The Mazda CX-30 is the safest small SUV on the road today if we're tallying up awards received over the last five years. The CX-30 launched in 2019 for the 2020 model year, and has been stacking up five-star ratings, Top Safety Picks, and top ten rankings ever since. It's also a damn fine car, managing to blend practicality and value for money. And if you go for one of the top-spec models, you get a 227-horspower turbocharged four-cylinder to play with, but that's not why we're here today. Here's what makes the Mazda CX-30 a champion of automotive safety.
2024 Mazda CX-30
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- Make
- Mazda
- Model
- CX-30
- Base MSRP
- $24,995
- Engine
- 2.5L Inline-4 Gas
- Horsepower
- 191-250 hp
- Torque
- 186-320 lb-ft
- Transmission
- 6-Speed Automatic
- Drivetrain
- All-Wheel Drive
Information for this article has been sourced from FuelEconomy.gov, as well as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.
Is The Mazda CX-30 The Perfect Family SUV?
2024 Mazda CX-30 Performance Specs | ||
|---|---|---|
Engine | 2.5-Liter 4-Cylinder | 2.5-Liter Turbo 4-Cylinder |
Power | 191 hp | 240 hp |
Torque | 186 hp | 320 lb-ft |
Fuel Economy (combined) | 29 MPG | 25 MPG |
In our review of the latest CX-30, we noted that the SUV is fairly comfortable for up to four adults, while the back row should seat three kids comfortably. We liked the six-second acceleration offered by the turbocharged variant and the all-wheel drive handling, and we had no complaints regarding the CX-30's six-speed automatic transmission.
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The vast majority of modern vehicles have high safety standards in a crash. Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have long been associated with superior crash safety, while modern EVs, such as those from Tesla, are considered inherently safe in a crash due to their unique construction alongside ICE cars. For instance, the low-mounted battery packs in an EV can reduce the chances of a rollover from occurring, due to these cars' lower center of gravity.
On the downside, the CX-30 only offers 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space, which puts it well behind many of its competitors in the same segment, the suspension isn't quite cushy enough for rough roads or tight enough to feel sporty, and some of the interior materials feel pretty cheap. There's no back-seat entertainment for the kids, either, optional or otherwise. So, the perfect family SUV? Not quite, but how much can you reasonably expect from a $24,995 budget-friendly compact SUV?
All The Mazda CX-30's Safety Awards, And How It Won Them
The only way to fit all the Mazda CX-30's awards and rankings into this article is to simply list them from top to bottom, so here we go. You may notice that some of these awards don't have the world "safety" in the title, but these awards also take safety into account.
- IIHS Top Safety Pick - 2020
- IIHS Top Safety Pick+ - 2021
- IIHS Top Safety Pick+ - 2022
- IIHS Top Safety Pick - 2023
- IIHS Top Safety Pick+ - 2024
- NHTSA 5-Star Overall Rating - 2020-2024
- Car and Driver Best Subcompact Crossover SUV - 2022
- J.D. Power ALG Residual Value Award in subcompact utility category - 2022
- Popular Mechanics Crossover of the Year - 2022
- Consumer Reports Top Rated Subcompact SUV - 2021
- World Car of the Year Top 3 Finalist - 2020
- Euro NCAP 5-Star Rating - 2019-present
The SUV has essentially had an unbroken win streak since it debuted five years ago. The latest model year holds a perfect score in every category with the NHTSA, with the sole exception of rollover, where it scored four out of five stars, which is pretty much as good of a rollover score as an SUV can get without being a bottom-heavy EV, like the Tesla Model X.
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Good Bones
What really makes the CX-30 so safe comes down primarily to the structure and safety cage. The IIHS has awarded the current CX-30 nothing but G-for-Good ratings across the board when it comes to the actual body of the car. It earned a G in every front impact test and every side test, as well as for overall structure, and it even scored a G+, or Superior rating, for LATCH ease of use, that is, how easy it is to pop the baby seat in and out of the car.
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The SUV earned almost straight Gs for all injury measures, as well. Driver and passenger head, chest, neck, leg, foot, all Gs. There were only two exceptions here: the rear restraint systems, where the CX-30 earned an A, for Acceptable, and another A for driver torso safety in the event of a side impact. Neither of these ratings were enough to compromise the CX-30's Top Safety Pick+ award for 2024.
Standard Safety Features
There is only one area where the IIHS has faulted the Mazda CX-30, and that's in the headlight department. The 2020 model year scored a G for the headlights in the Base, Select, and Preferred trims, while the Premium earned a P for Poor, as they lacked the curve-adaptive feature found in the other trims. The same ratings applied to the 2021 model, while the 2022 earned a perfect score for headlights regardless of trim, and that has carried over to 2023 and 2024.
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But, by and large, the IIHS has been nothing but impressed with the CX-30's standard safety features, which include the following:
- Blind spot monitoring
- Rear cross traffic alert
- Mazda radar cruise control with stop-and-go
- Dynamic stability and traction control
- Driver attention alert
- Lane-keep assist
- Rear seat alert
- Rearview monitor
The Turbo Premium Plus model adds traffic sign recognition, a 360 view monitor, traffic support, and adaptive front lighting, but the features listed above are standard across all trims. Mazda hasn't hidden any basic safety features away in the upper trim levels.
The IIHS Is Only Getting Stricter
The Mazda CX-30's ability to hold onto its Top Safety Pick award year after year, and keeping the plus-sign for 2024, is especially impressive when you consider recent overhauls in IIHS testing.
For 2024, the Top Safety Pick award only goes to vehicles with excellent crash prevention. That is, if a vehicle struggles to identify pedestrians at night, no award for you until you get your system up to par. The Top Safety Pick+ award now demands an A or a G for moderate front overlap impact. IIHS President David Harkey congratulated automakers that were able to keep their awards this year, calling the respective vehicles "true standouts, offering the highest level of protection for both vehicle occupants and other vulnerable road users."
The Volkswagen Golf R lost its Top Safety Pick award in 2024, as did the Toyota GR86 and the Audi A4. Other vehicles, like the Camry, were downgraded from a Top Safety Pick+ to a Top Safety Pick. For a vehicle to retain its wins from 2023 to 2024, with no major changes, is a testament to good, forward-thinking design. The only point the CX-30 lost with the new testing system was for rear passenger restraints, earning an A in 2024.
Organizations like the IIHS, the NHTSA, and Euro NCAP set the standard that automakers need to follow if they want a good review, but the Mazda CX-30 is one of those rare vehicles that has stayed well ahead of the curve. You could say that while the rest of the industry is catching up with the IIHS, the IIHS is catching up to safety leaders like the Mazda CX-30.
Sources:FuelEconomy.gov, IIHS.org, NHTSA.gov
