2018 Mazda CX-5: Now IIHS Top Safety Pick+, NHTSA 5 stars!

mbuffy

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Honda Accord
IIHS tweeted today that the "2018 Mazda CX-5 is now a TOP SAFETY PICK+ when equipped with specific headlights." Here's the IIHS page for the 2018 Mazda CX-5.

Note that this applies to two trims only:

  • Grand Touring (built after March 2018)
  • Sport trim equipped with i-ACTIVSENSE package (built after March 2018)

It also looks like NHTSA now has two variants of the 2018 CX-5 listed. If you search for "2018 Mazda CX-5" at https://www.nhtsa.gov/ratings you will see 2018 Mazda CX-5 "Later Release" (5 stars!) and "Early Release" (4 stars).

I could not find any details on exactly what the cutoff date is for the "Later Release". Does anyone happen to know where/how to find that information?
 
Must be a mistake. Where are all those people who whined incessantly when it was a IIHS Top Safety Pick and not a IIHS Top Safety Pick+.
 
Here in Oz land.... nothing. Over there probably nothing as well since they don't get ALH
 
Here in Oz land.... nothing. Over there probably nothing as well since they don't get ALH

Actually when comparing the different year models, it appears Mazda reduced the dip of the headlights on the driver side hence the now better illumination range. If I'm not wrong.
 
Actually when comparing the different year models, it appears Mazda reduced the dip of the headlights on the driver side hence the now better illumination range. If I'm not wrong.

Between 17 and 18? You are wrong, there*s no change.
 
Actually when comparing the different year models, it appears Mazda reduced the dip of the headlights on the driver side hence the now better illumination range. If I'm not wrong.

You mean for AFS (uhm)
 
Nothing, they changed the standard safety package but it must include the headlights to qualify.

What comes standard doesn't affect the Top Safety Pick + designation. The only thing holding the CX-5 back before was the headlights. The headlight ratings are based on the best scoring headlight out of all the trims (so if the base had halogens but the top had LEDs which performed better, the LEDs would be used towards the "+" designation). To get a Good rating for the "+" designation it's based on the reach of the lights straight on and in two types of turns to the left and right, gradual and sharp.

The change from 2017 was most likely that they are just aiming the headlights a little higher from the factory to increase the range, thereby meeting the specs needed to qualify for Good. It says so right on their website "Headlights are tested as received from the dealer. Although many headlight problems could be resolved by adjusting the aim of the lamps, IIHS doesn't change headlight aim. Few vehicle owners adjust the vertical aim of their headlights, so leaving the aim the way it was set at the factory makes the testing more realistic." (http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/ratings-info/headlight-evaluation)
 
Between 17 and 18? You are wrong, there*s no change.

If you compare the results of the headlights of the same model (GT) between '17 & '18, the light output range is different, hence the change of rating from Acceptable to Good for the headlights, therefore something has changed. The logical conclusion is they just increased the driver side headlight projector level on the driver side unless there is a better explanation for the different results.
 
If you compare the results of the headlights of the same model (GT) between '17 & '18, the light output range is different, hence the change of rating from Acceptable to Good for the headlights, therefore something has changed. The logical conclusion is they just increased the driver side headlight projector level on the driver side unless there is a better explanation for the different results.

My links must be broken. When I open the results for 17 and 18, I get the same report.
 
My links must be broken. When I open the results for 17 and 18, I get the same report.

When you select "2018 MAZDA CX-5 SUV AWD Later Release", the technical pdf is for 2017 Mazda CX-5 Final Report 26 May 2017.

Same applies for all of them shown below:

1zyypo1.jpg
 
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Props, and I get all this stuff, but really? I want to know how the things do in a crash. Headlights and other doodads are cool and I agree 100% they help with safety, but my sole interest is in "how does this thing hold up to impact?" I guess it's conceivable that a much less sound vehicle COULD "beat" a very sound vehicle, if there was a disparity in auto-braking, headlights, etc. in these overall ratings, and I think that's BS.
 
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