Compare the2026 Mazda CX-5 VS 2027 Honda CR-V

With its standard Smart Brake Support, the Mazda CX-5 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Honda CR-V, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	CX-5	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-18 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-17 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-33 MPH
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	2.4 sec	No Warning

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Mazda CX-5 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, outperforming the Honda CR-V, which scored only an “Acceptable” in these critical safety features.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the CX-5. But it costs extra on the CR-V.

The CX-5 Premium Plus has a standard 360° Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The CR-V only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-5 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Smart Braking Support - Rear Crossing automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Rear cross-path warning is not offered on the CR-V LX and the CR-V’s Cross Traffic Monitor does not include automatic braking.

Both the CX-5 and the CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

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 CX-5 is much safer than the CR-V:

	CX-5	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
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	MARGINAL
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	POOR

The Mazda CX-5 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 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, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The CR-V is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2026.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda third in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 12th.

The CX-5’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (186 vs. 179) than the CR-V’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mazda CX-5 is faster than the Honda CR-V turbo 4 cyl.:

	CX-5	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	8 sec	8.3 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.4 sec	9.1 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.9 sec	4.4 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	5.5 sec	5.8 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	16.5 sec

Both the CX-5 and the CR-V have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All CX-5s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

The CX-5 has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the CR-V (15.3 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the CX-5’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the CR-V:

	CX-5	CR-V 1.5T	CR-V Hybrid
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	12.3 inches	12.6 inches

The CX-5 stops shorter than the CR-V:

	CX-5	CR-V
70 to 0 MPH	173 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	146 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

The CX-5 has engine speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The CR-V doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-5’s wheelbase is 4.4 inches longer than on the CR-V (110.7 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

The CX-5 S Premium Plus handles at .83 G’s, while the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The CX-5 S Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid (28.2 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-5’s turning circle is .2 feet tighter than the CR-V Hybrid’s (36.8 feet vs. 37 feet). The CX-5’s turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the CR-V 1.5T’s (36.8 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the CX-5 S Premium Plus is quieter than the CR-V EX-L AWD (67 vs. 69 dB).

The CX-5 has .4 inches more front legroom and 2 inches more rear headroom than the CR-V.

While the CR-V Hybrid can only tow 1000, any CX-5 can tow a minimum of 1500 pounds.

The CX-5 has a much higher standard payload capacity than the CR-V (1058 vs. 850 lbs.).

The CX-5 Preferred/Premium has a standard heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The CR-V doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-5’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The CR-V’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

The CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The CR-V’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-5 Premium Plus has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The CR-V doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the CX-5 Preferred/Premium is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The CR-V’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The CX-5 offers available power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the CR-V’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Both the CX-5 and the CR-V offer available heated front seats. The CX-5 Premium also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CR-V.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-5 Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The CR-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The CX-5 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the CR-V EX/EX-L/Sport/TrailSport/Sport-L/Sport Touring.

Compared to the Honda CR-V, the Mazda CX-5 Preferred/Premium eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Compared to traditional radio, the Mazda CX-5’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the CR-V EX-L/Sport-L/Sport Touring.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mazda CX-5 and the Honda CR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.