SUVs are known for their cargo space, road handling, and luxurious features. All those are fine, but when it comes to investing in a new vehicle, you also want to take in the reliability and safety points of an SUV before making the final choice.

If you’re in the market for a small SUV, and you’ve got your eye on the Mazda CX-5, you’re probably wondering just how safe you can expect it to be. Both the NHTSA and the IIHS have performed their extensive crash testing on it.

Safety features on the Mazda CX-5

The 2019 version came out with blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and rear cross-traffic alert system as standard features. Upgrading to one of the higher trim packages, brought pedestrian detection, lane keep assist and departure warnings, auto high beams, and automatic brake assist.

If having cameras available is important for you, the Mazda offers it, but only at the Signature trim level. If you upgrade to that package, you receive the surround-view camera system and also the front and rear parking sensors.

The safety testing done on the CX-5

The NHTSA last tested the Mazda CX-5, FWD version, in 2017. They gave this SUV an overall rating of 5 stars. Frontal and side crashes for driver and front passenger both received 5 stars. The rollover test for the Mazda is 4 out of 5 stars, with a rollover risk of 17.40%. The NHTSA received 10 complaints for the 2019 model year, which include the electrical system, wheels, structure, and speed control. They made only one recall for this SUV, which was for a software error that can cause the engine to stall.

The IIHS tested the Mazda in 2019 and gave it good ratings for every part of their test, except the headlights on the Grand Touring and Signature Trim. Visibility on the low beams had no problems, but the high beams had trouble with the curves. They reported fair visibility on the gradual left curve and inadequate on the sharp left and both right curve scenarios. Overall, they rewarded the Mazda CX-5 with high ratings and said it was one of their top picks.

What’s the final verdict for the CX-5?

Both NHTSA and the IIHS felt the CX-5 performed well overall on their safety tests. The only issues reported were the headlights on the vehicle. However, the NHTSA reported 10 complaints for the 2019 model year. Four of them had to do with the electrical system. One driver reported the electric windows wouldn’t roll down in 17-degree weather. The other three had to do with the dash’s infotainment display going blank, while driving down the road, rendering Navigation, sensors, and the air conditioning inaccessible. To get it back, you have to pull over to the side of the road and restart the vehicle.

The 2020 model year, promises to bring their i-Activesense Safety package as standard equipment throughout all the trim levels. Cars.com reports a minimal price increase for the newer year’s version over the previous 2019 model. You could get the extra features, but you would pay a lot more money to get them when you upgrade to a higher level. Because of this, the Mazda CX-5 should be one of the safest SUVs coming out in the new year.

While the 2019 Mazda CX-5 offered little in the way of standard safety features, the 2020 sounds like it may be worth spending a little extra money for, if you’re thinking about purchasing it. The crash test ratings were impressive for both NHTSA and the IIHS, for previous models, but it shouldn’t change much in the new year, except maybe getting improvements.