Negotiate prices or use the help of a buying service. Investigate financing options at the dealer and your bank or credit union. A five-star rating indicates the best protection, one star the least. The number of stars represents how well vehicles protect belted drivers and front-seat passengers during a frontal collision. Crash-test dummies are placed in driver and front passenger seats and secured with all available restraints.
Instruments measure the force of impact to the dummy's head, chest and legs.
Head and chest data, which indicate the chance of life-threatening injury, are combined in a single rating reflected by the number of stars. Thigh injury also is measured. While thigh injury is rarely life-threatening, it can be disabling. None of the 1996 vehicles tested so far had a high likelihood of thigh injury. Federal safety standards require all passenger cars to meet injury criteria measured in a 30 mph frontal crash.