Compare the2025 Subaru ForesterVS 2024 Dodge Hornet

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

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 Forester are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Hornet doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Forester 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, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 118 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is rated below average.

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 Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Hornet doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

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

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

The Forester 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 Forester 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 Forester higher (7 out of 10) than the Dodge Hornet (6 to 7). This means the Forester produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Hornet every 15,000 miles.

The Forester 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.

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

The Forester’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 Forester stops shorter than the Hornet:

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

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

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Hornet R/T’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.9 feet). The Forester’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 Forester has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8.7 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Forester to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Forester’s minimum ground clearance is .6 inch higher than on the Hornet GT (8.7 vs. 8.1 inches).

The Subaru Forester may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 500 pounds less than the Dodge Hornet.

The front grille of the Forester 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 Forester has 12.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Hornet (110.8 vs. 98).

The Forester has 2.4 inches more front headroom, 1.6 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 1.4 inches more rear legroom, .2 inches more rear hip room and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring’s rear seats recline. The Hornet’s rear seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Forester is 4.3 inches lower than the Hornet (15.5” vs. 19.8”). The Forester’s rear step up height is 2.4 inches lower than the Hornet’s (17.25” vs. 19.7”).

The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Hornet with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 27 cubic feet). The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (74.4 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Forester easier. The Forester’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.9 inches, while the Hornet’s liftover is 31.8 inches.

The Forester’s cargo area is larger than the Hornet’s in every dimension:

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Forester Limited/Touring’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Hornet doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Forester uses the Vehicle Dynamics Control 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.

The engine in the Forester 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Dodge. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 44% lower rating, Dodge is ranked 27th.

The Forester Touring’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Hornet doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Forester has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Hornet only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Hornet’s optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Forester’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.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Forester to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Hornet doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Forester Touring is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Hornet’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Forester’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.

Both the Forester and the Hornet offer available heated front seats. The Forester Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Hornet.

The Subaru Forester outsold the Dodge Hornet by over 16 to one during 2023.