Dodge Hornet | A Stinging Sensation
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2024
- We drive and review the 2024 Dodge Hornet Plug in Hybrid to determine if this SUV is a worthy option. After a long history of V8 powered monsters from Dodge they enter an era now competing with brands who have mastered the affordable family segment with little drama. Will the old Dodge mentality work here or is this a lost cause? Others to consider are Mazda CX30, CX5 Honda CRV, HRV, Toyota RAV4, Corolla Cross, Nissan Rogue, and Chevy Equinox.
#cars #engineering #technology
Index:
00:00 Interior and Exterior
3:44 Mechanical Impressions
9:08 Driving Impressions and Philosophy
19:30 Final Thoughts 
Авто/Мото
plastic sway bar link, plastic key structural components... A true Stellantis craftsmanship.
Imagine paying for an Alfa Romeo and getting the same
Ready to hit EU market.
@@WhiteLivesMatterPL Why do you think as a Eurofag i only buy Honda.
HELL YEA BR0THERR VRTHNG SHULD BE MADE OF METAL LIKE GOD INTENDED
But seriously plastic sway bar links are used in subarus, corvettes, ford SHOs, etc. they're strong as hell because they're fiber reinforced.
@@bleebleblahble8833 bruh...didn't you hear the Alfa owners all tell you it's not a design issue it's just people being haters.
Could be a pleasant surprise as a rental car assignment.
Last thing I want is car problems while trying to relax on vacation.
I got a not so pleasant surprise in 2020 renting a dodge charger with less than 2k miles when the bluetooth stopped working after the 1st day and I had that particular car for a week. Radio music is miserable....
Exactly what I thought. As long as I don’t have to pay when this inevitably breaks at 20k miles, it would probably be a fun little car 😂
@@gordonmccracken1209no worse than spending hours charging your Tesla or Polestar rental while on vacation.
@@gordonmccracken1209 you lads seem to live in this delusional world where these cars can't drive 5 miles without breaking down. I did 1000km in 3 days in Switzerland last April in a Tonale and it was perfectly reliable and well built. The likelihood of this leaving you stranded is incredibly low.
Even the most unreliable vehicles these days are quite reliable. I think BMWs are junk relative to Toyota but I know that they are very unlikely to leave me stranded if I rent one for a week or two. These are the same.
This is the beginning of the end for Dodge. They had a, somewhat, solid run.
You mean you don't want an electric Durango?!
Not really beginning. The beginning was a decision to move upmarket. Lets see how many they'll be able to sell to rental car companies.
@@johnnymichael1804I want an electric charger tho. But I think they’ll be releasing Daytona ev first
gouvernement will bailout them for the 5th time
beginning? it's about 40 years past the end of the end
Quality FIAT engineering sure to provide dozens of miles of trouble free driving. Bravo Stellantis.
yeah right
FIAT=Fix It Again Tony!
As a professional entomologist of 12 years, I only drive cars with bug-themed name schemes. When I found myself cross shopping a Hornet and the yellow Bumblebee spec Camaro from Transformers 2, I ended up choosing a Ford Lightning due to its superior visibility and customizable engine noise.
Epic...lol. Classic.
Mr Entomologist, a Hornet is not a bug. True bugs are those from the order of Hemiptera while hornets are order Hymenoptera.
I’m sure Mark would have corrected you sooner or later.
Oh yeah the Lightning is my favorite bug…
@@BrainFuck10 Lightning Bug dude
I'm hoping Dodge makes a Fiat version called the honey bee lol
Price is the Hornet’s detriment. When similar vehicles are cheaper and more reliable, the Hornet is a sure hard sell. Even an inflated rav4 is a better deal than this.
Also Toyota Reliability vs Dodge Reliability makes this a hard sell to people that care about that as well. When they said the price I was shocked… in Canada that car will be over$50k, I can get a new CX-5 for under $40k after tax
It's true. I don't even really like Toyota, but I tell anybody looking for a car in this class to go RAV4. It's not the most exciting or advanced, but it'll always work.
The Buick Envista, which seems to be similar size and market segment looks better and is cheaper. I think that would be the play between the two. After my wife's Durango and my Grand Cherokee, I learned my lesson buying Mopar.
@Pumpkinfish12 isn't the Envista made in China? Buick is very popular amongst the Chinese, which is why GM sadly axed Pontiac.
The thing about Stellantis products (and the Big 3 in general) is that they use the department store pricing model of constant sales, which makes the car's MSRP a bad barometer of its value proposition. But for a blip during the pandemic, when all new cars became unobtanium, the Big 3 have moved the metal by putting money on the hood, both in direct sales incentives (rebates, low rate financing, etc.) and factory to dealer incentives that allow the dealers to aggressively discount from MSRP.
