My housemate has a 2002 Hyundai Amica. It is riddled with scratches, minor dents and has otherwise been slightly battered in it's life.
An hour or two with general paint wash, clay bar, autoglym polish and some bumper/plastics restorer have left it looking superb. The scratches are still there if you want to look for them, so it's not kidding anyone, but it looks like it's looked after and cared about. That can make all the difference.