This is a very, very, very opinionated question so you are going to get a ton of answers ...
I've tried nearly every thing out of the market and I'm not going to include the $1,000+ waxes because I really doubt anyone here is going to buy them, myself included. I'd have to say with that said Meguiars #16, which is discontinued due to VOC regulations, is probably my favorite wax. Besides that Pinnacle Sovereign, Poorboy's Natty Red or Blue, Chemical Guys 5050 or Pete's 53 are all great waxes. They do not have a great durability like Meguiars #16 but they do have just as good as a shine and they are much easier to apply. If you decide to use one of them, you'll really need to apply a sealant like Poorboy's EX or EX-P.
I've never heard of half of the waxes/sealants stated in the last few posts.I get whatever Advanced Auto or PepBoys has available.Most of those sound like you have to order them online....again..avoiding.
the waxes you can get from the store are really junk compared to the ones you can order online. They are not as durable, don't look as great and some of them come with cleaners so you can't layer them.
If you can find Meguiar's professional line at the store, then go for that if you won't order online for some reason.
i dont kno where people get that beading up is a good thing. that just means that the wax isnt good enough if you think about it because if you use a good wax the water dont even have time to bead before it falls off the car. all beading does is createwater spots if you dont get em dried up fast enough.
That is a horrible suggestion. Please do not take his advise, all you are doing to do is scratch your car's clear coat/single stage even more. Single Stage (as you know) oxidizes giving you a hazing appearance. What you need is a Chemical Paint Cleaner like Klasse All-In-One or Jeff WerkStatt Prime:STRONG to chemically remove oxidation/old wax. Then wax with whatever you like. One my Crystal White car I love Meg's #16 or Wolfgang Deep Gloss Sealant. Meg's #16 can be purchased still through a Canadian retailer like Cris from eShineand to let you in on a little secret about white cars bro ^^ if you use a Mr. clean magic eraser pad after you soap it up really good then it will take all the dirt out of your scratches and you wont even be able to tell they were there then seal em up with a good buff with some of your fav wax w/e #,color,brand,price,fragrance,w/e it is as long as u like it.