Compare the2024 Ford Bronco SportVS 2024 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Bronco Sport 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 Bronco Sport 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 Bronco Sport 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 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 standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Bronco Sport its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 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 Bronco Sport’s warranty.

The Bronco Sport 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 start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Bronco Sport has a standard 760-amp battery. The Hornet’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport third among small suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Hornet isn’t in the top three in its category.

On the EPA test cycle the Bronco Sport 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder gets better fuel mileage than the Hornet GT running its gasoline engine (25 city/29 hwy vs. 21 city/29 hwy).

The Bronco Sport has 4.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (16 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Bronco Sport has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet GT’s standard fuel tank (16 vs. 13.5 gallons).

The Bronco Sport stops shorter than the Hornet:

For better traction, the Bronco Sport has larger standard tires than the Hornet (225/65R17 vs. 215/60R17).

The Bronco Sport offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Hornet; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The Bronco Sport has 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 Bronco Sport’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the Hornet (105.1 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Bronco Sport is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than on the Hornet.

For better maneuverability, the Bronco Sport’s turning circle is .5 feet tighter than the Hornet R/T’s (37.4 feet vs. 37.9 feet). The Bronco Sport’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Hornet GT’s (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Bronco Sport Base/Big Bend has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (7.8 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Bronco Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Bronco Sport’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the Hornet GT (8.8 vs. 8.1 inches).

The Ford Bronco Sport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 450 pounds less than the Dodge Hornet.

The Bronco Sport is 5.3 inches shorter than the Hornet, making the Bronco Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Bronco Sport 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 Bronco Sport has 2.7 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 3.5 inches more rear headroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Hornet with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 27 cubic feet). The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (65.2 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

An optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Bronco Sport. The Hornet doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Bronco Sport’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Hornet’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Maximum trailer towing in the Dodge Hornet is limited to 2000 pounds. The Bronco Sport offers up to a 2200 lbs. towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Bronco Sport 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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Bronco Sport’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Hornet doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Bronco Sport Outer Banks/Badlands has a 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 Bronco Sport owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Bronco Sport will cost $550 less than the Hornet over a five-year period.

The Bronco Sport will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Bronco Sport will retain 58.63% to 60.38% of its original price after five years, while the Hornet only retains 51.34% to 51.35%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Bronco Sport will be $6856 to $8444 less than for the Dodge Hornet.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport second among small suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Hornet isn’t in the top three.