The Safest Small SUV in America Just Failed the Only AEB Test That Matters
IIHS tested ten small SUVs on its new vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention evaluation, the one that actually runs at highway speeds instead of parking-lot crawls. Four scored Poor. One of them was the Mazda CX-5, which FARS data ranks as the safest small SUV in America at 0.12 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.[1]
Only one model earned Good: Subaru Forester. Its FARS death rate is 0.26, more than double the CX-5's. Forester owners die at twice the rate of CX-5 owners, yet Subaru's AEB system outperformed Mazda's by every measure. If that sounds like a contradiction, it is. And both numbers are correct.
Here is how every tested model stacks up against a decade of actual fatality data:
| Vehicle | V2V Rating | FARS Rate | FARS Deaths | Fleet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Forester | Good | 0.26 | 396 | 1.23M |
| Honda CR-V | Acceptable | 0.53 | 2,072 | 3.15M |
| Toyota RAV4 | Acceptable | 0.19 | 914 | 3.76M |
| Ford Escape | Marginal | 0.95 | 2,284 | 1.93M |
| Hyundai Tucson | Marginal | 0.34 | 669 | 1.58M |
| Jeep Compass | Marginal | 0.41 | 453 | 875K |
| Chevrolet Equinox | Poor | 0.36 | 1,056 | 2.36M |
| Mazda CX-5 | Poor | 0.12 | 162 | 1.05M |
| Mitsubishi Outlander | Poor | 0.37 | 184 | 394K |
| VW Taos | Poor | Too new for FARS data | ||
The CX-5's structural engineering is genuinely excellent. Mazda's rigid body shell and energy management give occupants a 56.8% survival rate in fatal crashes, the highest among the ten tested vehicles.[2] The Forester's survival rate is 44.3%. When you actually crash a CX-5, Mazda's engineering saves you. Its AEB, however, cannot stop you from crashing at highway speeds.
IIHS's original front crash prevention test ran at 12 and 25 mph. By 2022, every vehicle tested earned the top rating. A bar lower than a speed bump. V2V 2.0 runs at 31, 37, and 43 mph with a passenger car, a motorcycle, and an actual semi-trailer.[1] At those speeds, four of ten small SUVs fail to slow down enough to prevent a crash. Four of ten.
IIHS Senior Research Scientist David Kidd was blunt: "Deadly underride crashes often occur when the struck vehicle is a large truck, and motorcyclists are frequently killed when they're rear-ended by a passenger car."[1] The test now includes both. Most AEB systems choke on them.
FARS tells you which vehicles survived the last decade. V2V tells you which ones are ready for the next one. Right now, those are different vehicles. Mazda's body structure was designed for an era when crash prevention meant crumple zones and side curtain airbags. Subaru's EyeSight was designed for an era when crashes should be prevented before contact. Both philosophies save lives. Only one will scale as highway-speed AEB becomes the primary intervention point.
If you own a CX-5: Your car is structurally one of the safest on the road. Its AEB, however, will not stop you in time at highway speeds. Drive it like the electronics are optional, because they functionally are. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls for any pending safety campaigns. If you are shopping for a new small SUV and AEB performance matters to you, the Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 are the two models where crash prevention and crash protection both earned passing marks.
Limitations
FARS death rates cover 2014 to 2023. Most vehicles in that window lacked the AEB systems being tested in the V2V 2.0 evaluation. The comparison measures two different things: real-world fatality outcomes (which include impairment, road type, seatbelt use, crash structure, and vehicle age) versus one narrow capability (highway-speed automatic emergency braking). VMT estimates used to calculate FARS rates carry roughly ±15% uncertainty for models under 500,000 fleet units.
Strongest Counterargument
A vehicle can be safe overall and still have weak AEB. The CX-5's crash structure compensates for what its electronics lack. As long as you stay out of highway-speed rear-end scenarios, the CX-5 remains the safest small SUV by the numbers. The problem is that rear-end crashes are the most common crash type in the United States, and highway-speed versions are disproportionately fatal.
Sources & References
- IIHS, “Few small SUVs excel in new IIHS front crash prevention test,” April 2024. iihs.org
- NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2014–2023. nhtsa.gov
- IIHS, “IIHS pushes improvements in crash avoidance with 2026 awards,” March 2026. iihs.org
- NHTSA, Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate by Sub-Categories in 2024, DOT HS 813 729, May 2025. crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov