I tested car fresheners against Magic Tree and the winner smells like a famous candy
AIR freshener scents for cars are getting crazier by the day.
As more and more of us try to breathe new life into stale or grumbling engines, the flavors of choice range from rhubarb and custard, to bacon and, ahem, fluffy towels.
Laura Stott sniffs around and gives her rating and rating out of five.
Rhubarb and custard, £1 Tesco (in stores)
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A bargain at just a few euros, THIS brightly colored air freshener is designer chic to hang on your rear-view mirror.
It looks exactly like the classic confectionery it's based on, with pink and yellow swirls.
The pong is a bit sickly, but reminds me of the candy store treat.
If you want that old fashioned sweet smell, that's great.
Rating: 3/5
Yankee Candles Fluffy Towels jar, £2.50 tesco.com
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FANS of Yankee's giant stinky candles can enjoy their favorite scents on the go with these 'auto pot' versions in a range of quirky scents.
This one promised a clean towel scent for four weeks, but this one was a blow that I didn't really like.
Quite synthetic, it made me sneeze.
If my laundry smelled like it, I changed my washing powder.
Rating: 1/5
Bacon air freshener, £8 amazon.co.uk
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Quite pricey for a car pong at £8 for just one air freshener, but if you can't get enough of that sizzling bacon sarnie smell you might think it's worth paying for.
Bright pink and designed to look like three giant slices hanging from your rear view mirror. It's certainly a statement, but the smell of breakfast will divide the crowd.
Personally, I found the pork smell – which reminded me of streaky potato chips – to be quite unappealing and overwhelmingly strong.
But pork lovers might disagree.
Something different, but definitely something to avoid if you are a vegetarian.
Rating: 2/5
Buttered popcorn £7.99 Chemicalguys.co.uk
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This fun cinema themed air freshener scent comes in a spray bottle, meaning you can use it at home or in the car if you wish, neatly capturing one of the most crowd-pleasing aromas out there, perfect for sprinkling to cover up unwanted pinches.
A very pretty nose that perfectly replicates the same enticing buttery, delectable scent of a bowl of just-popped kernels that greets you when you go to the movies.
Strong enough to dampen the smell of sports equipment or muddy pet odors, but without being too harsh or artificial.
Impressive.
Rating: 4/5
Magic Tree Leather €1.66 B&Q
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The retro-classic Magic Tree car perfume is a favorite among motorists on roads across the UK and can reliably give your wheels a fresher scent almost instantly.
This rather macho leather scented version is made to look like the material the theme revolves around and for just under £2 I was actually quite impressed with the design, it's quite stylish in a boring way, and looks really looks like it's made of cowhide.
The scent wasn't my favorite, but as something to hang to hide any lurking pongs, it does the job for a good, affordable price.
Rating: 3/5
Jelly Belly Birthday Cake £3.00 Tesco (in stores)
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This glittery, squid-like air freshener is another one that's made to hang on the mirror of your motorcycle and while the glitter and sparkles aren't really my thing, it's a lot of fun and looks a little different, it looks like a chewy jellybean candy, as the name promises, and brings a disco atmosphere to the interior of your car.
While I probably wouldn't have chosen to make my car smell like a cake, I was surprised by how good it smelled – exactly like a nice big sticky piece of something delicious.
A really nice scent that wasn't too artificial or chemical, and actually delivered what it promised: a lovely hint of ice cream sponge.
Considering the quality of the scent I think it is good value for money and long lasting too.
Rating: 5/5
Old car scent, free while stocks last scrapcarcomparison.co.uk/blog/old-car-geur/
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Anyone who isn't lucky enough to have the keys to a shiny new motorcycle might be wondering why you would want to make the interior of your car smell like a firecracker when it still has a few miles on the odometer.
But apparently this 'old car' smell is very popular among drivers with a new car.
This cardboard hanger claims to give off the smell of muddy dogs, drive-thrus, and summer road trips, so I'm guessing its makers had a vintage sports car in mind, not the stench of a battered old party, but either way, this is a air freshener with a pleasant enough pong.
I also smelled the smell of old leather.
Not too overpowering or chemical either.
Rating: 3/5