Meanwhile, at Toyota, Honda and Mazda stores, the product sells itself, at or near sticker, likely with mandatory useless add-ons and market rate financing. All of which makes the MSRP a bad indicator of their value proposition. A larded up $40,000 CR-V or RAV4, is, real-world, five grand more, out the door, than a similarly tarted up "$40,000" Dodge Hornet.
As a car hauler, we have a rule for the Hornet. Minimally interact with it, we've had far too many die on our trucks from electronic failures.
Juuuust like the dart before it....tisk tisk tisk...
Such as?
@@matthewp9015 TFL did a 4wd roller test on it and all the lights on the dash lit up
@@matthewp9015 He stated he hauls them, not work on them.
See the difference ?
@@paulg7964 yes… but still seems to know what’s causing these brand-new cars to “die” before customers even get them.
Reading the online horror stories of first deliveries has been fun with this thing.
Source?
Online apparently. What are you concerned about someone not appreciating stellantis vehicles?
“thing” 🤣
@@goncalo33source? He made it up. I struggle to find horror stories
The discussion about Dodge's future was way more interesting than the car, which is a hard pass
It certainly looks nice. It's unfortunate that the reliability based on history won't be there.
You mean the history of Stellantis or the history of Dodge? 😅
@@stayphun6188ouch 😢😂😂😂😂
@@stayphun6188 .... Yes... Lol
I drove my 2001 PT Cruiser for a decade with zero issues. Loved that car and wish I would have kept it, but a dirt cheap Honda Fit fell into my lap from a relative and I had to part with it.
The reliability based on anything won’t be there.
That damn turn signal would drive me absolutely INSANE.
Nissan turn signals are the best
@@povertyspec9651that’s because Nissan owners never use them.
BMW's are now available without turn signal stalks.
@@zephead843 weren't those always optional?
What’s a turn signal? J/K
Leased a Tonale for my wife about 3 months ago, which is in all ways that matter the same vehicle. So far we've had no issues at all aside from the lift gate decided not to open one day after buying groceries, but turning it off and back on solved that. The active drive & safety sensors are very sensitive to direct blinding sunlight, but we did a 2500 mi road trip in it for thanksgiving and it performed quite well overall.
She commented over the weekend just how much she loves the car, she is coming from a Mini Cooper S Manual, the Tonale is sporty enough where we both enjoy being behind the wheel, though we both understand it's NOT a sports car by any stretch and don't expect it to perform like one. If I had to summarize the Hornet / Tonale, it would be a CUV for someone who requires a little more practicality than a sports car (perhaps you've got a kid), but you haven't died inside and still want a vehicle that drives decently well, and would rather kill yourself than own/drive something like a CRV, and either can't afford or don't want / can't fit something like a larger performance SUV.
Shhh you’re not allowed to say positive things about the Tonale, especially from a place of actual ownership experience. You’re shattering the world views of everyone here with their copy+paste opinions.
@@matthewp9015 so I probably shouldn't mention that I've owned 2 other Alfas over the past 6 going on 7 years, which were also similarly problem free?
@@fpnbrian you best be keeping that to yourself…
@@fpnbrian
You had until you said you owned 2 Alfas that were trouble free😅😅😅😅
I don't believe that for one second.
@@tom11zz884 in 2017 I leased a 2018 Stelvio Ti Sport, 2 problems in 3 years, defective fuel pump at brand new, 800 mi on the odometer, and one of the external door lock buttons got stuck depressed. Fuel pump issue was still able to drive to the dealership and got a loaner. Had that for 3 years. Was so happy with the vehicle in 2020 I bought a brand new 2019 (old inventory, thank you covid) Stelvio Quadrifoglio. The only unscheduled trip to the dealership was due to a load of contaminated / bad fuel, the gas station's fuel delivery company paid to have my tank drained and flushed, and new plugs put in. They aren't without querks and features as DeMuro would say, but I'll be damned if they aren't great vehicles to drive. And my wife has been impressed enough now we're a 2 Alfa family. The only genuine complaint I've got is how fast I got through tires on the Quadrifoglio 🤔😉
To me the hornet is what the caliber should have been.
California and CARB standards is why the hornet exist IMO
For real, the CAFE standards were just arbitrarily pulled out of thin air by politicians who knew nothing about automotive engineering. It sets mpg requirements based on wheelbase alone, not vehicle type or coefficient of drag. And the requirements get more restrictive each year. This is why small trucks for the common man were virtually non-existant for a long time and only back now with the hybrid variant being the base commodity trim, to increase the fuel efficiency numbers. It's why trucks are so large in the US, because larger wheelbase vehicles didn't need to hit such ridiculous numbers. It's also why reliable car companies like Honda had to play around with tech that ruined their reliability, like the j series v6 cylinder deactivation. Any time the government gets involved, usually the opposite of their intent is the result.
