When you Car And Driver Compare Cars, safety is paramount. A key metric to consider is the Overall Vehicle Score. This score, often represented as a star rating, is designed to give you a quick understanding of a vehicle’s safety performance in crash tests. But how is this score calculated, and how should you use it when comparing vehicles?
The Overall Vehicle Score is not simply an average of all crash test ratings. Instead, it’s a carefully calculated value based on the probabilities of injury in frontal and side impact tests, along with a projected probability of injury from rollover resistance assessments. These probabilities are weighted to reflect the real-world frequency of different types of crashes. The result is then compared to the average injury risk across all vehicles. This comparison determines whether a vehicle’s overall injury risk is higher or lower than average, which translates into the star rating.
Here’s a breakdown of what the star ratings mean when you car and driver compare cars based on safety:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Significantly lower than average injury risk.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Lower than average to average injury risk.
⭐⭐⭐ = Average to higher than average injury risk.
⭐⭐ = Higher than average injury risk.
⭐ = Significantly higher than average injury risk.
However, it’s crucial to understand the limitations of comparing Overall Vehicle Scores. Because the score is partially based on frontal crash test performance, comparisons are only valid between vehicles in the same class and with similar weights. Specifically, you can only compare vehicles within a 250-pound weight difference.
For example, when you car and driver compare cars:
- Comparing a 4,500-pound SUV to a 3,000-pound sedan based on their Overall Vehicle Scores would be incorrect. They are in different classes and exceed the weight difference limit.
- Similarly, comparing a 3,600-pound pickup truck to a 3,400-pound van is also inappropriate, even if the weight difference is within the limit, because they are different vehicle classes.
- However, comparing a 3,400-pound passenger car to a 3,650-pound passenger car is valid. They are in the same class and within the acceptable weight range.
Therefore, when you car and driver compare cars for safety, especially using Overall Vehicle Scores, always ensure you are comparing vehicles of similar class and weight. This will provide a more accurate and relevant safety comparison for your car buying decision.
