What are Auto Grades and how do I use them?

A car’s Auto Grade is one of the many key pieces of information to consider in your car buying process. We have created the Auto Grades to be practical and easy to use. They will help you reach a faster decision, convincing you to eliminate some cars and leading you to consider others. Click here to read more about what goes into our Auto Grades.

Here are three ways we have seen consumers use the Auto Grades:

1. Early Shopper

Wanting a new car but not knowing where to start, Tim decided to use the Auto Grades to “play around.” He started by looking up the cars that his family and friends owned. Then he thought about some of his favorite “wouldn’t it be nice” cars. After about 15 minutes of exploring, he had created a short list of possible cars with good Auto Grades. Now he was ready to do some serious research and think about what he could afford. He planned on coming back to verify the Auto Grades before making his final decision.

2. The Middle of the Process

It felt like the process of buying a car was taking forever. Gary and Jenny had been doing their homework for months, determined to avoid dealerships until they were ready to buy. But their list kept changing. Every time they read a new review or talked to another friend, they added or dropped a car from their list. There were just too many cars to seriously consider, with lots of opinions but no clear choice. All the cars on their list had 4- and 5-star safety ratings. Then they heard about The Auto Professor. Once Gary and Jenny started searching Auto Grades to see how the cars on their list had protected real drivers on the road, their choices became clearer. Decisions were made more quickly. They felt refreshed, energized. Auto Grades helped them narrow their list, and they were ready to test drive.

3. The Last Step in the Process

Lucy was determined – this holiday weekend she was going to buy her car. Having organized all her notes, Lucy identified four possible cars that could make her happy. They fit her budget, they had the right fuel efficiency, and she had already test driven them. Each car had its pros and cons, and it was time to decide. As it turned out, The Auto Professor made the difference. After spending 10 minutes comparing Auto Grades, Lucy realized that two of the cars were clearly better choices. Feeling like she was now fully informed, Lucy was ready to negotiate for the best deal.