The Caliber is what the Plymouth variant would have been, if Plymouth survived. It's probably a good thing that Plymouth didn't survive. Going cheaper than Dodge would have led to less and less sales through the Daimler-Chrysler finale and the vampire Cerberus years. I bet the Plymouth PT Cruiser would have died out in 2008 versus the Chrysler PT Cruiser's 2011. The Plymouth Barracuda would have been cool, though.
Honestly it competes with mazda cx30 and Subaru crosstrek. Etc. and the hornet is way worse than it's competitors in almost every way.
We need to abolish CAFE standards and educate everyone on this issue
This is the elephant in the room and its way political and the guys are smart not to bring it up, but we all know america's political class is destroying these industries.
It amazes me that you can option this car to $54,500, what a steal!
It will be a $54k shoe box on wheels.
You're joking right..😂
With tax and fees that's less than 60K, I can finance it for 72 months for only 8.9%, when I retire this car will be only 7 years old, and I'll trade it for a house...even up. Wish me luck!
See you at Mecam in 2030. Bring your house title to the auction. 🤣 🤣 🤣
As a FCA technician, I face palm on the lift points. I don't give them a year before the covers are gone.
I wish they would have just have pegs that poke out of the undershield as the lift points.
As a GT Plus owner of 6 months, I completely understand the argument of “why would one buy this?”. The way it drives and feels is a little boy racer. It’s fast, it’s fun to drive with turbo lag and AWD and launches all day, but the average buyer could not give a crap whatsoever about sport performance and the forums show. When I hear owners talk about it it’s “why is the car so loud on cold start is it broken?” “Why does it delay when I put my foot down?” “Why’s the steering so heavy” like, the CUV market is historically for the “boring” everyday driver who wants A to B with CarPlay.
I feel they succeeded at making a fun-driving car, but people have no clue what the thing is. I get compliments frequently when asked about it, but it’s niche. I even tell my friends looking for a new car, if you want a new car that does it all, get a RAV4 or a CX-5. This is a compromising car that prioritizes fun more than anything else and price wise, they can get up there. I do worry for the longevity and aftermarket support because apparently they move very slowly on dealer lots, but it would be a shame to see it go so quickly when I genuinely enjoy mine.
Great review as always! Been waiting to see y’all’s perspective on it.
I find it interesting, looks good, but I haven't driven it. So far in this category my favourite is the CX5. But I'd really be curious to try this out.
The thing is even if I find it interesting, I'm the person that will never ever buy a CUV or SUV unless I need to. And if I need to because I need it to pull or carry, it's going to be a Land Cruiser or something.
You should also check out Kenny g’s Christmas album
what’s wrong with the Mazda CX30 Turbo? not as fast?
Imagine selling only chargers and challengers for 16 years just to get this turd in the showroom
Let's hope it also doesn't come with the typical Alfa reliability as well.
@@creato938 🙄 it's such nonsense. having owned multiple Alfas over the years I have literally never been left down by one of them. Alfas are better than Audi or BMW in terms of reliability.
Yeah how do you sell this tu”himg
@@MD-uu5nt *talks about how reliable their alfas are, sells them all before 30k miles* 🫵🤡
Still at zero down at 22 percent interest
Stellar review. Not a fan of the product really, but good review and insight into where this brand is going. Looks challenging af.
I think this actually looks pretty good for a small CUV.
I've seen it in person. It does have a decent look to it, but the three available units on my local lot are sticker-priced at $38K, $50K, and $52K.
At those prices, they ain't THAT nice...
Yea its decent looking for sure
Because it's an Alfa Romeo design
@@positively_broad_st3780 At 52K you can get a german.
GTA aesthetics
The lifted SRT4 neon we'v always wanted.
Dart was always a good looking car imo. Too bad they didn't improve on that model
My neighbor had one and it was always broken. Plus they sold poorly.
Had a 2013 Dart Rallye. Drove it from 20k to 108k miles and never had a problem with it. Those cars were awesome. Very handsome, comfortable, good economy, and sold well for a compact Dodge. They got axed so they could make more Jeep Cherokees that sell for more money with higher profit margins. Used Darts have stayed expensive, though, because people who had experience with them knew they were solid. That was true prior to Covid, not just now. It's a shame the domestic manufacturers refuse to put any real effort into truly compact, economical cars. The Dart came along at the wrong time and was killed so Dodge could make more $60k+ commodity SUVs.
Dart peaked in the early 70s
@@TheBigFatTater I have a 2013 Darty Rallye right now as well as my dd, just about to 95k miles. It's got the turbo and a manual too, it's almost like driving a civic si but with a turbo, reliability hasn't been too bad as there haven't been any huge issues but maintenance is somewhat expensive as labor costs to get around the engine for stuff like the timing belt (replacing the valve cover gasket for some reason requires you to also remove the exhaust manifold) are a little high. Still enjoy it, mileage isn't too bad with around 27 mpg around the city, and I do think it's a nice looking car that people always think is newer than it is. Probably won't be selling it soon unless something drastic happens.
