Who Knew? A Test for Car Interior Air

Who Knew? A Test for Car Interior Air

The Chevrolet Cobalt has the healthiest interior air space of any mainstream vehicle offered in the U.S., according to the Ecology Center , an Ann Arbor, Mich., environmental group that tested the interiors of more than 200 new vehicles for toxic chemicals.

But, the center, which ranks the automobiles on a scale from 0 to 5, from lowest to highest, warns the industry’s commitment to reducing toxic chemicals inside cars is inconsistent.

For instance, the Center pointed out that while the Cobalt had the lowest level, other GM vehicles including the Chevrolet Aveo subcompact, Express van and Silverado pickup ranked in the bottom 10. The same wide range of variety from good to bad occurred across models of all sizes and classes from all manufacturers as well.

The Center scans parts such as steering wheels, dashboards and seats for chemicals that may be linked to health problems, ranging from allergies to birth defects.

The ratings are available to consumers on the Web site www.healthycar.org.

Five Best
Chevrolet Cobalt –- 0.5
Chrysler PT Cruiser –- 0.8
Honda Odyssey -– 0.8
Volvo V50 –- 0.8
Suzuki Aerio –- 0.8

Five Worst
Nissan Versa –- 5.0
Chevrolet Aveo –- 4.4
Scion xB –- 4.3
Kia Rio -– 4.2
Suzuki Forenza –- 4.1

Source: Ecology Center

Michelle Krebs:  is Editor-in-Chief of AutoObserver.com. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.