Compare the2025 Mercedes GLCVS 2025 Dodge Hornet

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLC 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 GLC’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Hornet doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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 GLC 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.

The GLC has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Hornet doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The GLC has standard Post-Collision Brake, 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.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The GLC offers optional Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Hornet doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

Both the GLC and Hornet have rear cross-traffic warning, but the GLC has Active Brake Assist (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 GLC 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes GLC 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.

Warranty

The GLC comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Hornet’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Dodge vehicles. With 95 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Dodge.

Engine

The GLC 350e’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 25 more horsepower (313 vs. 288) and 23 lbs.-ft. more torque (406 vs. 383) than the Hornet R/T’s standard 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the GLC 300 is faster than the Hornet GT 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	GLC	Hornet
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	14.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.8 MPH	91.9 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
GLC
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/31 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/28 hwy
Hornet
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy

The GLC 350e can travel with zero emissions on electricity, only, on a full charge for 54 miles. The Hornet R/T has to start its internal combustion engine after only 32 miles.

The GLC 350e’s standard fuel tank has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (12.9 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The GLC’s standard fuel tank has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet GT’s standard fuel tank (16.4 vs. 13.5 gallons).

The GLC has a standard locking fuel door and a locking charge port on the 350e which lock and unlock with the power locks. The Hornet doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and a locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	GLC	Hornet
Front Rotors	13.5 inches	12.1 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	10.9 inches

The GLC’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 GLC stops much shorter than the Hornet:

	GLC	Hornet
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	124 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GLC has larger standard tires than the Hornet (235/60R18 vs. 215/60R17). The GLC’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Hornet (255/45R20 vs. 235/40R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLC has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Hornet GT.

Suspension and Handling

The GLC has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Hornet doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The GLC has vehicle speed sensitive 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.

The GLC’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Hornet doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLC’s wheelbase is 9.3 inches longer than on the Hornet (113.1 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GLC is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Hornet.

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Hornet GT pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the GLC has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8.2 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the GLC to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The GLC’s minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the Hornet GT (8.2 vs. 8 inches).

Passenger Space

The GLC has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 4.7 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 4.8 inches more rear hip room and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the GLC’s rear seats recline. The Hornet’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The GLC has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (56.3 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

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

	GLC	Hornet
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	39.1”/67.4”	31.8”/62”
Height	29.2”	27”

Pressing a button automatically lowers the GLC’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Hornet doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GLC. The Hornet doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The GLC’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Hornet’s (3500 vs. 2000 pounds).

Optional Trailer Stability Assist on the GLC uses the Electronic Stability Program 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.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the GLC 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.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Hornet, the GLC has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLC’s standard easy entry and exit feature raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Hornet doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The GLC offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Hornet doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The GLC’s standard Keyless-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Enter-N-Go standard on the Hornet doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLC to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Hornet doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

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

When the GLC 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 GLC’s standard 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.

The GLC has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Hornet. The GLC also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Hornet.

The Mercedes GLC has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Dodge charges extra for Homelink® on the Hornet.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLC has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Hornet.

The GLC’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Hornet’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Model Availability

The GLC is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Hornet doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Motor Trend selected the GLC as their 2017 Sport Utility of the Year. The Hornet has never been chosen.

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Dodge Hornet by over four to one during 2023.

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