When it comes to purchasing a vehicle, safety is paramount. One crucial aspect to consider is the Car And Driver Ratings, often presented as star ratings. These ratings provide an overall assessment of a vehicle’s safety performance in crash tests. But what do these ratings really mean, and how should you interpret them when choosing your next car?
Decoding the Overall Vehicle Score
The Overall Vehicle Score is designed to give consumers a quick and easy-to-understand summary of a car’s safety. This score, usually represented as a star rating from one to five stars, is meticulously calculated based on a vehicle’s performance in various crash simulations. These simulations include frontal and side impact tests, as well as rollover resistance evaluations.
Alt text: A visual representation of a five-star car safety rating system, ranging from one star indicating much greater than average risk to five stars indicating much less than average risk.
The calculation of the Overall Vehicle Score isn’t simply an average of these individual test scores. Instead, it uses the probabilities of injury determined in frontal and side crash tests and a projected probability of injury from rollover assessments. These values are carefully weighted to reflect the real-world proportions of injuries associated with each type of accident. The final result is then compared to the average injury risk across all vehicles in the fleet. This comparison determines whether a vehicle poses a higher or lower risk of injury compared to the average car on the road.
Here’s a breakdown of what each star rating signifies in terms of overall injury risk:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Overall injury risk is much less than average.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Overall injury risk is less than average to average.
- ⭐⭐⭐: Overall injury risk is average to greater than average.
- ⭐⭐: Overall injury risk is greater than average.
- ⭐: Overall injury risk is much greater than average.
Comparing Ratings Fairly: Vehicle Class and Weight Matter
It’s essential to understand that comparing Overall Vehicle Scores isn’t always straightforward. To ensure a meaningful comparison, you should primarily compare vehicles within the same class and with a similar weight range. Specifically, the weight of the vehicles being compared should be within plus or minus 250 pounds of each other.
Let’s look at some examples to clarify what comparisons are appropriate:
- Incorrect Comparison: A 4,500-pound SUV should not be compared to a 3,000-pound sedan. This is because they are different vehicle classes and the weight difference exceeds the 250-pound limit.
- Incorrect Comparison: A 3,600-pound pickup truck should not be compared to a 3,400-pound minivan. Although the weight difference is within the limit, they belong to different vehicle classes.
- Correct Comparison: A 3,400-pound passenger car can be validly compared to a 3,650-pound passenger car. They are in the same class (passenger cars) and the weight difference is within the acceptable 250-pound range.
By adhering to these guidelines, you can use car and driver ratings and the Overall Vehicle Score as a valuable tool in your car buying process, allowing you to make informed decisions that prioritize your safety and the safety of your passengers. Remember to always consider these ratings in conjunction with other safety features and your individual driving needs.
