The Sportage (except LX/Nightfall) offers optional Parking Assist to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a front parking aid.
The Sportage’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Compared to metal, the Sportage’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mazda CX-3 has a metal gas tank.
Both the Sportage and the CX-3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Mazda CX-3:
|
Sportage |
CX-3 |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Neck Stress |
151 lbs. |
198 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
33/16 lbs. |
252/310 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Sportage is safer than the Mazda CX-3:
|
Sportage |
CX-3 |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
87 |
183 |
Chest Movement |
.7 inches |
.8 inches |
Abdominal Force |
104 G’s |
199 G’s |
Hip Force |
327 lbs. |
334 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
239 |
241 |
Spine Acceleration |
56 G’s |
85 G’s |
Hip Force |
465 lbs. |
487 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
13 inches |
14 inches |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.