Compare the2023 Honda HR-VVS 2023 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda HR-V have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The Dodge Hornet doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Honda HR-V has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Hornet doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the HR-V and the Hornet have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the HR-V its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Hornet has not been tested, yet.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the HR-V for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Dodge doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Hornet.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the HR-V’s reliability 40 points higher than the Hornet.

On the EPA test cycle the HR-V gets better mileage than the Hornet running its gasoline engine:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda HR-V uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Hornet requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The HR-V has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (14 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The HR-V has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Hornet doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the HR-V’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Hornet:

For better maneuverability, the HR-V’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the Hornet’s (35.1 feet vs. 37.9 feet). The HR-V Sport’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the Hornet’s (37 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

The Honda HR-V may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 800 pounds less than the Dodge Hornet.

The HR-V uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Hornet doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The HR-V has .6 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

The HR-V has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (55.1 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

The HR-V is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Hornet doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda HR-V, based on reliability, safety and performance.