2023 Dodge Hornet vs 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid

The 2023 Dodge Hornet showcased a front end that unmistakably displayed Dodge DNA, featuring muscle-car styling cues like the wide, mean “raccoon mask” face, bulging hood, dual extractors, and the classic Dodge “mail slot” beneath the illuminated Rhombi logo. From the rear, the Hornet’s taillights spanned the vehicle’s width, ensuring it was easily recognizable. However, from the side and rear quarter, the Hornet resembled a Porsche Macan or Cayenne, which lent it a more premium feel, thanks to its Alfa Romeo Tonale roots. The standard silver 17-inch wheels looked cheap from afar, but the Blacktop and Track Pack packages offered more appealing wheel options. The Hornet came in seven vibrant exterior colors, continuing Dodge’s “High Impact Paint” tradition.

Inside, the Hornet featured standard red stitching accents and a flat-bottomed steering wheel, emphasizing its performance-inspired roots. The base GT trim had six-way manual-adjust black cloth seats, while the GT Plus offered eight-way power-adjustable black or red perforated leather seats. The Track Pack’s Alcantara seats with red accents were the raciest option. The sunroof was available only on the GT Plus trim.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid, redesigned for 2023, was visually similar to the standard RX 350, with only a badge on the liftgate distinguishing the RX 350h. The RX 500h F Sport Performance stood out with its blacked-out grille, matte-black 21-inch wheels, and aggressive bumper designs. The RX models had a blunt-nosed design, with a wheelbase stretch that reduced the rear overhang, making the new RX look smaller despite being about the same size as the outgoing model. Inside, the RX adopted a cleaner, more minimalistic appearance with fewer switches and a new Lexus Interface infotainment system. The RX 350h Luxury test vehicle featured Macadamia semi-aniline leather and Ash Bamboo wood trim, while the RX 500h F Sport Performance had an all-black interior with artificial suede and dark gray aluminum trim. The RX 500h also offered Rioja Red upholstery for a splash of contrast.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet boasted “best-in-class performance” with its Hurricane 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, producing 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. This outperformed competitors like the Chevy Trailblazer, Honda HR-V, and Hyundai Kona. The Hornet’s Sport mode sharpened throttle responses, tightened steering, and optimized upshifts, achieving a zero-to-60 time of 6.5 seconds. The base Hornet GT was peppy from a standstill but exhibited significant lag when accelerating from cruising speeds. The Hornet R/T’s hybrid powertrain improved pickup pace.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid offered a more efficient powertrain with the RX 350h, expected to average 36 mpg in combined driving. The RX 350h produced 246 hp and 233 lb-ft of torque from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, accelerating to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. The RX 500h F Sport Performance, with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and Direct4 AWD system, delivered 366 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, reaching 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. The RX 500h featured an adaptive damping suspension, Dynamic Rear Steering system, and Active Sound Control for a more engaging driving experience. However, accessing drive modes required navigating the infotainment system, and the RX 500h’s fuel economy fell short of its estimated 27 mpg, averaging 20.9 mpg during testing. The RX 350h averaged 32 mpg, making it a more fuel-efficient option.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet’s GT Plus trim offered more comfortable leather seats with four-way powered lumbar adjustment and two memory settings. The Track Pack added Alcantara seats with similar features. The front passenger seat matched the driver’s for adjustability, though it lacked memory function. Both seats were heated and ventilated in the GT Plus trim. The driver-oriented cockpit layout favored the driver, with screen positioning and control placements feeling natural. However, the A-pillar’s angle occasionally obstructed the view of traffic from the right.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid’s RX 350h Luxury trim featured ten-way power-adjustable front seats with premium leather, standard seat heating and ventilation, and three-zone automatic climate control. The RX 500h F Sport Performance had eight-way power-adjustable front seats with larger side bolsters and standard-grade leather. The hybrids’ battery packs were housed under the back seat, providing excellent leg support but tight rear headroom. The new RX offered 29.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and 46.2 cubic feet with the back seat folded down, a significant improvement over the old model.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet 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 verbal instructions after ending the route.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid introduced a new infotainment system, Lexus Interface, which required activation of connected services plans for full functionality. The system included Service Connect, Wi-Fi Connect, Safety Connect, Remote Connect, and Drive Connect with a cloud-based navigation system and Intelligent Assistant. The touchscreen’s size was appreciated, but it could only display one menu at a time, and it suffered from reflections. The available head-up display had dual-function touch-sensing control pads on the steering wheel, which were unmarked and distracting to use, especially with polarized sunglasses.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet came standard with advanced driver-assistance features, including 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 “ParkView” surround-view camera, enabling Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities. The Hornet had not yet been evaluated by the IIHS or NHTSA.

The 2023 Lexus RX Hybrid featured Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, including motorcycle detection, evasive steering assistance, intersection turn assistance with front cross-traffic alert, and curve-speed reduction for adaptive cruise control. Proactive Driving Assist automatically slowed the RX to maintain a safe following distance or speed on descents. The front cross-traffic alert system provided visual indicators on the HUD, which were not visible with polarized sunglasses. The curve-speed reduction tech was reactive, and the driver monitoring system could be blocked by one-handed driving. The RX also offered Traffic Jam Assist for low-speed, hands-free driving and Advanced Park for semi-autonomous parking.