Compare the2023 Dodge HornetVS 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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The Hornet has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Hornet offers optional Rear Park-Assist with Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Hornet. But it costs extra on the Trailblazer.

The Hornet offers an optional 360° Surround View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Trailblazer only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Hornet has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Trailblazer’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Hornet has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Trailblazer.

The Hornet’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Hornet and the Trailblazer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Dodge Hornet weighs 426 to 1126 pounds more than the Chevrolet Trailblazer. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The Hornet’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Trailblazer’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are better in initial quality than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked third.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge above average in long-term dependability. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chevrolet is rated lower.

Engine

The Hornet GT’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 131 more horsepower (268 vs. 137) and 133 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 162) than the Trailblazer’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The Hornet GT’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 113 more horsepower (268 vs. 155) and 121 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 174) than the Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder. The Hornet R/T’s standard 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 133 more horsepower (288 vs. 155) and 209 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 174) than the Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Hornet R/T can travel with zero emissions for 30 miles. The Trailblazer can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Hornet R/T’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Hornet has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Hornet’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Trailblazer:

	Hornet GT	Hornet R/T	Trailblazer
Front Rotors	12.1 inches	13.5 inches	11.81 inches
Rear Rotors	10.9 inches	12.1 inches	10.39 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Hornet’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Trailblazer (235/40R20 vs. 225/60R17).

The Hornet’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Trailblazer’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Hornet offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Trailblazer’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Dodge Hornet has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Trailblazer has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Hornet has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Hornet flat and controlled during cornering. The Trailblazer’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Hornet offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Trailblazer’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For greater off-road capability the Hornet GT has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Trailblazer (8.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Hornet to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Hornet has .8 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 7.8 inches more rear hip room and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the Trailblazer.

Cargo Capacity

The Hornet has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Trailblazer with its rear seat up (27 vs. 25.3 cubic feet). The Hornet has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trailblazer with its rear seat folded (54.7 vs. 54.4 cubic feet).

Towing

The Hornet’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Trailblazer’s (2000 vs. 1000 pounds).

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Hornet, the optional memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer memory seats.

The Hornet’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Trailblazer’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

The Hornet’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Trailblazer’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Hornet’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Trailblazer’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Hornet’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Chevrolet only offers heated mirrors on the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Hornet keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Hornet has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Trailblazer LS doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Hornet’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Hornet and the Trailblazer offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Hornet has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Hornet’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Trailblazer’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

The Hornet’s optional ParkSense Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer an automated parking system.