In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the CX-70 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.
The Mazda CX-70 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
The CX-70 Premium has a standard Secondary Collision Reduction System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-70 Premium Plus/Turbo S has standard Rear Smart City Brake Support that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.
When descending a steep, off-road slope, the CX-70’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-70 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Eclipse Cross SE/SEL offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert and the Eclipse Cross’ Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.
The CX-70’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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the CX-70 and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.
The Mazda CX-70 weighs 1358 to 1770 pounds more than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mazda CX-70 is much safer than the Eclipse Cross:
|
CX-70 |
Eclipse Cross |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
POOR |
Structure |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
104 |
155 |
Neck Tension |
45 lbs. |
268 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
POOR |
Shoulder Deflection |
.28 in |
.71 in |
Shoulder Force |
134 lbs. |
223 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.22 in |
2.28 in |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Pelvis Force |
513 lbs. |
1294 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
18 |
166 |
Neck Compression |
67 lbs. |
134 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Shoulder Deflection |
.39 in |
1.73 in |
Shoulder Force |
156 lbs. |
402 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
.75 in |
2.01 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
7 MPH |
11 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The Mazda CX-70 achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Eclipse Cross is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.