For the next section, I switched back to the 3" plate, a Meguiar's 3" MF cutting pad, and Meguiar's M205 polish. This conservative method was preferred, because I wanted to smooth out the top and see which scratches were left behind. Once I did this, I took out the remaining scratches with M110 on a Meg's MF finishing pad, and then swapped a foam pad to remove the haze. The reason I used a finishing pad and not a cutting pad is because I didn't want the cut too aggressive. The finishing pad also gave me more control around the slight curvature toward the top of the section.
I'm
REALLY happy with this particular area. After some brief investigation before I started the correcting, I could tell where the previous owner placed their hands when opening and closing the hatch, such as the spots to the left and right of the BMW badge. For some additional reference, yes, that's a dent on the crease. It was there when I bought the car, but it can be repaired. Thankfully, there's no paint damage around it!
