GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Is the NHTSA's rating for the Vibe (4 and 5 stars) mean that it is safe relative to other cars of its size, or does it mean when compared to all passenger vehicles it earns a high safety rating?

I don't believe they're comparison based at all.I believe the ratings are dependent on how much monetary damage occurs to the car, and how much it would injure occupants.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Info.htmlcrash ratings based on chance of injury, not by comparison to other vehicles

Joatman -Thanks for the link. I received a lecture from someone over the weekend who told me that the ratings were only relative to vehicle class (i.e. a 5 star SUV is much safer in certain crashes than a 5 start Vibe). I'm glad the Vibe has earned such high ratings, hope I never need to put it to the test.

I reread that nhtsa page again,maybe what I said was out of context. They do say that the headon crash ratings are only comparable between cars of the same approximate weight. The ratings are comparable for accidents with a head on into the "immovable object", but not for a head on between two vehicles of significantly different weights. In a head on with another vehicle, the vibe is gonna take more damage from a big SUV than it would from a lightweight, like a Honda Insight. The SUV is gonna take less damage running over a vibe that it would if it hit another big SUV. so your weekend lecturer had a valid point.That also means that SUVs pose a higher threat to non-SUVs, which may contribute to the anti-SUV attitudes of many. While people may buy SUVs to be safer, it also conveys a sense of arrogance that they don't care that they are deliberately choosing a vehicle that will cream you in a regular sized vehicle.I am glad I don't have an SUV at least twice a week when I buy a tank of gas.

And it doesn't take into account that if you hit an Aveo head on, you'll proabbly send it flying backward with minimal damage to the Vibe!

We always say, "Ah... another truck delivering foot balls again" when a car carrier shows up at the dealership with Aveo...I feel pretty safe in my Vibe, certainly would not in something smaller.