Mazda CX-5 Vs. Honda CR-V Safety: One SUV Is Easily Ahead

Two trusted brands, but one is better at crash safety

Still fresh after recently entering its third generation, the new Mazda CX-5 remains a highly popular compact crossover. It’s got a premium air to it and is still one of the best vehicles in its class to drive. But how safe is it? To answer that, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released safety scores for the 2026 CX-5 for the first time. We’ve compared these results with those of the Honda CR-V, America’s best-selling crossover in 2026 so far. Which Japanese challenger comes out on top?

Crashworthiness: Mazda Takes The Lead

The IIHS tests across three crashworthiness categories: small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and side. The small overlap front represents a collision with the vehicle’s front corner, while the moderate overlap front is an offset crash between two cars. Each test is scored as Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor. Here’s how the two vehicles performed.

	Mazda CX-5	Honda CR-V
Small Overlap Front	Good	Good
Moderate Overlap Front	Good	Poor
Side	Good	Good

The CX-5 was close to perfect, with the highest ratings in all three tests. These results contributed to it being named a Top Safety Pick+, yet another safety accolade for Mazda. Things didn’t go so well for the CR-V in the moderate overlap front test, where it was rated as Poor.

In this specific test, IIHS researchers found an increased risk of chest injuries for rear-seat passengers. The rear passenger restraints and dummy kinetics also underperformed, as the shoulder belt moved too far upward toward the dummy’s neck. The lap belt also moved from its ideal position on the pelvis onto the abdomen. To its credit, front-seat occupants were well-protected in all crash tests in the Honda.

These results prevented the CR-V from receiving a safety award.

Crash Prevention: Newer Mazda Is More Effective

2026 Mazda CX 5

Mazda

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Mazda once again performed strongly, while Honda was merely adequate in this category. The IIHS tests for how effectively a vehicle’s crash-prevention systems can avoid a collision with another car or pedestrian. The headlights are also evaluated.

	Mazda CX-5	Honda CR-V
Crash prevention (vehicle to vehicle)	Good	Acceptable
Crash prevention (pedestrian)	Good	Acceptable
Headlights	Good or Acceptable (depends on trim)	Good

The Mazda was better at preventing a crash from occurring. It successfully avoided a collision with another vehicle in all six tests, whereas the CR-V only managed to do so in four of six tests. At 43 mph, the highest tested speed in this test, the Honda collided with the second vehicle.

In the pedestrian test where a child crossed in front of the vehicles during the day, the Honda could only reduce its speed but still collided with the dummy. The Mazda avoided a collision entirely. These differences could have enormous implications in the real world.

The one area where the CR-V did come out ahead relates to its headlights. Regardless of the trim, its headlights were rated Good, while the cheaper CX-5 trims have Acceptable-rated headlights.

Final Verdict: The Mazda Is Safer

Cole Attisha

The Honda CR-V did not disgrace itself by any means, but the newer Mazda CX-5 is the only one to achieve the top safety award. Honda needs to make some improvements to rear-seat passenger safety in the moderate overlap front test and refine its crash-prevention systems. In these two areas, the CX-5 was clearly superior. Both vehicles easily meet minimum safety requirements, though, and are able to provide a high level of overall crash safety. But if you want the safest Japanese crossover between these two, it’s the Mazda.

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