2011 Mazda3 gets Top Safety Pick award from IIHS

The 2011 Mazda3 sedan and hatchback qualified as a Top Safety Pick among small cars after earning a rating of good for roof strength in rollover crashes. The Mazda3 previously earned good ratings for front, side, and rear crash protection.

“It is the first Mazda to be designated a Top Safety Pick since the Institute made the criteria to win more stringent by including a requirement for a good rating in the roof strength test,” the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said in a statement. “Two tests were conducted in order to rate both the 4-door sedan and hatchback versions. The roof of the sedan withstood a force equal to 5.32 times the car’s weight. The roof of the hatchback withstood a force equal to 5.09 times its weight. Vehicles with a strength-to-weight ratio of 4 or higher earn a good rating in the Institute’s test. By comparison, the current federal standard is 1.5 times weight.”

The Top Safety Pick award only applies to Mazda3 units built after December 2010 because Mazda made changes to the roof structure to improve the roof strength.

– By: Omar Rana