Compare the2026 Nissan RogueVS 2025 Dodge Hornet

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Rogue 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 Rogue 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 Nissan Rogue 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 Rogue Platinum 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.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Nissan Rogue 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 Rogue 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, plastic fuel tanks, 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 Nissan Rogue 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.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Rogue has a standard 720-amp battery. The Hornet’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 Rogue’s reliability 31 points higher than the Hornet.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Rogue third among compact suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Hornet isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 7th.

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

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

The Rogue has 3.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Rogue has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Hornet GT’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 13.5 gallons).

The Rogue 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.

The Rogue’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 Rogue stops much shorter than the Hornet:

For better traction, the Rogue has larger tires than the Hornet (235/65R17 vs. 215/60R17).

The Rogue 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 Rogue 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 Rogue’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the Hornet (106.5 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

The Rogue Platinum handles at .84 G’s, while the Hornet GT pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Rogue’s turning circle is 2.5 feet tighter than the Hornet R/T’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.9 feet). The Rogue’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Hornet GT’s (35.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rogue has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8.2 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Rogue to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Rogue’s minimum ground clearance is .2 inch higher than on the Hornet GT (8.2 vs. 8 inches).

The Nissan Rogue may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 400 pounds less than the Dodge Hornet.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Rogue Platinum is quieter than the Hornet GT:

The Rogue has 7.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Hornet (105.4 vs. 98).

The Rogue has 2.3 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, .5 inches more rear legroom and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Hornet.

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

The front step up height for the Rogue is 2.2 inches lower than the Hornet (17.6” vs. 19.8”). The Rogue’s rear step up height is 1.2 inches lower than the Hornet’s (18.5” vs. 19.7”).

The Rogue has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Hornet with its rear seat up (36.5 vs. 27 cubic feet). The Rogue has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (74.1 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Rogue easier. The Rogue’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.4 inches, while the Hornet’s liftover is 31.8 inches.

The Rogue’s cargo area is larger than the Hornet’s in every dimension:

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Rogue Platinum’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Hornet doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Rogue Platinum’s standard easy entry system 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 Rogue Platinum offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Rogue 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.

Consumer Reports rated the Rogue’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Hornet’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Rogue to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Hornet doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Rogue with available tilt-down mirrors 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 Rogue and the Hornet offer available heated front seats. The Rogue Platinum 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 Rogue is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Hornet doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Rogue first among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Hornet isn’t in the top three.

The Nissan Rogue outsold the Dodge Hornet by over 23 to one during 2025.