When it comes to purchasing a new car, one of the biggest considerations is vehicle safety. Having a sleek exterior and comfortable interior is great, but you don’t want to worry when you’re on the road. Fortunately, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) assess vehicle safety to help car shoppers.
Mazda vehicles regularly rank at the top of the list for vehicle safety. Whether you’re looking for a sedan, hatchback, or SUV, Mazda can offer a safe vehicle that’s fun to drive around Richmond and Ashland!
The highest car safety rating the IIHS gives vehicles is the Top Safety Pick+ award. For 2025, eight Mazda vehicles have been given this designation. These are among the safest cars and safest SUVs you can buy:
The highest car safety rating from the NHTSA is a 5-star overall safety rating. The Mazda cars and SUVs that have earned a 5-star overall safety rating are:
One of Mazda’s mottos is, “We’re focused on safety so you can focus on what’s most important to you”. All Mazda cars and SUVs are equipped with the i-ACTIVSENSE® suite of standard and available vehicle safety features.
This advanced technology uses milliwave radars and cameras to keep you aware of your surroundings without taking your focus off the road. These vehicle safety features allow Mazda SUVs and cars to continuously monitor your driving, alert you to possible hazards, avoid collisions whenever possible, and minimize the severity of impact if it’s unavoidable.
Mazda SUVs, cars, PHEV SUVs, and hybrid SUVs have both active and passive safety features. Some of the passive safety features include seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters, an SRS airbag system, an anti-intrusion brake pedal, and the rigid SKYACTIV®-Body with ring structure. The active safety technology helps drivers predict and avoid hazards with visual and audio alerts.
Some of the standard and available safety features you’ll find in Mazda SUVs and cars include:
When it comes to vehicle safety, the Mazda reviews are all aligned, ranking Mazda vehicles among the safest cars and safest SUVs.
Consumer Reports highlights that the Mazda3 sedan has an available driver monitoring system. This system watches your face as you drive and sounds an alert when you’re in danger of fatigued driving. The publication also notes that many Mazda cars and SUVs are Consumer Reports recommended thanks to their “above-average reliability ratings”.
U. S. News and World Report includes two Mazda SUVs on its list of safest midsize SUVs and calls the Mazda CX-90’s list of standard safety features “ impressive”, noting that this vehicle comes equipped with the driver attention monitoring system, a rear-seat alert system, automatic emergency braking, and vehicle exit warning, among others.
MotorTrend also features the Mazda3 and says that both the hatchback and the sedan are smart buys. This Maza review mentions the top IIHS and NHTSA scores and the range of standard safety features that come with the Mazda car.
The Car Dealership Guy notes that when it comes to the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards, Mazda earned more than any other automaker on the list for 2025.
Car and Driver appreciates that the Mazda CX-50 has updated driver-assistance safety features like pedestrian detection, rear-seat alerts, and adaptive cruise control.
Whitten Brothers Mazda is a top Mazda dealership in Richmond, VA. Our inventory includes all of the Mazda cars and Mazda SUVs that have earned IIHS Top Safety Pick+ awards and 5-star overall safety ratings from the NHTSA. Whether you’re looking for a fuel-efficient car for commuting, an environmentally friendly hybrid or PHEV, or a spacious SUV with room for the whole family, we’ve got you covered.
Want learn more about our new Mazda inventory? You can contact us or visit our showroom. Our Sales Advocates are here to answer any questions you have about the Mazda lineup and Mazda vehicle safety, and they can take you on a test drive so you can experience all the features for yourself.
