Compare the2026 BMW X3VS 2025 Dodge Hornet

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the BMW X3 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.

The X3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Hornet doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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 X3 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 BMW X3 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 X3 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Hornet doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The X3 has a standard PostCrash iBrake, 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.

The BMW X3’s optional Surround View offers available integrated front and rear camera washers, ensuring clear, all-weather visibility without the need for manual cleaning. In contrast, the Dodge Hornet lacks camera washers, requiring you to manually clean the cameras for optimal performance.

Both the X3 and Hornet have rear cross-traffic warning, but the X3 has Cross Traffic Warning with braking function (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 X3 and the Hornet have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, 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.

Warranty

The X3 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.

The X3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Hornet’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X3 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Dodge doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Hornet.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the X3’s reliability 46 points higher than the Hornet.

Engine

The X3 M50 xDrive’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 105 more horsepower (393 vs. 288) and 45 lbs.-ft. more torque (428 vs. 383) than the Hornet R/T’s standard 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the X3 30 xDrive 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Hornet GT 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	X3	Hornet
Zero to 60 MPH	6 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	14.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.5 MPH	91.9 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the X3 M50 xDrive 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Hornet R/T 1.3 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid:

	X3	Hornet
Zero to 60 MPH	4 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	12.6 sec	14.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	109.7 MPH	96.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the X3 gets better mileage than the Hornet running its gasoline engine:

			MPG
X3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	27 city/33 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/30 hwy
Hornet
	AWD	1.3 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	29 city/29 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy

The X3 has 6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (17.2 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The X3 has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet GT’s standard fuel tank (17.2 vs. 13.5 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the BMW X3 higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Dodge Hornet (5 to 6). This means the X3 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Hornet every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The X3 M50’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Hornet doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the X3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Hornet:

	X3 30 xDrive	X3 M50 xDrive	Hornet GT	Hornet R/T
Front Rotors	13 inches	13.7 inches	12.1 inches	13.5 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.5 inches	10.9 inches	12.1 inches

The X3’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.

The X3 stops much shorter than the Hornet:

	X3	Hornet
70 to 0 MPH	155 feet	177 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	108 feet	124 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the X3 has larger standard tires than the Hornet (245/50R19 vs. 215/60R17). The X3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Hornet (F:255/40R21 & R:285/35R21 vs. 235/40R20).

The X3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Hornet GT’s standard 60 series tires. The X3’s optional 285/35R21 rear tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Hornet’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X3 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Hornet GT. The X3’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Hornet.

Suspension and Handling

The X3 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X3’s wheelbase is 9 inches longer than on the Hornet (112.8 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the X3 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Hornet.

The X3 30 xDrive handles at .91 G’s, while the Hornet GT pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The X3 M50 xDrive executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.3 seconds quicker than the Hornet GT (25.3 seconds @ .76 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the X3 M50 xDrive has a 2.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8.3 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the X3 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The X3 30 xDrive’s minimum ground clearance is .5 inch higher than on the Hornet GT (8.5 vs. 8 inches).

Passenger Space

The X3 has 3.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Hornet (101.4 vs. 98).

The X3 has 1.7 inches more front headroom, 5.6 inches more front hip room, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 4.6 inches more rear hip room and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the X3’s rear seats recline. The Hornet’s rear seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the X3 is 1.3 inches lower than the Hornet (18.5” vs. 19.8”). The X3’s rear step up height is 1.2 inches lower than the Hornet’s (18.5” vs. 19.7”).

Cargo Capacity

The X3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Hornet with its rear seat up (31.5 vs. 27 cubic feet). The X3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (67.1 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the X3’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 X3. The Hornet doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The X3’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Hornet’s (4001 vs. 2000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Dodge Hornet is only 2000 pounds. The X3 offers up to a 4850 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stabilization Control on the X3 uses the Dynamic Stability 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.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the X3 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.

Ergonomics

The X3 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts 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.

The X3’s standard Comfort Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Enter-N-Go standard on the Hornet doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the X3 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Hornet doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Hornet’s optional cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The X3’s optional 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 X3 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Hornet doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the X3 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 X3’s standard 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 X3 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Hornet. The X3 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Hornet.

The BMW X3 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Dodge charges extra for Homelink® on the Hornet.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW X3 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Hornet.

The X3’s Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote Control Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Hornet’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the BMW X3, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Dodge Hornet isn't recommended.

The BMW X3 outsold the Dodge Hornet by over three to one during 2024.

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