I paid $24 with tax for a "silver" car wash. Perhaps it's because I'm stupid, or perhaps it's because I'm new in town. But that's expensive by any standards. I suspect I pulled a rookie move and... More

I paid $24 with tax for a "silver" car wash. Perhaps it's because I'm stupid, or perhaps it's because I'm new in town. But that's expensive by any standards. I suspect I pulled a rookie move and didn't use a coupon or something (I blindly ordered silver b/c someone had recommended it). The staff are pretty unhelpful and unfriendly overall. That said, it's a decent car wash and I can't find any others in Seattle, so what am I to do. The $24 car wash was good, I suppose, except they forgot altogether to clean one of my wheels. Now my car looks really weird, because everything gleams except one grimy wheel which sticks out like crazy. Note: this review is for the Seattle location near Denny Way.
Less

Last time we took our car to Elephant Car Wash, car stopped in the middle of car wash. When car finally came out, there was a total of $2000 repair work on the front side of the car. Car came off... More

Last time we took our car to Elephant Car Wash, car stopped in the middle of car wash. When car finally came out, there was a total of $2000 repair work on the front side of the car. Car came off the track and scrapped on the wall. Elephant Car Wash denied all responsibility. Find it hard to believe when it when in fine and came out with $2k in damage.
Less

OK, so it isn't like a $300 detail nor is it the quickie $7 with your gas and who cares if it scratches wash. It is instead as many folks have noted a Seattle institution. For $20, you get 20... More

OK, so it isn't like a $300 detail nor is it the quickie $7 with your gas and who cares if it scratches wash. It is instead as many folks have noted a Seattle institution. For $20, you get 20 minutes of joy as your kids watch it and you get to remember all those movies feature car washes when you were a kid. They use soft brushes so they hopefully won't destroy your finish and for $20, it is a decent job. So, not the very best, but a good value for the money. BTW, the downtown location is the oldest and funnest just because the elephant is so big.
Less

You would be hard pressed to get a cruddier wash than this. Streaks of dirt everywhere and no attention to any detail whatsoever, I even gave them the benefit of the doubt and tried it again a few... More

You would be hard pressed to get a cruddier wash than this. Streaks of dirt everywhere and no attention to any detail whatsoever, I even gave them the benefit of the doubt and tried it again a few months later, even worse the second time. Don't waste your money, you could buff out your own car with a hose and a rag better in 10 minutes.
Less

... before "Baby Bills" took over the Seattle business landscape, before the Seahawks were a professional team -- there was the Pink Elephant. Thanks to the persistant state of rain here, there's a... More

... before "Baby Bills" took over the Seattle business landscape, before the Seahawks were a professional team -- there was the Pink Elephant. Thanks to the persistant state of rain here, there's a constant need to wash your vehicle in this town, and the Super Elephant grabbed both an early lead in the race for automat car washing and the downtown crowd. The sign is a Seatle icon -- almost as much as the Space Needle -- and with a continuance of decent service, it would be hard to imagine this town without the pink spinning pachyderm.
Less

Elephant Car Wash does a good job of washing and detailing cars. The exterior wash is thorough and the guys who finish the car at the end also do a careful job. The cost is a bit expensive just to... More

Elephant Car Wash does a good job of washing and detailing cars. The exterior wash is thorough and the guys who finish the car at the end also do a careful job. The cost is a bit expensive just to have a clean car and it's not a luxury I indulge in often. If you add in the cost of tipping the guys who hand finish your car it gets even more expensive. However, discount coupons abound (see ValPak) and when my car is really filthy the full cleaning is worth the cost.
Less

The car wash is obviously easy to locate with the giant pink elephant rising above the roadway. The convenience of this car wash is amazing - you can't beat a car wash downtown! It is so easy to... More

The car wash is obviously easy to locate with the giant pink elephant rising above the roadway. The convenience of this car wash is amazing - you can't beat a car wash downtown! It is so easy to pop in after work. If it's crowded looking, which it often is on a sunny day at 5pm, I just keep on driving and try again another day. My only complaint is that back bumper of my car never seems to come out clean.
Less

I recently needed to turn in my lease and needed a good detailing to make sure that I didn't get any charges for turning it in. I took my car to the elephant where they washed, waxed and shampooed... More

I recently needed to turn in my lease and needed a good detailing to make sure that I didn't get any charges for turning it in. I took my car to the elephant where they washed, waxed and shampooed the rugs for under 80 dollars with tip. The work done was superior and the detailer was very friendly. The whole thing took about an hour, so my wife and I had a nice walk through downtown and by the time we returned, the car was ready to go.
Less

What is nice about Elephant carwash, besides the big pink elephant neon sign, is that it is a full-service carwash that works fast. You can get anything from an exterior wash with a human-hand... More

What is nice about Elephant carwash, besides the big pink elephant neon sign, is that it is a full-service carwash that works fast. You can get anything from an exterior wash with a human-hand wipe-down for around $16.00, all the way up to the platinum package, which costs about $45.00. The platinum package gets your vinyl, tires, rims, floor, etc cleaned. Basically, the 'full meal deal' of carwashes. My recommendation, if you are getting the Platinum package at least, is to make it obvious you are going to tip them, and personally inspect the car for any missed spots. There are always spots they missed. As long as you are willing to take an active part in the process, you can get your car cleaned really well for $50.00 and a half and hour of your time.
Less

Car washes at the Elephant Car Wash, its locations easily identifiable by the giant pink neon elephant, are very pricey, starting at around $10 (including tax) for a basic wash. None of the... More

Car washes at the Elephant Car Wash, its locations easily identifiable by the giant pink neon elephant, are very pricey, starting at around $10 (including tax) for a basic wash. None of the packages include interior vacuuming until you hit almost $20. I'm not opposed to paying this much for a car wash, but if I wanted a quick get the dirt off, I could hit a drive-thru gas station car wash for $5. I've tried several of the more expensive packages ($20+) and have been disappointed each time, often finding large spots that have been missed either inside or outside. Compounding this problem is the extremely long wait, nearly 30 minutes! I've had better car washes (sadly, not in this city) for one-half the price in roughly one-third of the time. Sadly, I cannot recommend this Seattle institution.
Less