Three years ago, scientists at the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation presented a study that exposed that new-car smell as toxic. Among other things, benzene, acetone, styrene, and toluene (whatever they are) were floating around in your car, scary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) just itching to fog up the inside of your windshield, stuff up your nose, and give you a headache—or cancer. Another 360 Modena was "a mélange of basketball, football, and baseball leather. Bright, bold rubberized smells." And a third Modena, a Spider, was "like smelling the palm of a well-broken-in kidskin driving glove." Although everyone nods knowingly when you say, "New-car smell," smells differ from car to car. For example, Hennig and I smelled an older "new" car, a 2001 Arnage, and Hennig's notes read, "Boom! Leather and beurre noisette. Rich without being overbearing." The second, Torque Detail Intra Sheild, is a detailing spray. It takes an already clean interior up to the next level by providing ceramic and UV protectant to interior surfaces and rejuvenating their finish. If you’re looking for that new car smell, why not get that new car look too!?

The scent is strong, so if you prefer more delicate scents, this may not be the best choice for you.

Steam Clean Your Car's Interior

The best car air fresheners have a variety of pleasant scents. “Refreshing and light scents like citrus, clean linen, or a subtle floral aroma tend to be popular choices for car air fresheners,” Belair says. “Men tend to lean towards stronger fragrances, such as leather, mahogany, and dark ice.”

Dust and dirt : General dust and dirt doesn’t take long to build up and can contain almost anything. It doesn’t have the distinctive smell of mold, but general dirt certainly doesn’t smell fresh, and it will also encourage the growth of mold and mildew. Air purifier: Air purifiers are designed to remove allergens and bacteria from the air inside your car. Their particle filtration systems have also been shown to reduce odors, leading to a fresher-smelling environment for you and your family. To keep that new-car smell, wash all of the floor mats with detergent and warm water and let them air dry outside. You can also leave them in direct sunlight if you want to speed up the process. Mold and mildew: Does your car’s cabin smell old, stuffy, and stale? If so, the most likely causes are mold and mildew growing inside. These fungi thrive in damp, dirty environments with low airflow.

Keep The Seats Clean

What Chinese consumers care about is air quality," said Jeff Cai, general product manager at J.D. Power China. Recent large-scale government efforts to improve the quality of air, especially in large cities, have changed how Chinese car shoppers now perceive new-car smell. Now it registers as air pollution. Boat shop," said Hennig. Eyes closed, he held up one hand, palm out. "This conjures up a cavernous vintage boat hangar, mahogany or varnished rosewood, lovingly crafted, hand-rubbed. All natural, nothing artificial or manufactured." I imagined myself in a 1954 Chris-Craft. Another factor Eastland taught us to consider was temperature. Some elements of a car’s interior may be inoffensive in cold weather, but they can start to smell bad on a hot day. To demonstrate this, we compared the scent of a room-temperature piece of velcro to one that had been heated up in a massive oven, and the difference was definitely noticeable. Bentleys and Rolls-Royces smell dizzyingly like leather. Less expensive cars smell more like a new shower curtain or newly installed wall-to-wall carpeting. Hennig's notes on a 2004 Acura TSX , for example: "Very one-dimensional, nothing lying underneath. Clean, pleasant, sterile, a touch of plastic." Or a 2003 Acura 3.2TL: "Very faint, almost an absence of aromas. No leather smell at all. Light plastic or cleaner." A 2003 Ford Escape was "mixed aromas of leather, rubber mats, carpet, and plastic." It looks as though younger generations won't associate floating VOCs with the experience of buying a new car. "That new-car smell" will become something old folks recall with nostalgia whenever they break open a new plastic shower curtain. Kinda sad.

What's the secret to getting that "new car smell" in your old car? The answer may surprise you. And it doesn't involve a trip to the dealership.Keep in mind that if you regularly opt for a higher scent level, the clips may not last as long. However, you can rest assured that your car will experience an even scent and that any other odors will fade. Although these deodorizers may look tiny to the eye, you shouldn’t underestimate how powerful they are, which is why we have deemed them to be one of the best car air fresheners. Our testers generally found more mellow flavours the most pleasant, but the sweet Jelly Belly was loved almost universally, with a gentle confectionery whiff and an attractive pot. The familiarity of scent, discreet design and solid build of the Lynx freshener also shone through, while the fast-mellowing, coconut-scented Miami Fresh has the longest claimed lifespan of our podium finishers. You can opt for a stronger or more dulled fragrance by rotating and shaking it. And if you’re looking for a more natural option, one of the best things about this air freshener is that it is dye- and phthalate-free. However, make sure to keep in mind that it still contains fragrance, so be particularly careful if you’re traveling with people who have certain sensitivities. The scent may be overwhelming and strong if used incorrectly, especially when placed in a smaller car or confined area. The beauty of leather is that it is very sensuous," said Pat Oldenkamp, vice-president of design and marketing for Eagle Ottawa, a major supplier of leather for the automotive industry. "We spend a lot of time making sure that the touch of the leather is right, the smell and color. It's all important." It is Eagle Ottawa that provides Nuance leather for those sexy Cadillacs.

My son brought home a little blue cardboard-tree car deodorizer that said "New Car Smell" right on it, but, he said, "This does not smell like a new car." He dangled it in front of my face. Afterwards, just vacuum the baking soda up and it should have absorbed the odors that clung to your fabrics. Perhaps my nose isn't discriminating enough. What I needed was someone who could detect layers of aroma and find the words to describe them. Who better than a wine guy? A good sommelier can smell a glass of wine and tell you what kinds of weeds grew in the grape arbor. There appeared to be no consistency, sort of like perfume that smells different on different women. However, Richard Charlesworth, director of special customer commissions and heritage for the Bentley Motor Company (how about that title?), assures me Bentley's quality-control guys are clinically anal. Virtually all the materials used in the interiors of its automobiles are natural. Leather comes exclusively from Scandinavian cows because they don't use barbed wire there (cattle are gently corralled with hedges and wood fences) and the temperature is too cool for those nasty warble flies that bore holes into a cow's hide. Dashboards are hand-rubbed wood instead of plastic, which creates "outgases" that dust the inside of windshields. Up till now, I had thought that was dirt. Over time, the floor mats in your car can trap all kinds of dirt and make the interior smell like a musty old basement. This is especially noticeable in winter months when you might be walking in snow or mud on your way into the car.The result of this scare was that automakers began working on neutralizing odors while respecting their customers' desire for "that new-car smell."