Data From Consumer Reports Confirm Mazda Is Leading Volvo In Vehicle Safety
According to a recent Consumer Reports’ data which was released in early 2026, Mazda has significantly outperformed Volvo in overall vehicle safety and reliability, with over 80% of its vehicles earning top ratings compared to just 25% for Volvo. While Volvo has struggled with complex infotainment and electrical issues, Mazda is recognised for consistent, high-quality performance in crash avoidance and owner satisfaction.
For years, vehicle safety was built exclusively around protecting occupants in a crash. However, there are many other aspects to engineering a safe vehicle, and Consumer Reports (CR) takes all those into account for its Safety Verdict.
The “Basic” tier of safety involves vehicles meeting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s federal motor vehicle safety standards. Things get much more involved in the “Better” tier, where CR assesses aspects like routine handling and braking tests, a Good or Acceptable rating in the small-overlap front crash test run by the IIHS, and at least an Acceptable rating in the side crash test. This category also considers whether front- or all-wheel drive are standard, as this can make for safer handling in ice, rain, or snow.
Vehicles with a curb weight of at least 2,500 pounds are scored higher, as lighter cars are at an increased risk in a crash. Ironically, Mazda still outperformed other brands despite its MX-5 Miata being one of the few vehicles with standard rear-wheel drive and a curb weight of under 2,500 lbs.
In the “Best” safety tier, Consumer Reports considers the following:
- How distracting infotainment systems and controls are
- Whether auto emergency braking, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert are standard
- A Good rating for the side crash test
- At least an Acceptable rating in the moderate-overlap front crash test
Tesla and Volvo, for example, score well in crash tests but ranked poorly in the study due to their distracting interior controls.
“A safe car has predictable handling and braking in everyday driving and emergencies, controls that don’t distract you, technology that can prevent a crash in the first place, and a design that protects occupants if a crash occurs,” said Emily A. Thomas, PhD, associate director of auto safety at Consumer Reports.
