Compare the2024 Dodge HornetVS 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Hornet are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Hornet has standard Automatic Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Land Cruiser doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Hornet uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Land Cruiser uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Hornet and the Land Cruiser have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

There are almost 2 times as many Dodge dealers as there are Toyota dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Hornet’s warranty.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 54 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 22nd, below the industry average.

On the EPA test cycle the Hornet R/T running on electricity gets better mileage than the Land Cruiser (77 city/77 hwy MPGe vs. 22 city/25 hwy).

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

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Hornet’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Hornet has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Dodge Hornet, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Land Cruiser.

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 Land Cruiser 1958’s standard 70 series tires. The Hornet’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Land Cruiser’s optional 60 series tires.

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 Land Cruiser’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better maneuverability, the Hornet R/T’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Land Cruiser’s (37.9 feet vs. 40 feet). The Hornet GT’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Land Cruiser’s (38 feet vs. 40 feet).

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

The Dodge Hornet may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 900 to 1300 pounds less than the Toyota Land Cruiser.

The Hornet is 1 foot, 3.8 inches shorter than the Land Cruiser, making the Hornet easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Hornet is 5.5 inches narrower than the Land Cruiser, making the Hornet easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Hornet is 13.1 inches shorter in height than the Land Cruiser, making the Hornet much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the Hornet’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Land Cruiser doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Hornet has 2.7 inches more front headroom, 8.7 inches more front legroom, 2.9 inches more rear headroom and 11.3 inches more rear legroom than the Land Cruiser.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Hornet’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Hornet uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Land Cruiser 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.

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

The Hornet’s optional ParkSense Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer an automated parking system.