At CarExplore, we’re committed to providing the most accurate and transparent car reviews tailored to the Australian market.

Our Expert Rating Scorecard is a unique system that aggregates data from trusted sources to deliver a clear and reliable overall rating for each vehicle.

Here’s how we calculate our scores and what each category represents.

What Is the CarExplore Expert Rating?

The CarExplore Expert Rating is a composite score designed to simplify the car-buying journey.

It’s an overall score out of 10, derived from five key categories that reflect what matters most to Australian drivers:

  1. Media Rating
  2. Safety Rating
  3. Eco Rating
  4. Reliability Rating
  5. Cost of Ownership

Each score is carefully calculated using data from reputable Australian and international sources, ensuring every rating is grounded in facts and tailored to the needs of our market.

Example of our Scorecard

CarExplore Rating

6.5 /10

Expert Scorecard

Media Rating:
7.2 /10
Safety Rating:
8.5 /10
Eco Rating:
7.1 /10
Reliability Rating:
9.5 /10
Cost of Ownership:
5.2 /10
How are our Expert Rating scores calculated?

Our Scoring Categories

1. Media Rating

The Media Rating is an aggregated score of reviews from top Australian automotive publications, including but not limited to:

We apply a weighted average to these scores to ensure newer reviews carry more weight than older ones.

This approach smooths out variations in scoring systems across publications, providing a balanced and accurate media assessment.

What if a review lacks a score?

If a source doesn’t assign a numerical score, it’s excluded from the calculation but still linked for readers to explore.

2. Safety Rating

Our Safety Rating relies on crash test data from ANCAP, with Euro NCAP results as a secondary source when ANCAP data isn’t available.

What’s the difference between ANCAP and Euro NCAP?

  • ANCAP is tougher on vehicle occupant protection, aligning with Australian driving conditions.
  • Euro NCAP enforces stricter standards for pedestrian safety.

We prioritise ANCAP results as they’re designed for the Australian market, but Euro NCAP data provides valuable insights when needed.

Each rating reflects key categories like adult occupant, child occupant, pedestrian safety, and advanced driver assistance systems.

3. Eco Rating

The Eco Rating measures a vehicle’s environmental impact, focusing on:

  • Green NCAP scores for energy efficiency and air quality.
  • CO₂ emissions, averaged across all engine variants.

Electric vehicles (EVs) automatically receive a perfect score for zero tailpipe emissions, while hybrids and traditional internal combustion engines are rated based on official government data.

4. Reliability Rating

Our Reliability Rating combines data from:

  • Consumer Reports
  • Canstar Blue
  • Global sources like WhatCar?

This category evaluates the frequency and cost of repairs, warranty claims, and general owner satisfaction.

5. Cost of Ownership

The Cost of Ownership score reflects the total cost of running a vehicle over the first five years, including:

  • Servicing and maintenance costs based on manufacturer guidelines.
  • Insurance costs for a 28-year-old male in Brisbane, QLD.
  • Fuel consumption, using real-world and government-certified data.

This comprehensive approach ensures you know exactly what to expect financially.

How Are the Scores Calculated?

We aggregate data across the five categories using advanced algorithms to deliver a final score.

Each category is weighted equally to provide a balanced evaluation. Here’s how it works:

  1. Data Collection: We gather data from trusted sources, ensuring it’s up-to-date and relevant.
  2. Weighting and Normalisation: Older data and outliers are adjusted to avoid skewed results.
  3. Calculation: Scores are compiled and converted into an overall Expert Rating out of 10.

This score is updated continuously to account for new reviews, safety results, or market changes.

Why Trust CarExplore’s Ratings?

We source our data exclusively from credible organisations, and our methodology is designed to reflect the priorities of Australian car buyers.

By combining media opinions with real-world data on safety, reliability, and costs, we aim to be your go-to source for car advice.

FAQs

Why don’t you include user reviews?

User reviews can be biased or inconsistent. Instead, we rely on data from professional reviewers and verified industry sources.

How often are ratings updated?

Our scores are refreshed often as significant new data becomes available.

Do you factor in Australian-specific conditions?

Yes, particularly in categories like Safety and Cost of Ownership, which consider Australian driving standards and costs.

At CarExplore, our mission is to empower Australians to make informed car-buying decisions with confidence.

Explore our reviews today and drive away with peace of mind!