2017 Top Safety Picks
Vehicles that perform best in our evaluations qualify for Top Safety Pick, which has been awarded since the 2006 model year, or Top Safety Pick+, which was inaugurated in 2013.
These awards identify the best vehicle choices for safety within size categories during a given year. Larger, heavier vehicles generally afford more protection than smaller, lighter ones. Thus, a small car that qualifies for an award might not protect its occupants as well as a bigger vehicle that doesn't earn the award.
Small cars
Top Safety Pick+
2017 Mazda 3 4-door hatchback
with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights
Top Safety Pick+
2017 Mazda 3 4-door sedan
with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights
Midsize cars
Top Safety Pick+
2017 Mazda 6 4-door sedan
with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights
Small SUVs
Top Safety Pick+
2017 Mazda CX-3 4-door SUV
with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights
Top Safety Pick+
2017 Mazda CX-5 4-door SUV
with specific headlights
Midsize SUVs
Top Safety Pick+
2017 Mazda CX-9 4-door SUV
with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights;
applies only to vehicles built after November 2016
2017 criteria
To qualify for 2017 Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.
To qualify for 2017 Top Safety Pick+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and an acceptable or good headlight rating.
Vehicles with optional front crash prevention qualify for either award only when equipped with the technology.