2024 Lincoln Nautilus
Best Safety Value: $52,010 (Premiere)
Base Price: $52,010 | Expert Rating: 4.1
Combined Fuel Economy: 24 mpg
The redesigned second-generation Lincoln Nautilus is loaded with the latest technology right out of the box, and it’s an IIHS TSP+. Opt for the hybrid version to improve the mixed-driving fuel economy by 6 mpg. We like the Nautilus for its roomy and eerily quiet cabin. Adaptive LED headlights, high-beam assist, rain-sensing wipers, eight airbags, heated outboard mirrors with integrated turn signals, and hill start assist are standard in the hardly entry-level Premiere trim.
Also included with the Premiere grade is Lincoln Co-Pilot360 Vision 2.2. It provides adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, front/rear park assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, lane departure alert, safe exit alert, evasive-steering assist, junction-turning assist, reverse automatic braking, and a surround-view camera. You also receive a 90-day free trial of Lincoln’s BlueCruise 1.2 semi-autonomous driver assist that can brake, accelerate, steer, and automatically change lanes under certain conditions. We can’t think of much else you might need in the way of advanced safety tech; therefore, stay with the Premiere trim.
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2024 Mazda CX-30
Best Safety Value: $26,415 (2.5 S)
Base Price: $26,415 | Expert Rating: 4.4
Combined Fuel Economy: 29 mpg
The IIHS gives the sassy Mazda CX-30 a TSP+ rating. Its engine, the most powerful base engine in its segment, makes it a blast to drive. We also appreciate its high-end cabin furnishings and standard all-wheel drive. Among our preferred safety features are 10 airbags, hill start assist, LED headlights, and high-beam assist. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, a driver monitoring system, and adaptive cruise control are standard.
Mazda doesn’t offer much in the way of factory-installed options; therefore, you must move up the trim-level food chain to gain more safety tech. The 2.5 S Select Sport adds rain-sensing wipers; however, it’s not until the 2.5 S Premium that you find a head-up display, adaptive headlights, and traffic sign recognition. The safety value pick is unquestionably the entry-level 2.5 S.
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2024 Mazda CX-50
Best Safety Value: $31,720 (2.5 S Select)
Base Price: $31,720 | Expert Rating: 4.5
Combined Fuel Economy: 27 mpg
As we’ve come to expect from Mazda, the all-wheel-drive CX-50 delivers a robust driving experience, plenty of cabin space, and solid safety, as illustrated by its TSP+ IIHS rating. If you would like your CX-50 with better mileage, a hybrid version is coming in late 2024. Hill start assist, LED headlights, high-beam assist, and eight airbags are standard. The advanced safety tech includes adaptive cruise control, driver monitoring system, lane-keeping assist with steering assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Climbing through the trim levels is necessary to gain more features and technology. In the case of the CX-50, you have to move up to the top Premium Plus trim with the optional turbo engine to score features like auto-dimming mirrors (rearview and outboard), traffic sign recognition, a surround-view camera, and front/rear parking assist. We’d stay with the 2.5 S Select.
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2025 Mazda CX-70/CX-70 PHEV
Best Safety Value: $41,900 (Preferred)
Base Price: $41,900 | Expert Rating: 4.3
Combined Fuel Economy: 25 mpg (estimated), N/A (PHEV)
We’d typically refer to the new Mazda CX-70 nameplate as all-new; however, it’s basically the CX-90 without the third-row seat. It seems like an odd marketing decision, but who are we to say? What we can say is that it snagged a spot on the 2024 IIHS TSP list as a 2025 model. NHTSA has yet to rate it. Every Mazda SUV comes standard with AWD. From our list of suggested safety features, the CX-70 provides hill start assist, auto-leveling LED headlights, high-beam assist, rain-sensing wipers, and eight airbags.
Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, driver monitoring system, safe exit assist, and front/rear parking sensors are all standard. Mazda doesn’t offer any factory-installed options for the CX-70. To gain more goodies, you must advance through the trim levels. Moving up to the Premium trim gets you steering assist added on to the lane-keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring assist. Traffic sign recognition and front cross-traffic alert are onboard. Cruising & Traffic Support is Mazda-speak for a semi-autonomous driver aid that can steer, accelerate, and brake the vehicle under certain conditions. The Premium Plus trim brings even more. We recommend sticking with the entry-level Preferred grade.
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