes with me looking at the videos from that Sunday afternoon to see what happened to it. We were not successful but this was real customer service. Thank you Jorge. I will be back.”

“After many road trips with a dog every nook and cranny of my car was filled with sand and debris. Plus there was a mysterious smell... I reached out via Yelp and Guillermo got back to me right away with detailed pricing and a quote. I booked him the next morning for a mini detail with extra thorough vacuuming. He and his partner worked hard for 2 hours and the last time I saw my car this clean was when I bought it- My car looks amazing! He got every little corner, thorough vacuum and cleaning, and the smell is gone. Pricing is incredibly reasonable. I really look forward to having Nova Spa come on a regular basis.”

“Johnny is the bestest! Always respectful, aware, and super detail oriented in his skill and craft. My car feels like a brand new car out of the dealer with the new car scent. Very pleased with the service and highly recommend.”

“Excellent customer service. Claudia and the other super pretty girl are so polite and nice. Also there are a couple nice young gents. Everyone is polite and attentive. The car wash is a good deal too. But the self serve fresh ground coffee with refillable mug is a $1. Get the mug. Best cheap coffee in California. Only thing I would improve: Better fresh cream options (bagged milk dispenser maybe)? and if the car washes were $1-2 less I would get them more often. I like their build a 6 pack selection.”

“The college student running the place when I arrived is very customer oriented. Hopefully he'll have his own garage one day if he wants it. I'd go to it. I'd walked from Salinas Street (were traveling by RV) to the hardware store and stopped for coffee. The negative review surprises me. I'm the same background and there was no issue.”

“Management of this car wash reached out to me rapidly and gave me a full refund by check. I sincerely appreciate the way this was handled and wanted to update the review accordingly.”

“I am surprised that this place has any bad reviews at all! Those reviews seem old, like years old. Anyway that made me want to post a review. Car wash is amazing. Staff is so nice and attentive. Great place to gas up, use the restroom and get fancy snacks. I’ll drive a bit extra to get gas and wash my car here. Thank you!”

“I lived next door many years ago. Same owners. I do not agree with “overpriced” they deliver a high level of service in a busy neighborhood. I guarantee it’s not where homeless are parked at the door guilting you. And if you cannot afford the nuts at the “convenience” store. You are missing the obvious 4businesses across the street that offer an abundant selection of all foods. I will continue to appreciate this station and its abundance of convenient items because as a former neighbor and professional driver I can tell you they are “unwavering” go there or plan accordingly. 1 block from Yacht club. Enjoy.”

“(Translated by Google) The best service in Santa Barbara my car was like new(Original)El mejor cervicio en santa barbara mi carro qued9 como nuevoServices: Polishing”

“I love my 1986 Buick regal with I wash and clean every day my morning or night visits always at self service car wash because they make me feel comfortable and always ready to use equipment clean and works well”

“Casey and the team did a spectacular job in removing stubborn dog hair and caked-on debris on my SUV. I’m a new customer and pulled away delighted with the attention to detail and can-do attitude of Casey and the hard working guys that returned the vehicle to its
original showroom shine and sparkle.”

“What an honest group of employees! After spending about 15 min looking for a greeting card, I head to the register to pay when I realize I don't have my wallet on me. I frantically looked around everywhere with no luck, until I thought to myself that maybe I had forgotten it in my car, so I head out to my car that was being dried, look on the passengers side and there it was on the seat (where I left it) I was so relieved to find it but even more relieved when I found that the fairly large amount of money I had in it was still there! Thank you, thank you to the honest staff!”

“This app has really been a lifesaver. Before I discovered MobileWash, my car was a constant mess. Then my job required me to drive talent from base camp to set. In so few words, I needed a clean ride inside and out. When I say this app does it all. I mean it. Every time I use it, my Corolla looks brand new. Not only does this keep me looking professional, it also makes my employers have more respect for me. In the world of film, and most businesses, image is everything.”