How we calculate our numbers
Every figure on this site is either an official government number or a clearly labeled estimate. This page explains which is which, so you can judge our verdicts instead of trusting them blindly.
Official data
Fuel economy (MPG / MPGe) comes from the EPA via FuelEconomy.gov. Safety ratings, recalls and complaint counts come from NHTSA - the federal agency that runs crash tests and tracks every recall in the US. Recall and complaint data refers to the specific model year shown and is refreshed regularly.
Cost of ownership model
Our default assumptions: 15,000 miles per year, 5 years of ownership, $3.2/gallon gas and $0.16/kWh home electricity - every one of them adjustable in the calculator, and your settings apply across the whole site. Fuel cost is computed from EPA combined ratings. Insurance and maintenance are class averages by powertrain type (gas / hybrid / EV), not personal quotes. Depreciation is modeled as a percentage of MSRP scaled to your ownership period. These three are estimates: useful for comparing two cars against each other, not for predicting your exact bill.
Editorial content
Verdicts, “who it's for” notes and “before you buy” warnings are written by us, informed by the data above plus widely documented owner-reported issues. MSRP figures are manufacturer list prices at time of writing and change with model years and incentives - always confirm current pricing with a dealer.
What we don't do
We don't invent precision we don't have: no “reliability score 83/100” without a data source behind it, no insurance quotes by ZIP code until we can do them accurately. Your profile and garage are stored only in your browser - we don't collect them.