How to use vehicle safety ratings to help you purchase a car

Car safety ratings, 从国家公路运输安全管理局(NHTSA)的安全评级到公路安全pp王者电子官网协会(IIHS)的安全评级, are announced with much fanfare each year. NHTSA和IIHS这两家机构的测试提供了一个窗口，让我们了解车辆在发生碰撞或事故时的表现.

In addition to vehicle safety ratings, there are also other companies, 一些组织和行业出版物对购车难题的各个方面进行评论——从经销商体验到燃油经济性评级. And each can help you decide on a new vehicle or a used one. For example, if a used car model you're looking at received a 5-star rating from NHTSA, 这可以帮助你将它与评分较低的其他型号进行比较. And whether you choose to purchase a new or used car, if you have an existing auto policy it's relatively easy to obtain the proof of insurance needed to drive away in your new vehicle.

How do you sort through each of the tests and awards? 先来看看这些汽车安全评级和用户体验评论吧.

A review of car safety ratings

了解每个车辆安全等级和性能指标的含义，以帮助您根据您的需求做出最佳选择.

NHTSA

• What it is: 一个联邦政府组织，负责执行车辆性能标准以减少死亡, injuries and economic losses from motor vehicle crashes
• Ratings: 5-star safety rating; evaluates how vehicles perform in crash tests
• Tests: Frontal crash test, side barrier, side pole, rollover
• Safety awards:
  • Descending number of stars; those with a 5-star rating are safer than those with a lower score
• Find results: SaferCar.gov

IIHS

• What it is: An independent, non-profit organization
• Ratings: Poor, Marginal, Acceptable and Good
• Tests: Driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, head restraints and seats
• Safety awards:
  • IIHS最佳安全选择:在驾驶员侧小重叠前部获得良好评级的车辆, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests
  • IIHS顶级安全选择+:在顶级安全选择测试中获得良好评级的车辆碰撞安全的最高奖项, 包括在乘客侧小重叠前部测试中可接受或良好评级
• Find results: Top Safety Picks

Additional non-safety awards

J.D. Power Quality and Reliability

• What it is: An analytics and consumer insight company
• Ratings: 质量和可靠性评分的组合，包括短期和长期的业主反馈
• Awards:
  • 质量评级是根据不同车型拥有后90天的反馈给出的
  • 可靠性评级是根据不同车型拥有3年后的反应给出的
  • 经销商体验评分包括对汽车购买、维修和保养的意见
  • Resale ratings reflect depreciated value of vehicles
• Find results: J.D. Power Awards

Edmunds Ratings

• What it is: An auto information resource
• Ratings: 大约200辆汽车进行标准化的道路测试，以比较车辆的大小和级别
• Awards: Ratings from A to F for both new and used cars
• Find results: Edmunds Ratings

Kelley Blue Book

• What it is: A review and pricing resource
• Ratings: 为期一年的评估和测试审查，重点关注数据、定价、评论和其他信息
• Awards: 百思买大奖表彰16个类别的年度最佳新车型以及最佳新车型
• Find results: Kelley Blue Book Awards

MotorTrend's Car, Truck and SUV of the Year

• What it is: Annual awards given by MotorTrend magazine
• Ratings: Includes function, fuel economy and driving range; technology and design innovation; value and safety
• Awards: Scored using a 10-point scale; 7 is average
• Find results: MotorTrend's Awards

You can also check out the insurance ratings 对于你正在考虑的汽车、卡车或SUV，看看它会如何影响你的保费.