Compare the2024 Dodge HornetVS 2024 Chevrolet Equinox

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 Chevrolet Equinox doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Dodge Hornet has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Equinox doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Equinox 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 for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Equinox 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 Equinox.

The Hornet has a standard blind spot warning system that 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 Equinox’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Hornet has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Equinox.

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 Equinox doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked fifth.

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.

The Hornet GT’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 93 more horsepower (268 vs. 175) and 92 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 203) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder. The Hornet R/T’s standard 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 113 more horsepower (288 vs. 175) and 180 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 203) than the Equinox’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Dodge Hornet is faster than the Chevrolet Equinox:

On the EPA test cycle the Hornet running on electricity gets better mileage than the Equinox:

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

The Hornet R/T can travel with zero emissions for 33 miles. The Equinox 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 Equinox doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Hornet R/T has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Equinox. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Dodge Hornet, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Equinox.

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

The Hornet stops shorter than the Equinox:

The Hornet GT’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Equinox LS/LT’s standard 65 series tires. The Hornet’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Equinox’s optional 50 series tires.

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

The Hornet has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Hornet flat and controlled during cornering. The Equinox’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 Equinox’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Hornet R/T handles at .84 G’s, while the Equinox LT AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Hornet R/T executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Equinox LT AWD (26.5 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Hornet R/T’s turning circle is 3.7 feet tighter than the Equinox RS’ (37.9 feet vs. 41.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Hornet GT has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Equinox w/18” Wheels (8.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Hornet to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Hornet is 5.1 inches shorter than the Equinox, making the Hornet easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Hornet has .8 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more front hip room and 1.8 inches more rear hip room than the Equinox.

The Hornet’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Equinox’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Hornet uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Equinox uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

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 Equinox’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Hornet the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Equinox can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Equinox’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Hornet offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Equinox doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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 Equinox and isn’t available on the Equinox LS.

The Hornet’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Equinox LS doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.