Pricing
Winner: Inconclusive
Pricing is a difficult category when comparing Honda and Mazda. Honda’s overall average price for its entire fleet is more expensive than that of Mazda. However, Honda offers a hybrid, a minivan, and a compact pickup truck, which are expensive models that Mazda doesn’t make.
In terms of competing vehicles’ starting prices, the compact Mazda3 costs nearly $1,000 less than the Honda Civic, and the Mazda6 slightly undercuts the Honda Accord. The SUV segment proves the opposite. Mazda’s subcompact CX-3 costs a bit more than Honda’s HR-V, the automakers’ compact SUVs share identical starting prices, and the midsize Mazda CX-9 is almost $1,000 more expensive than the Honda Pilot.
Depending on which models and trims you are interested in, either automaker could potentially save you money, or cost you more.
Reliability
Winner: Honda
This one is a no brainer. Honda has a longstanding reputation for reliability. All of the automaker’s current models score three out of five overall, or better, for predicted reliability, according to J.D. Power. The Fit is Honda’s lowest-scoring vehicle with a three, and the Honda Ridgeline tops the carmaker’s lineup with a 4.5 out of five.
Conversely, Mazda is not as well-known for its reliability. Most of Its lineup earns a 2.5 out of five, which is below average. However, the CX-5 and Miata both receive a score of three out of five.
Safety
Winner: Mazda
Both Honda and Mazda earn high safety scores. Mazda’s scores are consistent at 9.7 out of 10 across a majority of its lineup, although the CX-9 is a standout with a perfect score of 10.
Honda’s larger lineup is less consistent, but most models earn a near perfect score, ranging from 9.6 to 10 overall. The lowest-scoring model, the HR-V, gets an 8.7, followed by the Pilot with a 9.3. These two models pull Honda’s average fleet safety score down to mere decimals below that of Mazda.
Performance
Winner: Mazda
The bulk of both companies’ vehicles tends to provide ample acceleration for most daily driving. However, critics were unimpressed with some of Honda’s lackluster engines, like those found in the HR-V and CR-V. The Mazda6 only comes with one engine, and the CX-9 feels strained at highway speeds.
Mazda gets the advantage when it comes to handling across most of its lineup, and the automaker offers an incredibly agile sports car; the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Honda doesn’t offer a sports car, although the Civic’s high-performance variants – the Si and Type R – could arguably qualify. Even without the Miata’s performance score, Mazda’s lineup earns a higher overall performance score.
Small Cars
Winner: Honda
Honda makes two small cars: the subcompact Fit and the compact Civic. Mazda makes the compact Mazda3. The Fit is the 2017 winner of U.S. News’ Best Subcompact Car for the Money award.
Overall, the Civic comes out ahead in this category, and the Fit and Mazda3 are currently tied with overall scores marginally behind the Civic’s.
Midsize Cars
Winner: Tie
Our midsize car rankings show a tie between the Honda Accord and the Mazda6. Scores across the board are very similar, aside from the Mazda6’s low reliability rating. Both offer composed handling, though the Mazda6 is a bit sportier, and both have spacious front and back seats.
Subcompact SUVs
Winner: Honda
Yet again, a hair separates these automakers. The Honda HR-V is tied with the Mazda CX-3 in our subcompact SUV rankings. However, the HR-V is the winner of both the Best Subcompact SUV for the Money and the Best Subcompact SUV for Families awards for 2017.
Critics like the HR-V flexible cabin space, while the CX-3 earns praise for its lively handling and upscale design.
Compact SUVs
Winner: Honda
Our two top-ranked compact SUVs, the Honda CR-V and the Mazda CX-5, are both solid choices. The CR-V wins by a slight margin, and its 2017 Best Compact SUV for the Money and Best Compact SUV for Families awards seal the deal. It also offers more cargo space than the CX-5.
Midsize SUVs
Winner: Tie
The Honda Pilot and the Mazda CX-9 equally pleased the critics. Scores for both vehicles are similar in most categories, although the CX-9 is safer and the Pilot is more reliable. Overall, the Pilot and the CX-9 end up in a tie for the No. 7 spot in our midsize SUV rankings.
Other Vehicles
Winner: Honda
Honda manufactures three vehicles that see no direct competitor from Mazda: the Accord Hybrid, Ridgeline, and Odyssey. The Accord Hybrid is Honda’s only current hybrid vehicle, and was a finalist for our 2017 Best Hybrid Car for Families award.
The Honda Ridgeline is our top-ranked compact pickup truck, and Honda’s second-highest scoring vehicle overall. The 2018 Odyssey places at the top of our minivan rankings and boasts the highest overall score in Honda’s lineup. The 2017 Odyssey was the winner of U.S. News’ Best Minivan for Families award.
Mazda makes the MX-5 Miata, which is our top-ranked sports car. It’s also Mazda’s highest-scoring vehicle. Honda doesn’t offer a competing model. Unfortunately for Mazda, the impressive Miata doesn’t do enough to beat the three Honda models.
The Winner Is …
Honda
Only small margins separate these two automakers when it comes to overall scores in each vehicle ranking. Honda’s vehicles are more reliable, while Mazda’s vehicles edge ahead in safety and performance. Which automaker will save you the most money depends on the vehicle class and trim.
Honda has earned a multitude of U.S. News Best Cars awards, which help push the automaker further ahead in this battle to the finish.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
Have you chosen Honda or Mazda as your preferred brand? Visit our new car rankings to research specific models and learn how other car companies stack up. To see which cars are available with the best current offers, use our financing deals and lease deals pages.
Once you’re ready to buy, use our U.S. News Best Price Program to find the dealership near you with the lowest prices. Shoppers who use the program save an average of $3,279 off their new car purchase.
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Which Brand Makes the Best Cars?
While both Honda and Mazda are Japanese automakers that offer competing products and fare well in U.S. News rankings, the two automakers’ focus is much different.
Honda offers more models and sells more cars. Its priorities are the mass market and overall value, with a hint of sportiness. Mazda works to appeal to a more specialized market, with greater emphasis on styling and nimble handling. Honda’s vehicles are widely known for their dependability, while Mazda touts its vehicles’ “fun-to-drive” status and head-turning good looks.
How do these automakers’ vehicles compare head-to-head? We’ve lined up both automakers in several categories and classes, from pricing to compact SUVs. In each category, we declare a winner based on the brand with the highest average score.
Click through the following slideshow to find out if Mazda or Honda takes the crown in this battle of the brands.
Keep in mind that the scores on our site are updated constantly as new expert reviews and data become available. Therefore, the scores mentioned in this slideshow may not match the scores in our reviews.