Same, I thought it was a nice looking little sedan. I was hoping for them that it would take off like the Neon did 20 years ago, but clearly not.
I remember hearing Dodge was FORCED to bring this car to market to bring down the brands MPG average. Every car Dodge has made since like 2008 has been a POS. Dart, Avenger, 200, and due to that they couldn't afford to keep the v8's around. The Federal penalties were mounting up and the parent company hated it. If Dodge had bothered to make a hybrid Challenger or Charger, and the Hornet and a smaller sedan had been offered they probably could have been able to keep the Hemi. They just shot themselves in the foot refusing to make ANY good vehicle. Its likely why the Mustang is still around while the charger/challenger had to die.
The Dart and 200 were both pretty decent economy cars, especially the 200 with the V6, which was shockingly quick. It also sold like crazy, it was a pretty stupid decision on FCA's part to kill it so quickly.
Also the Charger is not "dead", its being overhauled to have a much more efficient straight 6 engine and an electric option.
The Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200 were decent cars from a reliability and maintenance cost standpoint, particularly the base 4cyl versions which were underrated in terms of overall reliability, both cars were just uncompetitive with the Japanese stuff in virtually every other aspect - I still think they are/were decent looking cars too though.
Mustang is gonna die too in '28.
@@timothydubois5834 there isn't any evidence Mustang is going away in '28. For runs 5-7yr refresh cycles so the current car is going till at least '29-30. It's more likely the drivetrains will just change.
Love the new intro! Another good video as usual !
16:17 Jack: "You and I are so broken internally." Jack speaks for the masses.We must protect this man at all costs.
"Took an architecture that is very old, and try to do something new with it"
Visions of old E-Class Mercs being turned into 300's, Chargers, and Magnums come to mind.
So... par for the course?
Brutal but honest assessments, as always. Kind of like my teachers throughout school.
Enjoyed the music and the review. Thanks guys.
You said it. Dodge is at an interesting crossroad. No more muscle cars and consumers are done buying $70-$80k trucks. At least for now in high volumes. They really don’t compete in smaller quality affordable cars.
all they had to do is update the challenger/charger with turbo 4 cylinder and turbo 6 cylinder. maybe make them just a bit smaller/tighter/lighter. Maybe even offer a 6 speed manual. Front engine, manual, RWD is what we want. Not a CUV.
Dodge and Chrysler got shafted over the years. Anyone could see that basing your brand identity around large displacement engines had a finite timetable, with regulations becoming stricter each year. Ideally, I would've had Jeep have a nice lineup of off-road CUVs, Chrysler with comfort/luxury CUVs and the Pacifica, and Dodge with a lineup of sporty-oriented CUVs and a new low-priced new Caravan based on the Pacifica. They would ride on the same platforms but have different design philosophies.
Not that it matters, but are Dodge trucks even a thing anymore? Do they actually make their own pickups or wasn't everything spun-off into RAM products?
The Hornet pricing goes up into the 50's. This vehicle won't bring in the affordability customers either...
@@rndmprsn3532 Sales numbers say otherwise; people do want CUVs.
"This is a good interior for a Dodge." That's because it's not a Dodge...
It's an Alfa Romeo.
I like the reviews to the practical cars (appliances)
We watch reviews for fun and looking as wea re looking to have two kids becoming professionals and looking at first real car purchase.
The exotics and top-level cars are fun to watch, but these types of reviews are a great resource and I appreciate the mix of products.
Happy New Year!
As a Mopar fan it is sad to see this direction but we have lived through these times before, good luck to them.
I just traded in my 2015 dart. It was a great handling little commuter. I actually really liked driving it! But at 109k miles it was falling apart. I expect that to be the case here too.
glad yours made it that far. we had a manual that had that faulty hydraulic component shared with the european version of the journey. 3rd time it went out in under 10k miles - it blew up under the hood. no lemon law remedy though as almost everything was a "wear item", but i flipped it before the bottle fell out on the Dart market.
I honestly have huge amounts of respect for anyone who’s gotten a Dodge Dart to over 100K miles
From a business perspective, I can see why Sergio pushed it out when they did per contract with the goverment of a 40mpg car (after the fiat 500 was given the thumbs down as providing one) in order to get that 5% stake. It is just sad though. I feel they would have been better just parked in rows for outdoor movie theaters during covid than attempted to be used. just not one good thing reliability wise. The hyundai sourced auto had a linkage that would cause roll away accidents, and literally meant a recall of EVERY auto dart. The manuals had a faulty hydraulic component. They were going to be sued heavily over this. The plantiff's mechanic, "lost the parts" . Seemed shady AF! @@DanielDos2
I work with this guy that has a Dart (don't know which powertrain) with 190k on it. Looks like crap but still running.
