Mazda has just joined a list with only two other brands, those being Toyota and Hyundai. That is, automakers that have earned 100 or more Top Safety Picks with the IIHS since the award was introduced in 2008. What’s more, Mazda got there with no help from any sub-brands (Toyota shares its awards with Lexus, while Hyundai shares its awards with Genesis and Kia).
The honor comes with the crowning of the 2026 Mazda CX-5, and, honestly, we’re almost surprised that Mazda is only earning this award in 2026, given its recent track record. Mazda essentially got here by keeping on keeping on. The brand took home eight Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards in 2025, and it’s on track to beat that record in 2026.
The Mazda CX-5 Just Scored A Top Safety Pick+ Award
2026 Mazda CX-5Ian Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
We don’t have the full report card for the 2026 Mazda CX-5 at the time of writing, but we can take an educated guess based on the criteria for a Top Safety Pick+ award in 2026.
- Good rating in small overlap front.
- Moderate rating in moderate overlap front.
- Moderate rating in side test.
- Acceptable/Good-rated headlights across all trim levels.
- Good rating in standard pedestrian test.
- Good rating in vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 crash test.
We won’t know what the 2026 CX-5 scored in every category until the full ratings are live, but we know that it at least cleared these bars.
“Earning an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award for the 2026 CX-5 reflects Mazda’s commitment to protecting those who trust us with their safety every day. By combining thoughtful engineering, human-centric design, and advanced safety technologies, we are creating vehicles that help prevent crashes and better protect occupants, all in pursuit of our goal of zero fatalities in Mazda vehicles by 2040.” – Jennifer Morrison, Mazda North American operations director of vehicle safety strategy
With the CX-5’s win, Mazda brings the total up to 100 awards, with 74 of them being a Top Safety Pick+, the non-profit’s gold medal.
The Outgoing CX-5 Is Safe, But Outdated
2026 Mazda CX-5 screenIan Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
Additionally, we can take a look at the ratings that the IIHS awarded for the 2025 Mazda CX-5, which is the only model year for the car to not receive a Top Safety Pick, or a Top Safety Pick+.
Small Overlap Front
Good
Moderate Overlap Front: Updated Test
Good
Side: Updated Test
Good
Headlights
Good/Acceptable
Front Crash Prevention Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Poor
Front Crash Prevention: Pedestrian
Advanced
The actual crash-test ratings were nearly perfect for the 2025 Mazda CX-5. The vehicle-to-vehicle collision avoidance ratings ultimately cost the car an award. Collision was avoided in two of six car-to-car tests, and it failed to issue a timely warning in four of six motorcycle tests.
Front crash prevention ratings are now rated on a scale of Poor to Good. So, the front crash prevention rating of “Advanced” tells you that these ratings – for the 2018–2025 model – are out of date. That is, this version of the Mazda CX-5 passed the bar in 2024, scoring a Top Safety Pick award, but the IIHS couldn’t carry that award over to the 2025 model without some updates.
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One brand impressively earned eight IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Awards this year, even amidst stricter regulations than ever.
Thankfully, the 2026 Mazda CX-5 kicks off an all-new generation for the nameplate, so the one year that the car failed to bring home a trophy will likely stand as a mere blip on the radar for the SUV.
In other words, don’t take one disappointing year to be a black mark on the CX-5’s record. The 2025 Mazda CX-5 is still one of the safest SUVs on the road, but the second generation was getting to feel a bit long in the tooth a decade in.
The CX-5 Isn’t The Only Car Making Mazda Proud
2026 Mazda CX-5 screenIan Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
The CX-5 is Mazda’s ninth safety award winner for 2026. To go over the whole list…
Model
Award
2026 Mazda CX-5
Top Safety Pick+
2026 Mazda3 Sedan
Top Safety Pick+
2026 Mazda3 Hatchback
Top Safety Pick+
2026 Mazda CX-30
Top Safety Pick+
2026 Mazda CX-50
Top Safety Pick+
2026 Mazda CX-70
Top Safety Pick+
2026 Mazda CX-70 PHEV
Top Safety Pick+
2026 Mazda CX-90
Top Safety Pick+
2026 Mazda CX-90 PHEV
Top Safety Pick+
It’s worth noting that not a single one of these cars is a silver medalist. It was the same deal in 2025, with eight award-winners, and every one of them taking home the gold. Same deal in 2024, too.
In fact, you’d have to go back to 2023 to find any Mazdas playing runner-up. But 2023 saw the brand taking home 11 awards in total, and five plus-signs, so that was hardly a lackluster year for the brand.
We Would Recommend The Mazda CX-5 With Or Without The Award
2026 Mazda CX-5 screen-Ian Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
Truth be told, we were jazzed to see this news come across our desks because we always like an excuse to talk about the Mazda CX-5. Earlier this year, we named this car the most reliable compact SUV from the last decade, and that’s only one of a dozen reasons we recommend it every chance we get.
The 2026 CX-5 earned an 82/100 Quality & Reliability rating from JD Power, it has yet to generate a single recall with the NHTSA, and RepairPal estimates an annual maintenance cost of just $447, with the following making up the most expensive common problems for the nameplate:
- Fuel level sending unit replacement $1,531–$1,611
- Wheel replacement $752–$781
- Air conditioning receiver drier assembly replacement $573–$821
- Clutch slave cylinder replacement $228–$279
- Headlight switch replacement $180–$209
The New CX-5’s 4-Cylinder Engine Is A Proven Commodity
2026 Mazda CX-5Ian Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
We’ve recommended avoiding cars in the first year of a new generation, because there’s always going to be a working-out-the-kinks phase. But, the Mazda CX-5’s 2.5-liter Skyactiv four-pot has been around since 2013, so we’re not exactly in unknown territory here.
2026 Mazda CX-5 Performance
Engine
2.5-Liter NA 4-Cylinder
Power
187 hp
Torque
186 lb-ft
Transmission
6-Speed Automatic
Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
When we reviewed the 2026 model, our only criticism was the lack of any engine options at launch. But that’s no knock against the base straight-four powerplant. We dug the standard all-wheel drive configuration, the back seat is roomier than ever, the ride is comfortable and quiet, and it’s more fun to drive than most family cars.
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It’s hard to find an unsafe Mazda, as the brand has done a fine job of staying ahead of IIHS award criteria. But one has to be the safest of them all.
It even looks cool, taking inspiration from Japanese woodworking, and it’s priced to move, at a base MSRP of just $29,990, or around $20,000 less than the cost of a new car on average.
One More Feather In Mazda’s Cap
2026 Mazda CX-5Ian Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
That the CX-5 is also one of the safest cars on the road comes as no surprise to us, or to the IIHS, by the sound of things.
“As this milestone shows, Mazda has consistently demonstrated a commitment to safety and acted quickly to improve its vehicles as our award criteria have evolved.” – IIHS president David Harkey
When we say that the IIHS has been moving the goalposts, we mean that in a good way. The IIHS asks the industry to step it up, so the industry steps it up, so the IIHS sets the bar a little higher, year after year, in order to ensure constant innovation. This is how cars get safer and safer.
Some automakers require that nudge in the right direction (or even a swift kick in the butt) to meet modern safety standards. Others, like Mazda, have done a remarkable job of staying ahead of the curve and setting an example for the rest of the industry.
Sources: IIHS, Mazda, RepairPal, JD Power.
