Both the Mustang Mach-E and Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Mustang Mach-E has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Mustang Mach-E has standard Cross Traffic Alert with Cross Traffic Braking, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid XSE, and isn't offered on other Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid models.
The Mustang Mach-E’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 Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the Mustang Mach-E and the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Mustang Mach-E is much safer than the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid:
|
Mustang Mach-E |
Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
119 |
307 |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh/hip Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Leg/foot Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Restraints |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Rear Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Thigh Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Restraints |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Mustang Mach-E is safer than the Toyota Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid:
|
Mustang Mach-E |
Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
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 Ford Mustang Mach-E is safer than the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid:
|
Mustang Mach-E |
Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
115 |
120 |
Neck Compression |
45 lbs. |
67 lbs. |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Pelvis Force |
825 lbs. |
1093 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
42 |
542 |
Head Peak Forces |
no contact |
104 G’s |
Neck Tension |
112 lbs. |
312 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
22 lbs. |
223 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Shoulder Deflection |
.87 in |
.94 in |
Shoulder Force |
268 lbs. |
290 lbs. |
Torso Deflection Rate |
4 MPH |
8 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Pelvis Force |
535 lbs. |
692 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Mustang Mach-E, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 3.8% to 4.7% less likely to roll over than the Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid, which received a four-star rating.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E (built after August 2024) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Rav4 Plug-In Hybrid was last only a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023 but no longer qualifies.