Compare the2025 Honda HR-VVS 2025 Mazda CX-5

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda HR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Mazda CX-5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Honda HR-V has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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 CX-5 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the HR-V’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The CX-5 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the HR-V and the CX-5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda HR-V is safer than the Mazda CX-5:

	HR-V	CX-5
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	134 lbs.	274 lbs.
Neck Compression	17 lbs.	23 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda HR-V is safer than the Mazda CX-5:

	HR-V	CX-5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	118 lbs.	126 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	173	208
Spine Acceleration	61 G’s	65 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
HIC	292	449

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the HR-V is 2.6% to 3.4% less likely to roll over than the CX-5.

The Honda HR-V has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 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 CX-5 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

Warranty

There are almost 2 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the HR-V’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 51 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Mazda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Mazda is ranked 6th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the HR-V gets better mileage than the CX-5:

			MPG
HR-V
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl.	26 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 4-cyl.	25 city/30 hwy
CX-5
	AWD	S/Select/Preferred 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	23 city/29 hwy
		2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda HR-V uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CX-5 with the 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The HR-V has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda HR-V higher (6 out of 10) than the Mazda CX-5 (4 to 6). This means the HR-V produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CX-5 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The HR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	HR-V	CX-5
Front Rotors	12.3 inches	11.7 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	11.9 inches

The HR-V stops much shorter than the CX-5:

	HR-V	CX-5
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The HR-V’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-5’s standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The HR-V EX-L AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the CX-5 Turbo Signature pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The HR-V EX-L AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the CX-5 (28.1 seconds @ .57 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the HR-V’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the CX-5’s (35.1 feet vs. 36 feet).

Chassis

The Honda HR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 550 pounds less than the Mazda CX-5.

The HR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CX-5 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The HR-V has .9 inches more front legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-5.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Honda service is better than Mazda. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 5% lower rating, Mazda is ranked 10th.

Ergonomics

On a hot day the HR-V’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the CX-5 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Compared to traditional radio, the Honda HR-V’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 CX-5 Carbon/Premium/Turbo.

Model Availability

The HR-V is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The CX-5 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

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

The Honda HR-V outsold the Mazda CX-5 by 10% during 2024.

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