A Surprising Japanese Automaker Just Stole Volvo’s Safety Crown
In Consumer Reports’ latest safety rankings, Mazda absolutely trounced the competition. Over 80% of its models earned a “best” safety rating. Meanwhile, just 25% of Volvo’s earned the same rating.
According to Consumer Reports, “Cars that score ‘Best’ excel in crash tests, come standard with key crash-prevention features, handle predictably, and don’t have distracting controls.”
The real reason Volvo’s slipping in safety rankings
That “distracting controls” caveat is why Volvo fell flat. “Many of the company’s modern vehicles, such as the EX30, earn CR’s lowest usability score.”
The senior director of auto testing explained why usability is so important. “If controlling climate or audio functions distracts you from the task of driving, that’s a strike against safety.”
I covered Mazda’s glow-up in the IIHS safety ratings last year. I will add that the automaker has a slight edge because of the sheer number of individual models it offers. For example, the CX-90 is essentially a CX-70 with a third row, but Mazda labels it a separate model. Likewise, it calls the CX-70 PHEV and CX-90 PHEV two more distinct models. If you broke the less-safe Miata into four separate models, it might fall behind Genesis or even Acura in Consumer Reports’ rankings.
All that doesn’t mean Mazda crossovers are any less safe. They offer excellent crash protection, crash prevention software, and minimal distraction. And that’s something Mazda should be proud of.
