When it comes to vehicle safety, understanding Car And Driver Ratings is crucial for making informed decisions. These ratings, often presented as star ratings, provide a comprehensive assessment of how well a vehicle protects its occupants in the event of a crash. But what do these ratings really mean, and how should you interpret them?
The Overall Vehicle Score is a key indicator of safety performance. This score is calculated using a complex formula that considers the probabilities of injury in different types of crashes. Specifically, it takes into account frontal and side impact ratings, along with a projected probability of injury based on rollover resistance assessments. These values are carefully weighted to reflect the real-world frequency and severity of each crash type, providing a holistic view of vehicle safety.
The resulting Overall Vehicle Score is then compared against the average risk of injury across all vehicles. This comparison determines whether a particular vehicle poses a higher or lower risk than the average car on the road. The star rating system translates this risk assessment into an easily understandable format:
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Significantly lower than average injury risk.
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Lower than average to average injury risk.
- ⭐⭐⭐: Average to greater than average injury risk.
- ⭐⭐: Greater than average injury risk.
- ⭐: Significantly greater than average injury risk.
It’s important to note a critical aspect of interpreting car and driver ratings: comparability. Because the Overall Vehicle Score is partly derived from the frontal crash test rating, comparisons are only valid between vehicles within the same class and with a weight difference of no more than 250 pounds. This ensures a fair comparison between vehicles of similar size and structure.
For example, you should not compare the safety ratings of a 4,500-pound SUV to a 3,000-pound sedan. These vehicles are in different classes and exceed the permissible weight difference. Similarly, comparing a 3,600-pound pickup truck to a 3,400-pound minivan would be inappropriate due to the difference in vehicle class, even though they meet the weight criteria.
However, it is perfectly valid to compare the car and driver ratings of a 3,400-pound passenger car with another passenger car weighing 3,650 pounds. These vehicles are in the same class and fall within the acceptable weight range, allowing for a meaningful comparison of their safety performance based on their Overall Vehicle Scores. Understanding these nuances ensures you’re using car and driver ratings effectively when evaluating vehicle safety.
