For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Hyundai Venue doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.
The CX-5 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Venue doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-5 Turbo Signature has standard Smart Brake Support-Rear that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Venue doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.
The CX-5 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Venue doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.
The CX-5 Turbo Signature has a standard 360° Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Venue only offers a rear monitor.
The CX-5 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Venue SEL/Limited offers a blind spot warning system.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-5 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Venue SEL/Limited offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.
Both the CX-5 and the Venue have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available driver alert monitors.
The Mazda CX-5 weighs 990 to 1255 pounds more than the Hyundai Venue. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Hyundai Venue:
|
CX-5 |
Venue |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
82 |
335 |
Neck Injury Risk |
23% |
32% |
Neck Compression |
23 lbs. |
182 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
160/307 lbs. |
769/350 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
156 |
280 |
Chest Compression |
.5 inches |
.8 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
37% |
48% |
Neck Stress |
205 lbs. |
206 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 Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Hyundai Venue:
|
CX-5 |
Venue |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
81 |
154 |
Chest Movement |
.5 inches |
1.1 inches |
Abdominal Force |
126 lbs. |
215 lbs. |
Hip Force |
189 lbs. |
275 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
208 |
223 |
Spine Acceleration |
65 G’s |
82 G’s |
Hip Force |
524 lbs. |
843 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Spine Acceleration |
32 G’s |
42 G’s |
Hip Force |
435 lbs. |
790 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Venue last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.