The best corded vacuums for car cleaning

The Karcher WD2 Plus was our corded-against-cordless test winner. While the power cord was a bit short, it made car vacuuming a cinch irrespective of how neglected that interior might be, thanks to 1000 Watts and a long 1.8-metre suction hose.

What we really liked about the WD 2 Plus is the single-piece cartridge filter. You don't have to change it for wet or dry vacuuming. It's worth getting over the standard WD 2 because the Plus has a blower function, that one-piece cartridge filter, a rotary knob rather than a switch, a carry handle, and accessory storage. The regular WD 2 does not have these features.

Despite being quite small, the WD 2 Plus still has 12 litres of capacity, so it stores away without taking up much room, yet can tackle all domestic tasks.

Draper offers lots of power and capacity with its wet and dry vacuum. When we tested it against the Karcher WD 2 Plus, it performed just as well but had a couple of niggles that let the Karcher edge ahead. It does require a cartridge filter change for wet vacuuming, and the suction hose is a bit short (1.5 metres). Also, the build quality, though sound, isn't quite on par with the Karcher.

But these are niggles and overall the Draper is an excellent vacuum, capable of dealing with car cleaning and other demanding domestic tasks.

Charles is larger and heavier than the Karcher and Draper. It's also got much more reach, thanks to a 10-metre power cord and longer suction hose. We know Henry and family are very durable and robust machines, and this domestic wet and dry Charles is in for the long haul.

Charles offers 15 litres of dry capacity but only nine of wet. It will be enough for most tasks, but it's something to bear in mind. In terms of power, you won't be wanting. Charles has 1060W.

The push into triple figures for the asking price is noticeable and naturally begs the question of what you get for it. In addition to great performance and reliability, you also get a comprehensive accessory kit with a brace of floor tools for any flooring, crevice tool for tricky car interiors, and aluminium tubes rather than the plastic ones supplied with the Karcher and Draper models.

If you are likely to need a vacuum for larger, more demanding tasks in addition to car cleaning, then the wet and dry Einhell TH-VC 1820 S is your best bet. It's a similar size to Charles, but it's even more powerful and with a 20-litre stainless steel container.

While its included accessories aren't as comprehensive as those you get with Charles, you do get the basics. However, the suction hose is only 1.5 metres. This is somewhat offset by the 2.5-metre power cord, but a longer suction hose would make car cleaning easier.

Like the Karcher and Draper, the Einhell has a blower function, so you can remove debris from weird places that way.

A chunky wet and dry vacuum may not be necessary for you, and you desire a vacuum cleaner that is primarily for around the house and can tackle the car on demand. Miele's Complete C3 PowerLine is an impressive classic vacuum cleaner that is suited to this type of scenario perfectly.

The C3 is, of course, for dry vacuuming only, and while it's certainly powerful enough, it's not as tough as the vacuums above. Thus, you'll want to remove any larger pebbles and debris before diving in with the C3.

We like how quiet and effortless the C3 is compared to the rough and ready nature of the others. It includes a crevice tool, dust brush, and upholstery brush too, so you really can give your car a deep clean if you want to.