Probably not, only car that dodge hasn't built themselves. built by alfa in italy
0:59 What's with the panel gaps :O Holy shit that's bad.
Compared to my model Y, that’s pretty good 😂
@@wyw201 Even above the lights? There's an entire chasm above it. And I knew Tesla build quality was sometimes iffy, but if its genuinely worse than this than... wow.
@@The_Noticer. The lights being misaligned to me is minor. Our model Y has a huge misalignment on rear C pillar and rear doors. Luckily we leased it so we didn't bother chasing it down. The only car I paid with cash is ES300h, perfectly assembled.
@@brownwhale5518 Oh, the terrible panels gaps are a feature now?
It’s a dodge, married with alpha , no thanks
If it's 41K, I will go with the CX-5 turbo.
Even if its $31k I'd go base cx5
I was having trouble sleeping. Thank you for featuring the Hornet.
For fun and jokes, please review the Mistubishi Mirage! I can only imagine how sketched out both of you would be to drive that tin can.
Even a lancer or outlander, they are bad.
Isn’t that the cheapest new car? No surprise it is low quality.
No the cheapest new car is a Kia forte I’m pretty sure it’s a much better car than any Mitsubishi.
Even a Sentra or versa or whatever is better for basically the same price
Actually I think they’d be pretty ok with it. Cheap reliable with a ten year warranty. It doesn’t advertise or hold itself to be anything wlse
It's not a bad looking car, looks like a typical alfa. I'm sure it'll super reliable 😅
this car IS an alfa rome Tonale...
The forums are a fun read. Not for the owner though.
Great review guys!
Dodge's next chapter: Rebadged Euro cars
And not even the good ones -_- Stellantis could have given them EMP2 platform but thay got this mediocre old Fiat stuff
The interior definitely not a “Dodge” thing. This is an Alfa Romeo with a Dodge badge on the steering wheel.
I brought my Scat Pack Charger over to the Dodge dealership recently to get a quick oil change done. They had one of these Hornets in the showroom, I sat in it and checked it out. Interior was pretty nice, not bad. You don't realize how small and cramped feeling these Hornets are until you sit in one though. They're small for sure. It's sad, Dodge went from building Chargers and Challengers with some of the most amazing small block V8 drive trains, ever.....to this. I'm glad I got my Scat Pack. I'll be hanging onto this car for a long while.
No surprise the Hornet feels small inside versus your Charger; the Charger is a huge car!
Garage it and keep it out of sight - seriously fun car, but it's sad how many people are stealing them nowadays via CAN hacks.
@@aprtur Yep ;) Mine is garaged, has a 2-stage kill switch installed and had the security update key fob module locked from Dodge.
@@Ryan-ds2wx glad to hear it, man...sorry if I sounded like Debbie Downer, but my neighbor's Scat Pack Charger was stolen a handful of months ago, and I hurt for the guy as another car enthusiast. Enjoy it in good health!
Can you imagine the depreciation?
Yes and it hurts 😂
For the disposable lease machine it really is it’s absolutely fantastic!
Agreed. I rented a loaded Cherokee V6 this spring and it was the same. Economy car, but really good.
Only Savagegeese could make me watch a review on a budget CUV
I think its a good looking car. But dodges brand and reputation is going to make it hard to break into a competitive segment like this
If by good, you mean absolutely fugly, then you're 100% right.
Huh? It's rather ugly , they glued a frumpy dodge esc front onto a Italian design...
It’s def ugly but I’ve seen worse, like that envista thing. Id take this over the envista thing any day of the week
@@SoosRamirez1 If they removed the badges, could you really even tell the difference?
@@Browningate not really, but I’d still take this over the envista
I love how the horn doesn't work on this new car. That says all you need to know about the Dodge brand.
They clearly think this review unit has been worked on at some point, it's not the only preproduction ish car a reviewer has gotten with some small issues
@@KyleRepinski okay, so please explain every other Dodge made in the past decade.
@@anthonykiedis1765 the last decade of Dodge has been basically just Charger, Challenger, and Journey lol. None of those cars are grossly unreliable vehicles. They're not Toyotas, but they're not German.
REEEEEEEE!! DODGE MAN BAD, REEEE!!!!!@@anthonykiedis1765
@@KyleRepinski
I’ll defend the Journey. In January 2014, I bought a salesman’s demo 2013 Journey SXT V6. It has been my daily driver for the last 10 years and has 150,000 miles on it with no major issues. The only thing I don’t like about it is the location of the battery, and I absolutely hate that.
I appreciate you guys taking the cars in the shop and giving us a perspective that not a lot of us get. Keep up the great work.
Finally a true automobile, it harkens back to the glory days of the PT cruiser and the top notch quality it demonstrated
These will be paper weights after like 40k miles with that build quality but it’s a cute little car that my wife would probably like. There’s a market there for the Hornet if Dodge can find a way to reach it.
