Compare the2026 Mazda CX-5VS 2025 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-5 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. 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 CX-5 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 Mazda CX-5 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.

The CX-5 has a standard Secondary Collision Reduction System, 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 CX-5 and Hornet have Rear Cross Traffic Alert, but the CX-5 has Smart Braking Support - Rear Crossing (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Hornet’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the CX-5 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.

On the EPA test cycle the CX-5 gets better fuel mileage than the Hornet GT running its gasoline engine (24 city/30 hwy vs. 21 city/29 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Mazda CX-5 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Hornet requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The CX-5 has 4.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (15.3 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The CX-5 has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet GT’s standard fuel tank (15.3 vs. 13.5 gallons).

For better stopping power the CX-5’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Hornet:

For better traction, the CX-5 has larger tires than the Hornet (225/65R17 vs. 215/60R17).

The CX-5 has engine 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CX-5’s wheelbase is 6.9 inches longer than on the Hornet (110.7 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-5 is 1 inch wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Hornet.

For better maneuverability, the CX-5’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Hornet R/T’s (36.8 feet vs. 37.9 feet). The CX-5’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the Hornet GT’s (36.8 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the CX-5 S/Select has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the CX-5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The CX-5 Preferred/Premium’s minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the Hornet GT (8.2 vs. 8 inches).

The CX-5 has 8.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Hornet (106.5 vs. 98).

The CX-5 has .9 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 1.9 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CX-5’s rear seats recline. The Hornet’s rear seats don’t recline.

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Hornet with its rear seat up (33.7 vs. 27 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (66.5 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the CX-5 easier. The CX-5’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.5 inches, while the Hornet’s liftover is 31.8 inches.

The CX-5’s cargo area is larger than the Hornet’s in every dimension:

The CX-5 Preferred/Premium’s standard Entry/Exit Assist 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.

The CX-5 Preferred/Premium has a standard heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Hornet doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CX-5 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 CX-5 Premium Plus’ 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.

When the CX-5 Preferred/Premium is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Hornet’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the CX-5 and the Hornet offer available heated front seats. The CX-5 Premium 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 Mazda CX-5 outsold the Dodge Hornet by almost 15 to one during 2025.