Compare the2023 Toyota Corolla CrossVS 2023 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Corolla Cross 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 Corolla Cross has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies 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.

Both the Corolla Cross 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Corolla Cross its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Hornet has not been tested, yet.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Corolla Cross for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication 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’ reliability 66 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.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Corolla Cross uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Hornet requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Corolla Cross FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (12.4 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Corolla Cross 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 maneuverability, the Corolla Cross’ turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Hornet’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Corolla Cross has a 2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8.1 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Corolla Cross to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Corolla Cross may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 800 pounds less than the Dodge Hornet.

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

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Corolla Cross XLE offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Hornet doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Toyota Corolla comes in sedan, four door hatchback and four door bodystyles; the Dodge Hornet isn’t available as a sedan or four door hatchback.

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

Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Corolla Cross as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.