Reliability and resale...that about sums it up
Excellent straight forward video. Much respect. I do own a Hornet
Love the new drop-D, Dimebag-esque intro music🤘
made me think of Alice In Chains
What a disaster. In Canada, the top trim sells for just under 70K CAD. No one with half a brain is going to shop this at that price. You can get an X3 for the same price or an X1 for less.
I would rather buy a Camry to be frank. You get a better ride quality and more interior space. The Camry is so nice. Don't get swindled into buying a raised compact car at luxury car prices. CUVs are a joke.
holy shit lol
I'd just give up and take the bus at that rate.
Everyone take a shot every time Jack says "non-premium." Aaaaaand, GO!
I value my liver more than that...
"With that said"
Jack is non premium. He used to be premium but not anymore.
First video I've watched of yours in a couple years.
1. i was surprised you guys consider this a CRV/rav4/cx-5 competitor. visually it looks much closer to a CX-30, though i guess numbers put it closer to the kia niro/corolla cross/HRVs of the world. 2. a quick google search says this thing is indeed faster than a CX-30, which surprised me... I wonder if the hornet will do even better with a tune for premium like mazda does.
5:55 am I seeing things, or is that a plastic sway bar link?
Yes its getting more common
I agree. If you had a slow economy car your whole life the power in this will feel like a step up. I drove a mazda 3 and 2018 hrv. Bought an xc60 T6. Felt like i was in a rocket in comparison. Was going 20 over without realizing for the first couple weeks
@@mezzb ya the 2.5 turbo engines from mazda are pretty fun. They need an average joe giving their thoughts as well lol
@@mezzb well said
Really expected a much more harsh review. Ended up getting one of the best reviews I’ve heard on this car. Well done.
Impressive cinematography capturing the beauty of these machines in action. A must-watch for any car enthusiast.
If they are to be taken seriously in the performance category they'll have to now start to clone the rest of the Alpha Romeo platforms like Gulia and Stelvio and/or other models from Maserati or even Fiat. But first and foremost whatever they do they have to stop cutting corners on quality and reliability. If they begin to produce reliable cars then they have a chance to move forward.
Excellent post.
But with the Giulia/Stelvio products they already have dealt with product reliability; they work fine, especially if you choose the 2.0 turbo versions instead of the fire-breathing 2.9 V6 models.
I think you're underestimating the PHEV factor. Being able to do your daily city commute with all or mostly electric, and still have gas for long trips is the sweet spot. IMHO.
Agreed, take as much wear & tear off of the Alfa engine as possible. Now if they could just figure out how to alleviate the wear & tear on the rest of this CUV while commuting 😅
Until the hybrid system starts giving issues
@@andersonrodriguez8258 You can say that about any component of cars. If you buy a Dodge you're obviously not looking at quality and reliability as #1 factor lol
Some brands have had PHEV for many years and the systems work v well. My wife has a PHEV Outlander which has been great for over a year now...fingers crossed.
as always, thank you SG
In my dream world, manufacturers have decided to pair the power band of peaky high revving N/A engines with the the low end torque of electric motors.
E-AWD cross overs like this one take inspiration from kei trucks. A family of small displacement engines all running efficient Miller cycles, using a centrifugal supercharger (1.0L triple, 1.3L 4cylinder and for the top range premium vehicles a 2.0L 6 cylinder) are mounted longitudinally, nearly flat, just ahead of the rear axle. But unlike an AWD kei truck or van, which has a drive shaft up to the front, the center tunnel contains a small battery pack to power the front electric motors. One for each wheel, for true torque vectoring and one other small electric motor as an ISG on the tiny engine. Because the front is electrically driven, rather than the rear like most e-AWD vehicles, efficiency can be improved in energy recovery. Keri the battery pack small to reduce weight.
I'm sad they haven't built a new performance sedan based on the Giulia.
It would make an excellent avenger and we could forget that dud that was the dart.
So sad they have not because that car is just a work of art like is it junk yes but damn is it beautiful junk
Nice, little car and I wish them luck. But I'd really rather have a Mazda CX-30/CX-5!
Great review. Fair. You didn’t go low with any comments. Hope Dodge and Chrysler make it through this phase of very lean portfolio.
PS Nothing here makes me want to get out of my 22 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring which I love.
My 2024 Honda Civic Si is not impressed.
Nice report guys!
fairly sure these have the highest days inventory of any car on US market RN?
Q4 numbers just came out and these things are not selling at all. No surprise at all either.
@@S8ER I remember thinking when these were first introduced that the $30k starting price was going to be a mistake - That high sticker price mixed with high interest rates sealed this things fate especially with the type of consumers these likely appeal to.
When my wife's Alfa Romeo Stelvio was in service for a while the dealer gave us a brand new Tonale hybrid as a loaner, she hated it!
