2023 Dodge Hornet vs 2022 Honda Passport

The 2022 Honda Passport's new styling closely resembled the Honda Ridgeline pickup truck, especially from the doors forward. This similarity was due to the shared vehicle platform that Honda also used for the Odyssey minivan and the Pilot three-row SUV. Essentially, the Passport was a shorter version of the Pilot, minus the third-row seat and with different styling. Honda aimed to give the Passport a tougher look with its new nose design, which was applied across all three trim levels: EX-L, TrailSport, and Elite. The TrailSport trim, new for 2022, was designed to appeal to off-road enthusiasts, featuring standard all-wheel drive, 8.1 inches of ground clearance, and traction management driving modes for various conditions.

In contrast, the 2023 Dodge Hornet showcased unmistakable Dodge DNA with its muscle-car styling cues, including a wide "raccoon mask" face, bulging hood, and dual extractors. The rear end, however, bore a resemblance to the Porsche Macan or Cayenne, giving it a more premium feel. The Hornet was based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale and built in Italy, which might have been a shift for Dodge brand loyalists. The standard silver 17-inch wheels were a point of contention, but the available Blacktop and Track Pack packages offered more appealing options. Dodge continued its tradition of "High Impact Paint" with seven vibrant exterior color options.

The 2022 Honda Passport retained its 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The SUV offered both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) options, with the latter being standard on the TrailSport and Elite trims. The V6 engine was praised for its smooth performance, and the Passport's fuel economy was rated at 22 mpg combined for FWD and 21 mpg for AWD. The i-VTM4 AWD system provided mechanical torque vectoring, delivering up to 70 percent of the engine's power to a single rear wheel when necessary. The Passport excelled on paved roads with its firm ride, athletic handling, and responsive steering, though its brakes showed some weakness on mountain descents.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet boasted "best-in-class performance" with its Hurricane 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, generating 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. This outperformed most competitors, with only the Mazda CX-30 coming close. The Hornet's Sport mode enhanced throttle response, steering, and upshifts, achieving a 0-60 mph time of 6.5 seconds. The base Hornet GT was peppy and responsive at lower speeds, though it exhibited some lag when accelerating from cruising speeds. The available Track Pack and Direct Connection parts offered further performance enhancements.

The 2022 Honda Passport featured large doors and a low step-in height, making it easy to enter and exit. The front seats were large and comfortable, with standard leather upholstery and heated seats. The Elite trim added ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. Rear passengers enjoyed ample legroom, headroom, and a slightly elevated seating position. The Passport offered generous storage options, including a massive center console storage bin and various door panel shelves. Cargo space was also impressive, with 41.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 77.7 cubic feet with the back seat folded down.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet's GT Plus trim featured more comfortable leather seats with four-way powered lumbar adjustment and two memory settings. The Track Pack offered Alcantara seats with similar adjustability. The cockpit layout was driver-oriented, with the center stack and digital gauge cluster angled toward the driver. Visibility was generally good, though the A-pillar design could obstruct the view of oncoming traffic from the right. The front passenger seat matched the driver's for adjustability, and both seats were heated and ventilated in the GT Plus trim.

The 2022 Honda Passport's infotainment system included an 8-inch touchscreen display, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite radio. The TrailSport trim added a navigation system, while the Elite trim featured a 10-speaker premium sound system and HondaLink connected services, including a WiFi hotspot. The system had shortcut buttons for easy navigation, though the lack of a stereo tuning knob was a minor inconvenience. The Passport's navigation system was clunky, making Apple CarPlay a preferred alternative. Wireless smartphone charging was standard, but the overall technology was not particularly advanced.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet's cockpit featured a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.25-inch touchscreen angled toward the driver. The Uconnect 5 system was intuitive and easy to use, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, dual-phone Bluetooth connectivity, and Amazon Alexa connectivity. The GT Plus trim added a 14-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, wireless charging pad, and navigation. The navigation system worked well, though it occasionally continued giving instructions after the route was ended.

The 2022 Honda Passport came with the Honda Sensing suite of driver aids, including adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. Additional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high-beam headlights, a rear-seat reminder system, and a seatbelt reminder system. However, some functions, like lane-departure warning and lane-centering assist, were less refined and could be intrusive. The Passport received five-star ratings from the NHTSA in most categories but earned four stars for front passenger protection and rollover resistance. The IIHS gave it top ratings in most respects, with an Acceptable rating for front-passenger protection in a small overlap collision.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet included standard advanced driver-assistance features such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, a rear backup camera, and a rear park-assist system. The Tech Pack added front, side, and rear park-assist, driver-attention monitoring, and a 360-degree surround-view camera. It also enabled Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities, including lane-centering, intelligent speed assist, and intelligent adaptive cruise control with traffic-sign recognition and stop & go functionality. The Hornet had not yet been evaluated by the IIHS or NHTSA.