Compare the2026 Acura ADXVS 2025 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Acura ADX 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 ADX 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 Acura ADX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Hornet doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the ADX deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The ADX’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Hornet’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Acura ADX achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Dodge Hornet has not been tested.

Both the ADX 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Acura ADX achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2025 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated moderate overlap front 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 2025.

The ADX 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.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the ADX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Dodge covers the Hornet. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Hornet ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

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

The ADX has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (14 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

The ADX stops shorter than the Hornet:

For better traction, the ADX has larger standard tires than the Hornet (225/55R18 vs. 215/60R17).

The ADX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Hornet GT’s standard 60 series tires.

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

The ADX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Hornet doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The ADX 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 ADX A-Spec AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the Hornet GT pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the ADX’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the Hornet R/T’s (37 feet vs. 37.9 feet). The ADX’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Hornet GT’s (37 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the ADX has a 1.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (7.3 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the ADX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Acura ADX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 550 pounds less than the Dodge Hornet.

The front grille of the ADX 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 ADX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Hornet doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The ADX has .2 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

The ADX has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (55.1 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the ADX easier. The ADX’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27 inches, while the Hornet’s liftover is 31.8 inches.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Dodge. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 28% lower rating, Dodge is ranked 26th.

The ADX A-Spec’s optional easy exit feature 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 ADX 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.

When the ADX 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.

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

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

The Acura ADX outsold the Dodge Hornet by over two to one during 2025.