She hated the beeping an booping from the "safety systems". She hated the size, the ride, and pretty much everything about the car.
But how did your wife’s lover feel about it?
@@sunnohh
Same as your mom did...
@@groosbro1 hey, if you leave his mom out of this, I'll leave this out of his mom.
time to replace the wife
Bigger question… how’s the Alpha been treating you guys? Has it been reliable to own with routine maintenance only or is it a POS?
It is an Alfa Romeo Tonale actually. This is why their Dodge logo on the steering wheel is in a circle. And it is also why it consists of so many cheap Fiat components, which you can find in taxi cabs in Middle Eastern market.
You asked if people are buying the marketing and it would seem that they are not because I read an article recently that there was a glut of Hornets sitting on dealer lots (over a 500 day supply). There apparently has also been a lot of complaints concerning quality from recent buyers.
I appreciate the guys really embodying the Dodge struggle here. It was kind of depressing but that’s the reality, and why they are the best. I also would like to know why Mark leaves tags on his hats.
Let me put it in perspective for you guys. My wife, not a car person to put it mildly, liked a Buick Envista. We test drove it and she really liked it. However, lease payments on the Envista, a $25k car fully loaded, were simply too high. We ended up with a loaded Alfa Romeo Tonale Ti for way less, about 2/3 of the payment for the Buick. Because of the government incentives on these cars they are dirt cheap. At $52k our Alfa is a POS. At $300/month with no money down it is amazing!
Hope you are getting some kind of tax break on that lease though. Can't justify it as a business or work expense myself as I work from home - which is why I drive an old Lexus I paid cash for.
And at least you get to tell people you have an Alfa. That's somewhat interesting. Imagine trying to impress people telling them you drive a Dodge hornet, lol.
It really blows me away that *any* Alfa would be cheaper to lease than the cheapest Buick!
Did I see plastic end links on the front sway bar ?
The Dodge Omni is back!
Omni GLH.
I like this review. First time watching and it's refreshing to see a straight up review without theatrics and yet it's interesting and not boring. Not everyone needs to try to be Top Gear or Doug DeMuro.
Should also check out Car Care Nut... zero driving shots, basically just a mechanic's take on cars, helpful on the practicality from a repair/servicing aspect. Though he barely is starting out doing vids.
@@vjmtz thanks!
@@JohnSpo No problem. I love cars and reviews, but my biggest issue IF anything is the long talk about how a car handles etc. As nice as it is to know.. a lot of people go on too much about it when honestly 95% of people who don't own more than 2 cars in 5+ years could really tell the difference.
For me, I mostly need to know "is this reliable, what will break first, and how much?" Are my biggest concerns.
These are really a great deal, once you wait two years and pick one up that never sold.
You couldn't give me a POS like that. I am driving Ford Panther cars (Crown Vic, Grand Marquis) for the rest of my life. No touch screens, no spy devices, no self driving trash, V8 engine, rear wheel drive, solid rear axle, body on frame construction, and they actually look like cars. Parked end to end with my 1964 Ford Fairlane, my 2006 Crown Vic has almost exactly the same shape.
I love the Pantera-like intro.
I think the V8 loving people are just going to buy trucks at this point, I'm pretty sure their whole brand was just engines with cars attached. I feel like there's a chance someone's wife would fall for this but sports car people even ones that just like V8 muscle cars aren't going to be very interested in this.
Yep! Very true! Not intrested in this pile at all what a joke this thing is
The interior looks nice. The exterior design looks like it could be a 2010 Mitsubishi.
Because most modern CUV owners prioritize utility and economy over performance (hence the low take rate of trim levels with engine upgrades), the Hornet is both overpowered and overpriced for this market. Stellantis should've offered a base Hornet SRT model powered by the Jeep Compass' 200HP 2.0L engine and sold it at a lower price point more competitive with other compact CUVs.
It will be interesting to see what else Dodge is allowed to bring into their portfolio. Because if they don't start making some decent sales figures I could see Stellantis shuttering Dodge all together and just keeping Jeep and RAM names. Selling less than 10k Hornets is regrettable. Granted that was less than a year, but still 3 quarters of sales. The Jeep Compass sold over 85k in 2022... even taking out a quarter of that, still nets considerably more vehicles than the Hornet which is basically the same package. As you stated, the segment they decided on is one of the most competitive segments. I mean every car company in the world sells SUVs now. I also agree they are playing catchup with every other SUV manufacturer that has had a vehicle under development for multiple generations. I would be working hard on the forums to gather as much information from the customer base as possible to bring the most dependable vehicle to market and address any other desires by the customer base because they've got a large mountain to climb if they want to wrestle sales from the other manufacturers.
I don't think FCA/Stellantis has an overarching model strategy, well it doesn't seem like it anyway.
@@TassieLorenzo The only defensible reason to rename the trucks from Dodge was a plan to kill Dodge.
