As passenger vehicles continue to grow year after year, it's more important than ever for automakers to stay at the top of their game in terms of safety standards. With plenty of full-size pickup trucks and large SUVs that block visibility over their tall hoods on the road, smaller cars, pedestrians, and motorcycles are at greater risk than ever.However, there's one brand with reasonably-sized vehicles that touts reliable engines, outstanding interiors and, for the third year in a row, earned more IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) Top Safety Pick+ awards than any other automaker: Mazda. Models as small as the Mazda 3 and as large as the CX-90 all earned the IIHS' most prestigious safety award this year.The IIHS' criteria for earning the Top Safety Pick+ award has changed for 2026. More details are explained below. IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Criteria MazdaThe IIHS recently updated its criteria for how cars can earn its Top Safety Pick+ award. For 2026, the biggest change to the organization's criteria is the addition of the new vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test. There used to be an evaluation for this metric, but it was discontinued in 2022. That said, the new and improved version of the test runs at 31, 37 and 43 mph, and includes targets like a passenger car, a motorcycle and a semi-trailer.The IIHS scores safety based on a ranking from "poor" to "good" in various crash and other tests. In order to earn its highest safety award, a vehicle must earn Good scores in the following categories: Small overlap front test Moderate overlap front test Side test Acceptable or Good headlights (standard availability) Pedestrian front crash prevention Acceptable or Good vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention 2.0 (standard availability) Regular Top Safety Pick Criteria The Top Safety Pick+ award is as good as it gets from the IIHS. Not all cars qualify for this award, but they might still be fairly safe vehicles that earn its next-best award. To earn a regular Top Safety Pick award, vehicles must attain Good ratings in the small overlap front test, moderate overlap front test, and the side test. They must also earn either Acceptable or Good ratings for their headlights and pedestrian front crash prevention. Not included in this list of criteria is the IIHS' new front crash prevention test, or its new whiplash prevention test; this test simulates rear-end collisions at various speeds. Top Safety Picks by Category: Small Cars 2026 Mazda 3 Sedan and Hatchback MazdaThe smallest Mazda model to earn the best safety award is the Mazda 3 Sedan and its hatchback counterpart. Both models are built on the same platform with the same engine options, but the hatchback body style starts at $1,000 more than the sedan.That said, they also share all the same IIHS ratings. Only two criteria were rated less than Good: the standard headlights (which vary by trim level) are rated as Good or Acceptable depending on the type, and the models' front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 test earned an Acceptable rating. The rest of the metrics tested earned Good scores, with the Latch system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) on the rear seats even earning a Good+ rating. Mazda's Small SUVs with Top Safety Awards 2026 Mazda CX-30 MazdaMazda's small SUVs also excelled in the IIHS' testing. These cars go to show that you don't need a massive SUV or full-size truck to be safe on the road. In fact, some of the largest models on the road (even minivans) might not be as safe as these smaller or midsize models.Nevertheless, the Mazda CX-30 is an affordable sub-compact SUV with outstanding safety ratings. The IIHS awarded it with its highest safety ratings in nearly every category. The only metric to earn less than a Good score is the newest iteration of the vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention test, which earned an Acceptable rating. 2026 Mazda CX-50 MazdaFollowing in the smaller SUV's footsteps is the Mazda CX-50. It's slightly larger than the CX-30, but rivals other compact models like the Toyota Rav4 and Honda CR-V. The CX-50 starts at $29,900 for its lowest trim level, and gets as expensive as $42,900 for the top trim level with a more powerful engine and plenty of comfort features.Every trim, regardless of comfort and engine option, gets a host of safety features. This model earned Good ratings in almost every category once again, but wasn't perfect. Again, the headlights and front crash prevention metrics both earned Acceptable ratings.Although it's not included in the criteria to earn the Top Safety Pick+ award, it's worth noting that this model earned a Poor rating in the IIHS' new whiplash prevention test that we mentioned above. So far, the CX-50 is the only Mazda with published test results. Since it's such a new test, we can expect automakers to come back with even safer cars as a result. Top Safety Pick+ Awards for Midsize SUVs 2026 Mazda CX-70 (and PHEV) MazdaMoving up to the Mazda CX-70 means getting more interior space and room for cargo, but keeping a two-row layout with five seats. It's a midsize SUV that rivals the Hyundai Santa Fe and Honda Passport, to name a couple of similarly priced options.One draw to this model is that the CX-70 is also available as a plug-in hybrid. It's more expensive, and has fewer available trims, but offers better fuel efficiency and some electric range. Both variants have identical safety ratings; they both earned Good ratings in every category except for headlights and the new front crash prevention system, which both earned Acceptable ratings.Mazda's claim to eight individual models earning the Top Safety Pick+ award is valid when separating this model from its PHEV variant, as well as the CX-90 we talk about next. 2026 Mazda CX-90 (and PHEV) MazdaAnother midsize Mazda to earn the IIHS' highest award is the CX-90. This model is built on the same platform and shares powertrain options with the CX-70, but the CX-90 comes with a third row and up to eight seats when properly configured. It also starts at a cheaper entry price, which is impressive as the model bridges the gap between affordability and luxury.As far as the IIHS is concerned, it has plenty of safety features, too. Like we've seen in most other Mazda models to earn this award, the CX-90 earned Good ratings in almost every measured metric. Only the headlights and front crash prevention in the vehicle-to-vehicle 2.0 test earned Acceptable scores. No Other Brand Earned This Many Awards from the IIHS MazdaSince the IIHS updated its testing criteria to be even more strenuous, it's even more impressive that Mazda managed to earn eight Top Safety Pick+ awards. This relatively small brand only offers a few more models that didn't earn the award – the MX-5 Miata, the CX-50 Hybrid, and the CX-5. For a brand to earn this award with the majority of its available 2026 lineup is beyond impressive. It goes to show that not only is Mazda a great budget option for premium experiences without luxury prices, but you'll be safe while you enjoy them.