Short version: Honda passed Mazda on the latest American owner survey. Honda's dependability score got better. Mazda's got worse.
CarBuzz wrote this up last night. The study is the 2026 ACSI Automobile Study. It asked 6,699 U.S. owners, from July 2025 to June 2026, how they feel about the car after they bought it. Quality, value, dependability, and the dealer visit all count. It is a U.S. survey. It is not an Ontario ranking.
Reported 2026 scores: Honda 80, Mazda 78. Mazda was at 82 last year. Toyota scored 83. Subaru scored 81. Luxury brands as a group landed on the same 78 as the rest of the market, so a fancier badge did not buy a happier owner this year. CarBuzz · Autoblog, citing ACSI
Honda closed the dependability gap
This is the part I would remember. Last year, JD Power's dependability study had Mazda way ahead of Honda. Mazda had 161 problems per 100 vehicles. Honda had 220. That is a 59-point gap.
This year, CarBuzz's reading of the same study puts Mazda at 210 and Honda at 211. Honda improved. Mazda slipped. The big cushion is gone. The two brands are now side by side, and Honda is the one that moved the right way.
One caution. JD Power looks at three-year-old vehicles. It is about cars already on the road. It is not a grade for the 2026 CR-V Hybrid sitting at Maple Honda today.
| Study | Honda | Mazda | Simple read |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACSI 2026, owner happiness | 80 | 78 | Honda ahead. |
| JD Power dependability, lower is better | 211 | 210 | Now tied. Honda improved from 220. |
| JD Power tech score | 416 | 404 | Honda ahead of Mazda. |
| JD Power appeal score | 838 | 836 | Honda just ahead. |
On tech and "how fun is it," Honda also finished just ahead of Mazda in CarBuzz's account of JD Power. Industry tech average was 502. Appeal average for mass-market brands was 846. Honda is close on appeal, and ahead of Mazda on both. CarBuzz
The line that helps a Honda shopper
The same study likes regular hybrids. CarBuzz says conventional hybrids scored 80, the same as luxury hybrids. Gas cars scored 78. Mass-market electric cars scored 69. Owners were happier in a normal hybrid than in a plug-in or a gas-only crossover.
That fits the Honda you can buy here. The CR-V Hybrid and Civic Hybrid are on honda.ca now. They are built for people who want lower fuel use without plugging in. A survey does not set your payment. It does explain why the hybrid is an easy car to recommend.
My buyer read: if you are between a CR-V Hybrid and a CX-5, this survey is a point for the Honda. Drive both. Price both on a Canadian worksheet, with freight and fees in the same place. Then pick the one that fits the driveway.
Quick questions
Is this a Canadian study?
No. ACSI asked U.S. owners. Use it as a direction, then judge the car in front of you.
Did Honda beat Mazda?
Yes. Honda scored 80. Mazda scored 78. Honda also closed last year's dependability gap.
Does this change the CR-V I can buy this month?
No. The car is the same. The survey is a reason to feel good about it, not a new price.
Did Honda beat Mazda in the 2026 ACSI study?
Yes. In the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index Automobile Study, Honda scored 80 and Mazda scored 78. It is a U.S. owner survey, not a Canadian ranking.
Did Honda catch Mazda on dependability?
CarBuzz, citing JD Power's 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study, reported Mazda at 210 problems per 100 vehicles and Honda at 211. A year earlier Mazda led Honda by 59 points, 161 versus 220. Honda improved. Mazda slipped.
Should a Vaughan buyer pick a Honda over a Mazda because of this?
It is a good sign for Honda, not the whole decision. Compare the Canadian CR-V Hybrid and the CX-5 on payment, fuel and space, then drive both.
Cross-shopping a CX-5?
Bring the Mazda quote. I will put the CR-V Hybrid next to it on the same Canadian worksheet, fuel included.
Henry Chen · Sales Consultant, Maple Honda
89 Auto Vaughan Dr, Maple, ON L6A 4A1
647-523-6878 · henry@maplehonda.com