Great breakdown on this vehicle. Everything about it looks good enough where it's an ok purchase, but I don't think Dodge buyers will go for it. Maybe Stellantis fans who wanted a Renegade and/or Cherokee would switch over, but this doesn't seem to have any real pull to get buyers into showrooms imo
It's a good-looking, comfortable crossover with cohesive Italian aesthetics. Comfortable seats, sharp handling versus other SUVs I've driven. I think the GT in the low 30s with the Cold Weather Group and Tech Pack makes a good case for itself, especially for people in northern climates who would need the ground clearance at times. I don't understand why Subaru and Audi, both known for their winter capability and AWD, don't offer heated steering wheels in many of their models. You can get it here, plus a more comfortable seat.
Omg grow up
Here in Brazil I have the distant twin of the RT, the Pulse Abarth, with the same engine and architectural design, so to speak. It's an excellent car. Although our version does not have the electric motor at the rear and is not 4x4.
I like to think of it as the Macan’t
"Brotherhood of Muscle" no more.
Tonale=Olive Garden
Hornet=TGIFriday's?
What's the song used for the intro and transitions?
As an italian this car makes me sad. It was born as an Alfa Romeo; they want it to be an alternative to the germans (at least here). Lancia and Alfa (both in the fiat group) were ignored and left dying, ignoring the heritage and leaving the country uncompetitive in the automotive industry. Then they tried to make the Alfa comeback with the Giulia and the Stelvio, but kept loosing money until about a year ago, delayed the launch of needed products to actually make money and wasted the great Giorgio platform. They had to make the Tonale right, but it's not really up to the price. I am so thankful to you guys, because seeing how different your market is made me realise how much our government protected FIAT and how them, in return, kept giving us shitty cars.
not to worry, you will get your Alfa Romeo models, only they will cost twice as they should and they are Maserati's now! I would have loved to see Alfa Romeo scale Giorgio down to a 2-door true coupe and up to E segment flagship saloons, but here we are.
That’s looks like a very enjoyable interior to sit in and wait for the tow truck.
Just looked at my local dealer out of curiosity. Tonale PHEV Veloce is $66,022 in Canada… there is no way I’m picking this over the competition at that price.
I like how the lower ball joints are held on by three nuts and bolts. More manufacturers need to do that.
Have this on my 06 toyota. No ball joint separator required.
That's really nice if you live somewhere where the roads look like a lunar surface, ball joints get eaten up really quickly.
Nice review from the Patagonia Partners. Seems like a step in the right direction at least.
The last Dodge product I sat in (a fully-optioned Durango) I was blown away by how much I liked. Gotta give them some credit, they're really trying...
I sold a Durango at my last dealership, I was beyond impressed with the interior and the TV’s on the seat. Made me want one
@@JamesCook76131 same! It was nice as hell, especially in the dark. Very cool ambient lighting, felt solid and well built.
The Durango, Charger and Challenger are the only Dodge brand products worth a damn from the last decade.
@JamesCook76131 I too was very impressed with a Hemi Durango I sampled back in '18. I thought at the time it was the most satisfying suv I'd ever driven. A bit too much $ but truly a fine piece of work!
You liked for as long you sat on it. I wonder if you would keep the same idea after driving one for at least 100k miles.
Stellantis secures the rental car market once again!
Thanks for the review. Looks like you ran through the finial thoughts just to get this over with. I don't blame you. This thing is pretty much a rebadged Alfa Romeo Stelio or AKA a POS. I turned mine in off lease early just to get rid of it. The reliability, service advisors and dealership were the worse I've ever had to deal with. I'm glad the Alfa dealership was pulled out of the city and the Maserati dealership was canceled.
Out of the 3 video's I've watched on the Hornet, 2 went into limp mode while testing. Sorta sealed my thoughts on it and I was looking forward to this coming out.
Cheers to you being a teachable mind! Seems a rare thing these days. Many here saying they just aren’t sure about Stellantis products. I wonder how, with all the evidence, that is possible if they are paying any attention at all
All the dodge dealers by me are becoming filled with these but yet I barely see any on the road. Maybe people are realizing Stellantis isn’t worth it.
At least without huge incentives on the hood
I’m not sure the American buying public even knows what Stellantis is. Most of them care about cup holders and monthly payments….with a 7 year payment plan.
True, I have yet to see one in the wild, which is odd. The sales numbers back up this observation: Less than 10,000 were sold in 2023. You're more likely to see a brand-new Mercedes S-Class.
Peugeot has been selling good cars in Europe for the past 5 years. The latest 308 is an excellent car. The 5008 and 3008 are competitive in the SUV class. Stellantis is a safe bet for affordable and desirable cars. Dodge isn't. I was expecting people to be more enthusiastic about the Stellantis takeover. I am wrong (and not disappointingly so).