Mazda overtakes Volvo in new safety testing – report

Volvo has built a reputation for being the leader in vehicle safety, but under a new approach for testing the safety of new cars, Mazda has now come out in front.

US non-profit Consumer Reports ranked the overall safety of car manufacturers based on several factors – not just solely how their models perform in laboratory crash testing.

Company lineups were judged based on whether they come standard with key crash-prevention technology, if the cars handle predictably, and how distracting the controls are – as well as how well they protect occupants and vulnerable road users in an accident.

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Mazda well and truly beat out the competition, with more than 80 per cent of its vehicles earning a ‘best’ safety rating – compared to just 25 per cent of Volvo’s cars.

According to Consumer Reports – which celebrates its 90th birthday in 2026 – Volvo’s cars underperformed due to their “distracting controls”, with the EX30 earning the lowest usability score.

“If controlling climate or audio functions distracts you from the task of driving, that’s a strike against safety,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ senior director of auto testing.

It’s worth noting Mazda’s new CX-5, its best-selling vehicle, does without the brand’s trademark rotary infotainment control, with physical climate controls also removed. However, Mazda says it’s still focused on minimising driver distraction.