Compare the2023 Dodge HornetVS 2023 MINI Countryman

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Dodge Hornet are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The MINI Countryman doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Hornet are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Countryman doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Countryman 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 Countryman 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 Countryman.

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

The Hornet’s blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The Countryman doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Hornet’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Countryman doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

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

Dodge’s powertrain warranty covers the Hornet 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than MINI covers the Countryman. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Countryman ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 23 times as many Dodge dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Hornet’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Hornet has a standard 160-amp alternator. The Countryman’s 150-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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 MINI vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, MINI is ranked 13th.

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 MINI 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, MINI is rated lower.

The Hornet has more powerful engines than the Countryman:

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

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 Countryman doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Dodge Hornet, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Countryman.

For better stopping power the Hornet R/T’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Countryman:

For better traction, the Hornet’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Countryman (235/40R20 vs. 225/55R17).

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 Countryman’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Hornet offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Countryman’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

For greater off-road capability the Hornet GT has a 1.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Countryman (8.1 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the Hornet to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Hornet has 1.3 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Countryman.

The Hornet has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Countryman with its rear seat up (27 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The Hornet has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Countryman with its rear seat folded (54.7 vs. 47.6 cubic feet).

The Hornet has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Countryman has no towing capacity.

The Hornet offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Countryman doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Hornet has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Countryman only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 Countryman doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Hornet has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Countryman.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Hornet has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Countryman doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.