Compare the2024 Toyota Corolla Cross HybridVS 2024 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid 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 Corolla Cross Hybrid and Hornet have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE has Parking Support Brake (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Hornet’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Corolla Cross Hybrid 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 parking sensors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Corolla Cross Hybrid the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 98 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Hornet has not been tested, yet.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Corolla Cross Hybrid for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Dodge doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Hornet.

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 Corolla Cross Hybrid’s reliability 41 points higher than the Hornet.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Dodge is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Dodge is ranked 21st.

On the EPA test cycle the Corolla Cross Hybrid gets better mileage than the Hornet running its gasoline engine:

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

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

The Corolla Cross Hybrid 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 Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE 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 Corolla Cross Hybrid’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Hornet R/T’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.9 feet). The Corolla Cross Hybrid’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Hornet GT’s (35.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Corolla Cross Hybrid has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Corolla Cross Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 700 pounds less than the Dodge Hornet.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid has 1.2 inches more front legroom and .8 inches more rear headroom than the Hornet.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (61.8 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

The Hornet’s optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Corolla Cross Hybrid XSE’s optional 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 Corolla Cross Hybrid has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, 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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Corolla Cross outsold the Dodge Hornet by almost 8 to one during 2023.