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Consumer Reports’ safety assessment used to focus solely on the safety of passengers during a crash. But they have realized there is so much more to safety than that. As technology transforms and automakers innovate, there are more things to consider, including distractions.<\/p>\n
Now, for cars to score “Best” in the Safety Verdict, they’ll need to excel not only in crash tests but also come with crash-prevention features, have predictable handling, and have fewer distracting controls.<\/p>\n
“A safe car has predictable handling and braking in everyday driving and emergencies, controls that don\u2019t distract you, technology that can prevent a crash in the first place, and a design that protects occupants if a crash occurs,\u201d said Emily A. Thomas, PhD<\/a>, Associate Director of Auto Safety at Consumer Reports.<\/p>\n Based on the above criteria, it’s not all that surprising to see Mazda’s SUV lineup at the top of the charts. The 2026 CX-30 scored a 5\/5 due to its abundance of safety-related assistance features on the standard model \u2014 like automatic emergency braking and a blind spot warning \u2014 as did the CX-50 and the 2025 CX-5 (hopefully the same for the 2026 after the various price cuts<\/a>).<\/p>\n This is all to be expected. But what about the Miata? Well, it already came with a built-in strike against it, no matter how safe. That’s because any vehicle below 2,500 pounds automatically score lower due to increased risk in a crash. And, well, the Miata is well below that.<\/p>\n Well, it has a 3\/5. According to Consumer Reports<\/a>, the 2026 model meets federal requirements but doesn’t<\/em> meet Consumer Reports’ standard requirements. It’s missing automatic emergency braking on the highway and its rear-wheel drive vehicles are considered “harder to control.” (Although, I think Consumer Reports is the only source you’ll ever come across that’d claim the Miata has poor handling.) Either way, that’s three strikes: weight, missing safety features, and control.<\/p>\n Will that stop me from driving it on the track? No. But will it stop me from driving it to the gym or to the grocery store? Also no!<\/p>\n Despite the Miata being a low mark in an otherwise near-perfect score, Mazda was able to take the first-place spot from Genesis, which came in second, and Acura. And it sure is proud of it .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “Safety is foundational to Mazda’s engineering philosophy, and we are honored that Consumer Reports has recognized our unwavering commitment to helping protect drivers, passengers, and everyone who shares the road,” said MNAO Director of Vehicle Safety\u00a0Jennifer Morrison<\/span>.<\/p>\n “This recognition reflects the work of our global engineering teams to integrate advanced safety technologies and outstanding vehicle dynamics into every model we build.”<\/p>\n It may be over $30,000 now<\/a>\u00a0and not the most safe, but Miata is always the answer.<\/p>\nAnd where the MX-5 Miata falls<\/h2>\n