Compare the2026 Jeep CherokeeVS 2025 Dodge Hornet

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 Cherokee 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 Jeep Cherokee’s optional 360-degree camera has 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 Cherokee 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.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Cherokee for 2 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 2 visits). Dodge doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Hornet.

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

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

The Cherokee has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Hornet R/T’s standard fuel tank (13.7 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Cherokee 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.

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

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

The Cherokee 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Cherokee’s wheelbase is 9.2 inches longer than on the Hornet (113 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Cherokee is 2 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Hornet.

For greater off-road capability the Cherokee has a 1.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Hornet R/T (8 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Cherokee uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Hornet doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Cherokee uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Hornet doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Cherokee has 9.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Hornet (107.4 vs. 98).

The Cherokee has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front hip room and 1.9 inches more front shoulder room than the Hornet.

The front step up height for the Cherokee is 1.3 inches lower than the Hornet (18.5” vs. 19.8”).

The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Hornet with its rear seat up (33.6 vs. 27 cubic feet). The Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Hornet with its rear seat folded (68.3 vs. 54.7 cubic feet).

The Cherokee’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Hornet’s (3500 vs. 2000 pounds).

The Cherokee Limited/Overland’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.

Both the Cherokee and the Hornet offer available heated front seats. The Cherokee Overland 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 Cherokee Overland has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Hornet doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.