Kärcher WD2 Plus Review

Written by Parkers Updated: 3 October 2024

In the world of car vacuum cleaners, the Kärcher WD2 Plus stands as one of the best-selling products in the brand’s range. The WD2 Plus is primarily designed to be a car vacuum cleaner designed to transform your interior from a dirt pit to a clean cabin.

It’s a corded vacuum which is immediately a hinderance for some as reliance an extension cables will probably re a requirement to clean a car. However the bonus of a corded unit is that the suction power is much higher, and when your car has been sat outside on a muddy garage yard for over a month, this becomes useful.

It differs from its close sibling, the standard WD2, because it’s more compact in size and is designed to be lighter and easier to move around. Corded car vacuums tend to be heavyweights at times. With all the packaging on board, the WD2 Plus is a whole 800g lighter than the standard WD2. It’s also over 50mm shallower, but there’s an unfortunate shortage in the main suction hose. The WD2 Plus’ hose is 10cm shorter, but you do get a couple of handy extension tubes to compensate for this.

You even get a blower function if you want to clear off some leaves on your driveway. To do that, you simply stick the suction hose on the back hole of the machine and turn it on like so.

The test of the Kärcher WD2 Plus was performed by Aaron Hussain. A Commercial Content Writer for Parkers and CAR with an avid passion for car maintenance.

Kärcher WD2 Plus – The Positives

Truthfully, there is a lot to love about the WD2 Plus. We cannot continue with the review without mentioning it’s value. I found it tricky to believe that this whole machine could be had within the £60 region. It may not be as powerful as some of the higher end corded vacuums, but for the jobs I used it for, I found it to be extraordinary value. Especially when you compare it to some cordless car vacuums.

The build quality of it isn’t of a premium feel. But it feels oh-so solid and typically German. You don’t get a awful lot with the WD2 Plus; just a couple of extension hoses and a crevice nozzle. But you never get the sense that they’ll break. You can almost think of it as the VW Golf of the vacuum cleaner market. Trusty, reliable, and the bits that are held together never rattle. The more powerful, larger vacuums can be thought of as the BMW 5-Series of the range.

But what about its operation?

Using the Kärcher to vacuum the dirt and debris out of my car was a total breeze. The main hose covered plenty of ground in the footwells and main boot area, lifting up anything from grass, stones, and dry mud and dirt that my mechanic brought in while working on the car.

The crevice tool I found to be even more useful. It dug deep in between the seats and lifted months of dust from the seat stitching and inner trim edges. It fitted snugly into the door pockets too, which managed to suck out a penny I somehow left in there.

Outside of the car, it also works wonders on my carpets and furniture. The crevice tool is all you need to clear off dust from your bookshelves and drawers. The main tool also lifted up dirt well from the main carpets, but not as well as those from inside my car. I suspect that’s due to deeper grime that probably requires a powerful spot wash cleaner. But for most jobs around the house, it performs well enough. It’s lighter than a conventional vacuum cleaner which makes things much easier when you need to go over a simple touch-up.

The Negatives

There’s no getting around the fact that with a budget vacuum, there will always be some drawbacks. I know that extension cables exist, but the stock cable on the WD2 Plus simply isn’t long enough. Cars are big items, and plugged into the socket by the entrance of my home, the thing would only roll out as far as the front doors with my car parked all the way in. This is when you realise why cordless, handheld vacuums have the USP they do.

The wiring issues don’t stop there either. Unlike a Henry, you can’t wind in the wires once you’ve finished. You have to manually wrap it around the machine, which is where I suspect some cost cutting has occurred in order to sell the product at its price point. Even a little plastic clip that holds the wrapped wires in place wouldn’t go a miss.

In terms of the vacuum itself, it does struggle to pick up embedded bits of paper and dirt that seem to bury themselves beneath the floor mats. You probably will need a super-abrasive brush to loosen those up, which is a slight hassle. Otherwise, they were pretty dirt-free.

Price and competition

This is where things become a little complex. Yes, you can buy the WD2 Plus for £67. But like a Golf, that’s without some useful optional extras. The item I got sent was the basic, no-extras unit, but you can opt for a suction brush set for an extra £20 or so, a car nozzle for a little less, or even a 3.5 metre suction hose which takes up the price to nearly £100.

All of that seems quite overpriced for items that should really come as standard. An upper level WD3 or WD4 can be had for a fully kitted-out WD2. Mind you, compared to the Bosch Home and Garden Wet and Dry vacuum, a standard WD2 Plus does still represent good value.

And compared to the classic Numatic Henry Hoover, it’s undoubtedly much better value. And with a Henry, you don’t really get that much more vacuum than the WD2 Plus.

Kärcher WD2 Plus – The Verdict

Overall, the WD2 Plus is a fabulous tool to have around the house if you don’t want to break the bank. It’s well-made, has plenty of suction power and is wonderfully useful for cleaning out various parts of your car’s interior and parts of the house.

It won’t cover a whole house clean as efficiently as a full-sized vacuum cleaner, nor will it be a car detailer’s tool of choice. But it’s solid build quality and useful tools will satisfy most who are just looking for a powerful, reliable vacuum cleaner to clean things with. If those annoying flaws consisting of the wiring and optional extras were ironed out, it would be perfect.

Test Score: 4/5

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Who tested the Kärcher WD2 Plus?

The test of the Kärcher WD2 Plus was undertaken by Aaron Hussain. It arrived at an amazingly convenient time – the same day that the usual home vacuum cleaner broke. Over the past few weeks in the crispy, but damp October weather, he’s been extensively using it to vacuum his car as well as parts of his home.

How the Kärcher WD2 Plus was tested

This vacuum was tested to clean up the interior seats and carpets of my car, a 1985 Mercedes 230E, as well as my carpets and bits of furniture around the house. An extension cable was used, so I could reach the rear seat and boot area of the vehicle.

Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.

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