Compare the2023 Volvo XC40VS 2023 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC40 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Dodge Hornet doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The XC40’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Hornet doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the XC40 and Hornet have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC40 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Hornet’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The XC40 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Hornet doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the XC40 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC40 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 235 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Hornet has not been tested, yet.

The XC40 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Hornet’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The XC40’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Hornet’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Dodge doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Hornet.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the XC40 has a standard 800-amp battery. The Hornet’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 XC40’s reliability 27 points higher than the Hornet.

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 gets better mileage than the Hornet running its gasoline engine:

The XC40 has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (14.2 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the XC40’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Hornet:

For better traction, the XC40 has larger standard tires than the Hornet (235/55R18 vs. 215/60R17). The XC40’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Hornet (245/45R20 vs. 235/40R20).

The XC40’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Hornet GT’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XC40 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Hornet GT.

The XC40 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Hornet doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the XC40’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Hornet (106.4 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For greater off-road capability the XC40 has a 2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8.1 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the XC40 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The XC40 is 3.2 inches shorter than the Hornet, making the XC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The XC40 has .2 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

The XC40 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (57.5 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

The XC40’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Hornet’s (3500 vs. 2000 pounds).

Optional Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the XC40 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Hornet doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XC40 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Hornet doesn’t offer cornering lights. The XC40 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

When the XC40 is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Hornet’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The XC40’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Hornet offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The XC40 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Hornet. The XC40 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Hornet.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo XC40 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Hornet.

The XC40 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 Volvo XC40, based on reliability, safety and performance.