The Deal Clarity Score™
One number from 0 to 100 that summarizes how clear and fair a vehicle deal looks — so you can talk about a car deal the same way you talk about a credit score.
This 2024 Honda CR-V deal has a Deal Clarity Score of 84.
Good deal — small items worth asking about
Drag to see how the language changes across the scale.
This offer improved from 76 to 84 after negotiation.
What the score is built from
Eight weighted components. When we have no data for a component, its weight moves to the components we can measure — a missing document never counts against your deal.
Price competitiveness
How the vehicle price compares to what similar vehicles are selling for.
Does not measure: Whether you personally like the car or the color.
Out-the-door fairness
Whether the fees and charges stacked on top of the price look ordinary or padded.
Does not measure: Government taxes you would owe anywhere in your state.
Financing quality
Your rate, term length, and how much interest the structure costs you.
Does not measure: Your credit score, or what a lender will actually approve.
Dealer transparency
How clearly and completely the dealership put its numbers in writing.
Does not measure: Whether staff were friendly, or online star ratings.
Ownership outlook
Estimated cost to own and resale strength over the next several years.
Does not measure: Future fuel prices, accidents, or how you drive.
Contract consistency
Whether the signed paperwork matches the deal you agreed to.
Does not measure: Legal validity of the contract — that is a question for a lawyer.
Vehicle condition
Known condition signals such as mileage, age, recalls, and history.
Does not measure: A mechanical inspection. Always get one on a used vehicle.
AI confidence
How complete and readable the documents behind this analysis were.
Does not measure: Deal quality. Low confidence means less certainty, not a bad deal.
How to read your number
- • The vehicle price compared to similar vehicles
- • Fees and charges added on top of the price
- • Your interest rate, loan term, and total interest
- • How completely the dealership wrote the numbers down
- • Estimated cost to own and resale strength
- • Whether the final contract matches the agreed deal
- • Known condition signals like mileage, age, and recalls
- • How readable and complete your uploaded paperwork was
- • Whether the vehicle is mechanically sound — get an inspection
- • Whether a lender will approve you, or at what rate
- • Legal compliance of any fee, charge, or contract term
- • Customer service quality or online star ratings
- • Your personal budget, taxes owed, or insurance cost
- • Any guarantee about resale value or future prices
Why you should still read the full report
A single number is a starting point, not a decision. Two deals can both score 84 for completely different reasons — one may have a great price with an expensive loan, the other a fair price with clean financing. The full report shows which one you are looking at.
The score also depends on what you give us. If your paperwork is missing pages or hard to read, coverage drops and the score is an early estimate rather than a firm read.
The Deal Clarity Score is an educational estimate based on the information you provide. It is not financial, legal, or tax advice, and it is not a guarantee of savings or vehicle quality. Always read the full report and your final paperwork before signing.
Methodology versions
The public 0–100 scale never changes. When we add new signals we publish a new methodology version, and every saved score keeps the version it was measured with.
v1.0.0
First public methodology. Eight weighted components on a 0–100 scale with weight redistribution for unavailable data.
Get the Clarity Score on your own deal
Upload your dealer quote and see your number, the components behind it, and what to negotiate.