New-car smell less toxic but not safe, Ecology Center says

The Ecology Center released its fourth consumer guide to toxic chemicals last week, and the news is better. The amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in new cars has decreased, but we still have a ways to go. VOCs in plastics and flame retardants have been linked to a variety of acute and long-term health concerns.

New 2012 Mercedes SL costs from £72,495

New Mercedes SL 350 costs £72k The new Mercedes SL arrives in the UK next month (June) and will cost from £72,495 for the SL 350. Mercedes revealed the all new SL roadster – the first new Mercedes SL in a decade – just before Christmas, but it’s taken almost six months more to find out what it’s going to cost in the UK. With the first SLs arriving on our shores in June, Mercedes couldn’t really have left it much later to let customers know that the entry-level point for the new SL goodness is going to be £72,495 for the BlueDIRECT 3.5 litre V6 SL 350, rising to £83,445 for the 4.7 litre BlueDIRECT V8 SL 500.

Volt, Leaf win top safety rating in crash test

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf electric cars won the highest safety ratings in crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, putting them in the top 57 percent of models tested so far this year. About 80 of 140 vehicles tested among 2011-2012 models have received the Institute's "top safety pick," the group's award for state-of-the-art crash protection that exceeds federal safety rules, Institute spokesman Russ Rader said. The Volt and Leaf received a "good" rating -- the highest of four rankings -- on each of four crash tests, said the Institute, which is funded by auto insurers including State Farm, All-State and Geico.