That envious "new car" smell, the unique scent that makes all of your friends jealous as they check out your new ride, is actually quite toxic. The potent brew of freshly released bromine, chlorine, lead, and other heavy metals are responsible for a variety of acute and long-term health concerns that adults, and especially children, should be concerned about. That being the case, the Ecology Center has released its annual consumer guide to the most toxic (and cleanest) new cars on the market. Taking the tallest podium as the worst offender is the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider GT. Following in second is the Suzuki Reno, while the BMW 128i Convertible lands third. The least offensive new vehicle, as researched by the Center, is the Acura RDX SH-AWD. The Smart Pure Coupe and Chevrolet HHR LT take second and third cleanest, respectively. While the Ecology Center is quick to point out that the offenders aren't as bad as last year's group, they offer little information as to how consumers can limit their exposure... short of not buying a new car.

[Source: HealthyCar via The Car Connection]

Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder wins for Most Toxic New Car Smell originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.