The Dodge Hornet has seen a rough existence so far. Owners have reported a multitude of issues, the public hasn’t exactly been receptive to the rebadged Alfa Romeo Tonale crossover, and supply has just piled on up. As a result, some dealers have been slashing prices, to the point where you can get into a 268-horsepower Hornet for the price of a compact sedan like a Hyundai Elantra or Toyota Corolla.
While we’ve previously reported about some big Dodge Hornet price cuts, the big news now is that these things can now consistently be picked up for less than $25,000 brand new, and that’s gonna make things interesting.
Mind you, there is a bit of a catch to some of these dirt-cheap Dodge Hornets. Because these crossovers have been so oversupplied, some of the cheapest delivery mileage examples sitting on dealership lots across America are still 2023 model year cars. Yes, we’re nearly in October of 2024.
Take this brand new 2023 Hornet GT Plus. It’s got ventilated seats, it’s got navigation, it’s got a power liftgate, and it’s listed for sale at a Dodge dealer in Oklahoma for $23,725 despite carrying a manufacturer suggested retail price of $37,825. That’s a $14,100 discount.
The crazy part? We wrote about this exact same Hornet back in May, when it was listed for $26,225. It’s still on the same lot four months later. Wild. Oh, and it was originally listed 314 days ago, which means if it sticks around until Nov. 11, it’ll have been on the same lot for an entire year.
Want something that hasn’t been sitting on the lot so long? No worries. Here’s a 2024 Hornet GT up for sale in Virginia for $23,777, despite carrying an MSRP of $33,490. That’s $9,713 off MSRP on a brand new compact crossover. Hot damn.
Alright, so maybe you aren’t near Virginia or Oklahoma. Maybe you’re on the west coast, for example. Well, here’s a brand new 2023 Hornet GT Plus up for sale in California for $24,495. That’s $19,070 off MSRP, an absolutely insane discount for a compact crossover with delivery mileage.
Oh, and let’s say you want something flashier than what you’ve seen so far. Well, a dealer in Indiana is selling a brand new gold Hornet GT optioned to $40,320 for $24,996. It’s safe to say that color makes one hell of a statement, and the optional wheels aren’t bad either.
On the face of things, even a heavily marked-down Dodge Hornet seems like it might be a questionable buy for most people. Given that owners have reported grievances like alarms going off for seemingly no reason, odd electrical issues, and adaptive cruise control problems, this probably isn’t a vehicle you can just hop into and drive with minimal maintenance like a RAV4.
However, if you think about a discounted Hornet as a $25,000 Alfa Romeo with a factory warranty, it might make some sense from an enthusiast perspective. Sure, it probably won’t be faultless, but service loaners might be available and hey, at least the warranty should cover any issues that arise. At MSRP, the Hornet is likely a tough pill to swallow for many people, but for a brave few, it could be the slightly sporty, heavily discounted compact crossover they’re looking for.
So, at what point does an oft-maligned vehicle become tempting due to sheer discounting alone? Keep in mind that discounts when new will likely lead to a knock-on effect when it comes to resale value, so it might all just depend on how long you plan on keeping a vehicle. More importantly, what’s the over/under on a brand new 2023 Dodge Hornet still sitting somewhere on a dealer lot in 2025? Let’s make some educated guesses.
(Photo credits: Dodge, Cars.com sellers)
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Has anyone checked to see if those cars.com prices are real? Lots of times, the dealers throw in every rebate imaginable, whether you actually qualify for it or not. I wouldn’t believe that price until I saw it on a buyers order.
Lol, the PHEV thing for $30k with the 10/150 hybrid components warranty might be an interesting replacement for the equally cheap C-Max.
The Hornet does look like a screaming deal if you look at the discounted prices in a bubble. The problem comes when you start looking at what else you can get in the $25,000 range. A lower optioned CorollaCross won’t have ventilated seats, but it also won’t have Alfa Romeo reliability.
No heated seats, no brisk acceleration, no upscale interior and last I saw no AWD at that price.
But you’ll get reliability and resale.
You could also get a base CX-30 or Taos with pretty much the same disadvantages
I would consider a new Tonale at these prices, if only because it would look at least 12% cooler to have a broken-down Alfa in my driveway than a broken-down Dodge.
> a broken-down Alfa
Also known as “an Alfa”
OK so last week I said you could get a Hornet for a ham sandwich and even keep the mayo.
