Compare the2024 Ford EdgeVS 2023 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Edge 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 Ford Edge 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.

The Edge has standard Post Collision 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 Edge 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, all wheel drive, 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 front and rear parking sensors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Edge the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 174 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Hornet has not been tested, yet.

There are over 24 percent more Ford dealers than there are Dodge dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Edge’s warranty.

The Edge has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Hornet doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Edge has a standard 175-amp alternator. The Hornet’s 160-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Edge has a standard 760-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 Edge’s reliability 32 points higher than the Hornet.

The Edge ST’s standard 2.7 turbo V6 produces 47 more horsepower (335 vs. 288) than the Hornet R/T’s standard 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Edge has 7.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Edge has 5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet GT’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 13.5 gallons).

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

The Edge ST’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Hornet are solid, not vented.

The Edge stops shorter than the Hornet:

For better traction, the Edge has larger standard tires than the Hornet (245/60R18 vs. 215/60R17). The Edge ST’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Hornet (265/40R21 vs. 235/40R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Edge SE/SEL has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Hornet GT. The Edge ST’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Hornet.

The Edge 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.

The Edge’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Hornet doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Edge’s wheelbase is 8.4 inches longer than on the Hornet (112.2 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

The Edge ST handles at .88 G’s, while the Hornet GT pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Edge ST executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Hornet GT (26 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 26.8 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Edge has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Edge to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Edge ST’s minimum ground clearance is .1 inch higher than on the Hornet GT (8.2 vs. 8.1 inches).

The front grille of the Edge uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Hornet doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Edge ST 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 Edge has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, 1.6 inches more front hip room, 4.6 inches more front shoulder room, 2.1 inches more rear headroom, 2.6 inches more rear legroom, 4 inches more rear hip room and 5.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Edge’s rear seats recline. The Hornet’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Edge has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Hornet with its rear seat up (39.2 vs. 27 cubic feet). The Edge has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (73.4 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

Maximum trailer towing in the Dodge Hornet is limited to 2000 pounds. The Edge offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Edge (except SE) uses the AdvanceTrac® 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 see further while navigating curves, the Edge Titanium/ST offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Hornet doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Edge SEL/ST-Line/ST/Titanium’s standard rear view mirror and optional 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.

Both the Edge and the Hornet offer available heated front seats. The Edge Titanium/ST also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Hornet.

The Edge (except SE) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Hornet doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Edge owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Edge will cost $285 less than the Hornet over a five-year period.

The Ford Edge has won recognition from these important consumer publications: