Compare the2026 Subaru OutbackVS 2025 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Outback 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 Outback 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 Outback’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 Outback 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Outback lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Hornet doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Outback 2.5i 2.5 DOHC flat-4 gets better fuel mileage than the Hornet GT running its gasoline engine (25 city/31 hwy vs. 21 city/29 hwy).

The Outback has 6.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (18 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Outback has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet GT’s standard fuel tank (18 vs. 13.5 gallons).

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

The Outback’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.

For better traction, the Outback has larger tires than the Hornet (225/65R17 vs. 215/60R17).

The Outback Wilderness has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Hornet; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Outback’s wheelbase is 4.3 inches longer than on the Hornet (108.1 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Hornet R/T’s (36.5 feet vs. 37.9 feet). The Outback’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Hornet GT’s (36.5 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Outback has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8.7 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Outback to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Outback Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.5 inches higher than on the Hornet GT (9.5 vs. 8 inches).

The front grille of the Outback 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 Outback has 14.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Hornet (112.3 vs. 98).

The Outback has 2.2 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear headroom, 1.5 inches more rear legroom, 1.6 inches more rear hip room and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

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

The front step up height for the Outback is .8 inches lower than the Hornet (19” vs. 19.8”). The Outback’s rear step up height is 1.2 inches lower than the Hornet’s (18.5” vs. 19.7”).

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Hornet with its rear seat up (34.6 vs. 27 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (80.5 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Outback easier. The Outback’s trunk lift-over height is 28.3 inches, while the Hornet’s liftover is 31.8 inches.

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

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Outback’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 Outback. The Hornet doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Outback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Hornet’s (2700 vs. 2000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Dodge Hornet is only 2000 pounds. The Outback offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Outback 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 Outback 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 Outback’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 Outback 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 Outback’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 Outback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Hornet doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Outback with available tilt-down mirrors 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 Outback’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.

The Outback has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Hornet. The Outback Limited/Touring/Wilderness 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 Outback outsold the Dodge Hornet by over 8 to one during 2024.