But with these prices, the ham doesn’t even have to be good. You could use factory-sliced ham from those little pouches like Carl Buddig. You could even get away with stale bread and moldy cheese at this point.
Jesus, what callback with Carl Buddig! Takes me back a long, long time.
I remember buying them at Eagle for like 29 cents a pouch. It’s like Spam, a terrible food that some people just like.
I remember how all the different flavors tasted pretty much the same, they were just different colors.
All salt. Impossible to separate the newspaper-thin slices. Wonder bread, Kraft singles, Miracle Whip and Carl Buddig. Brutal now that I think about it.
Yup, a week’s worth of meals for about $1.29.
Man, that Carl Buddig reference….taking a trip in the Wayback machine to college in the 90’s.
This should be a thing on all Autopian articles going forward, the “sandwich cost” category.
Even aside from it having terrible reliability issues, it’s just an awkwardly-proportioned vehicle, and there isn’t a trim level that doesn’t look too high, the wheels look too small, and the lower surfaces too stretched. It’s just an unattractive car, both mechanically and aesthetically. I don’t think there’s a price point at which it becomes an attractive option for an informed purchase.
There will 100% be 2023 models sitting on the lots in 2025. Probably 2026, too.
I don’t think informed buyers make up for the majority of new vehicle sales. What this thing needs is a spice of marketing thrown in so people can at least be aware Dodge sells a compact crossover at such a low price.
You got to throw in $800-1500 more to account for some lowering springs or a cup kit and wheel spacers
Can you point to a better proportioned subcompact CUV?
The Mazda CX50?
The CX-50 is a compact, competing with the RAV4, CR-V, Escape, Sportage.
The Hornet is a subcompact, competing with the C-HR, HR-V, Trax and CX-30.
Potato, potato. They all kind of blend together. But I feel like all of the mentioned competitors are less awkward looking.
They all fall into the same bucket of “small, kinda pointless crossover that would be better as a car” for me.
I still maintain that the Hornet just looks more awkward and badly-proportioned than pretty much everything else that general size.
Not when you’re talking about proportions. Size matters a LOT there. There’s a reason all those subcompact CUVs look awkward, and it’s that the size doesn’t allow for good proportions unless you wanted to make the cabin small and lose interior room just for appearances.
They’re all ugly little potato shaped blobs:
https://cars.usnews.com/static/images/Auto/izmo/i36138926/2018_honda_hr_v_angularfront.jpg
https://cdn.motor1.com/images/mgl/8gG4v/s1/toyota-c-hr.jpg
I agree that the Mazda is the best of the bunch because it has a longer hood, at least. And a better design language even if you put proportions aside.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DIoSPxzyFtM/maxresdefault.jpg
But the Hornet is not unique whatsoever in its proportions.
These things scream “Get me done at 24.99%” specials.
Oooo…ventilated seats standard? I hate these just a tiny bit less now…
These things are sitting around long enough that actual hornets will start building nests in them.
2023 Dodge Hornet: now with 500% more hornets!
Hornets might. WASPS prefer BMWs
COTD
I used to have a coworker with an old Volvo 240 wagon that at some point had a wasp infestation. I said those were just the original owners…
I mean, yeah its got a lot of upsides. But the downside is that its a Dodge Hornet.
If these cars had a better reputation, $25000 would be a great price. I don’t see it as a desirable vehicle, but that is cheap for a generic new car in 2024.
Some people have pointed out that it comes with a warranty, but a car that is constantly broken is an inconvenience regardless of who is paying the bill. What is the point of owning a new car if breaks like an old one?
I had a neighbour obsessed with Mercedes SUVs. From the ML to GLE to another GLE – they were regularly in the shop being repaired.
He was one who always had to appear to have the upper hand in any conversation (we called him Topper) – so he was forever telling us on how it gave him opportunity to drive a new and different dealer vehicle, and he looked forward to doing so. I think he had a bit too much of the koolaid they must have been serving.
I appreciate his positive attitude, I guess?
I like trying new and different vehicles as well, but I prefer trying new vehicles on a voluntary basis.
Still too much. $50 is the best I can do. Take it or leave it.
They’d have to give me $50 for the Uber home when it inevitably strands me on the side of the road on the hottest day of the year.
Any data yet on how much cheaper they can get with the sub?
