Compare the2026 Subaru CrosstrekVS 2025 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek 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 Subaru Crosstrek’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Dodge Hornet does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Crosstrek 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.

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 Crosstrek’s reliability 45 points higher than the Hornet.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek gets better mileage than the Hornet running its gasoline engine:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Crosstrek uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Hornet requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek higher (6 out of 10) than the Dodge Hornet (5 to 6). This means the Crosstrek produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Hornet every 15,000 miles.

The Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Hornet:

The Crosstrek’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 Crosstrek stops shorter than the Hornet:

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Crosstrek’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Hornet (104.9 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

The Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek Wilderness’ turning circle is 3.1 feet tighter than the Hornet R/T’s (34.8 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8.7 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.3 inches higher than on the Hornet GT (9.3 vs. 8 inches).

The Subaru Crosstrek may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 450 pounds less than the Dodge Hornet.

The front grille of the Crosstrek 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.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Crosstrek Limited is quieter than the Hornet GT:

The Crosstrek has 2.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Hornet (100.5 vs. 98).

The Crosstrek 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, 1.7 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

The front step up height for the Crosstrek is 2.3 inches lower than the Hornet (17.5” vs. 19.8”). The Crosstrek’s rear step up height is 1.7 inches lower than the Hornet’s (18” vs. 19.7”).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Crosstrek easier. The Crosstrek’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.7 inches, while the Hornet’s liftover is 31.8 inches.

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

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Dodge Hornet is limited to 2000 pounds. The Crosstrek offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the Crosstrek 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 third in service department satisfaction. With a 39% lower rating, Dodge is ranked 26th.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek’s exterior PIN entry system. The Hornet doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek’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 Crosstrek’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® chose the Subaru Crosstrek as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Dodge Hornet isn't recommended.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2024 issue and they ranked the Subaru Crosstrek higher than the Dodge Hornet GT.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Dodge Hornet by almost 9 to one during 2024.