Compare the2024 Subaru ImprezaVS 2024 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Impreza 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.

Both the Impreza 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Subaru Impreza achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Hornet has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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 Impreza’s reliability 27 points higher than the Hornet.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 15 places higher in reliability than Dodge.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Impreza lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Hornet doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Impreza uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Hornet requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Impreza has 5.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Impreza has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet GT’s standard fuel tank (16.6 vs. 13.5 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Impreza higher (7 out of 10) than the Dodge Hornet (6 to 7). This means the Impreza produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Hornet every 15,000 miles.

The Impreza 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.

The Impreza’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 Impreza stops shorter than the Hornet:

The Impreza’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 a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Impreza’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the Hornet (105.1 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

The Impreza RS handles at .81 G’s, while the Hornet GT pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Impreza’s turning circle is 3.1 feet tighter than the Hornet R/T’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.9 feet). The Impreza’s turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the Hornet GT’s (34.8 feet vs. 38 feet).

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

The Impreza has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

The Impreza has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (56 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

The engine in the Impreza is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Hornet. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Hornet’s optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Impreza’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Impreza’s optional 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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Impreza, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Dodge Hornet isn't recommended.

The Subaru Impreza outsold the Dodge Hornet by almost four to one during 2023.