Counterpoint: this is Dodge Journey money. Yeah it’s smaller but beggars can’t be choosers.
I may just be crazy enough to pick one up as a runabout.
I think we as a collective might be overreacting at this point as to how bad these are. I mean, yeah nobody should have been plunking 40+k on these, ever. But 30k? 25k? They’re certainly worth some risk at those sorts of prices, especially with a warranty.
Am I going to recommend anyone buy one? No. But to someone who’s savvy enough, this seems like a pretty good deal if you want a compact crossover that’s a little less boring than your typical RAV4. And hey, I like the gold!
I would not even buy one with someone else’s money. Even ignoring their future reliability (or lack thereof), any Hornet you buy will immediately depreciate like a rock. RAV4s and CR-Vs are deeply boring, but at least you know they’ll hold their value.
They may hold their value, but an upfront cost difference of 10-15k? We’re not talking about a 1000$ off coupon here. That’s real money, and for someone who can’t afford a RAV4 (or find one that isn’t optioned into the stratosphere) this might be worth a shot. Again, we’re talking a warrantied new car here.
I’m not doubting that they have significant deficiencies compared to the competition. And I’ve been ragging on the Hornet as much as anyone, it’s a massive failure for Stellantis to bring out a brand new product into one of the biggest segments and have it sitting 10-15k off sticker. But I would bet a number of people take a chance on them, and end up with a surprisingly decent car for a price right out of 2015.
yeah but you’ll pay at least $35K for a comparatively equipped Rav4 or CR-V. If you sign in for a Hornet, the depreciation is already pre-applied with no charge to you. How much depreciation would a $24K new crossover can take in let’s say 5 years? If you get $16K you would’ve only spent $8K + maintenance (knocking on wood) for it. That’s not bad in my book.
Having a $35K – $40K crossover depreciate only $8K in 5 years is no easy feat. Not even for a Rav4 or CR-V
I like the gold as well – and at these prices they are getting to be attractive buys.
Most of the reviewers really liked how they drove, and the main complaint was the price. Their reliability issues compared to other small SUVs have been greatly exaggerated by the usual group think that fills the web.
Having recently been stranded on the side of a road by a Stellantis product, I can tell you there is no amount of money I would pay for something this apparently unreliable. Losing my summer vacation to this is not worth saving a few grand (if that) over the more reliable competition.
I picture driving this from PHL back to SE CT to see family and it breaks down on the GWB or the Tappan Zee, like dead center on the bridge.
Totally fair. I currently drive a Stellantis product and I certainly hope it works out, lol. I’m sure if it screws me over, I’ll feel the same way.
Or refusing to start while full of our belongings on our move from NYC to Florida. Never again.
I think the biggest thing going against it is the Fiat underneath.
Freaking Italian Automotive Trash
We are 3 months away from the “Buy a Grand Wagoneer and get a free Hornet” deals.
Ya think it’ll take that long ???
Only because I assume Stellantis executives will gather in a board room to claim “the turnaround starts today!” everyday for 3 months before doing anything.
Fun fact, if you find the right combination of those two, we’re already at that point. Here’s a new 2023 Grand Wagoneer with 30k on the hood. Couple that with the 15k+ on a 40k MSRP Hornet, and you’ve got nearly 50 grand off sticker, which is more than a highly optioned Hornet.
That’s not even the only example of a discounted GC, it’s not hard to find 2023 Grand Wag Series IIs with 26k off like this one here. I’m confident you could walk into a CDJR Dealer and walk out with both a Series 2 Grand Wagoneer and high option Hornet for about 85-90k, but a combined MSRP of somewhere in the 120-130k range.
Still, not a great financial decision given both will be worth a combined $45k after 12-18 months and two oil changes.
I was thinking the same thing, some dealers could run that promo already. Usually the fine print on the BOGO deals mean you the higher price vehicle goes for MSRP, but that kind of discount on the Wagoneer is easily more than a Hornet would go for. Or sometimes the fine print has the cheaper car as a lease, which again, the total lease cost would probably total out to even less.
I’ll give you Michael’s ham sandwich for the Grand Wagoneer and donate the Hornet to Kars 4 Kids. They deserve it for that *bleep*ing song. 😉
still overpriced LOL
Even 15k would be too much for that POS
But then I’d have a Hornet. 🙁
This reminds me of the FCA Dodge Dart/Chrysler 200 debacle, too big and expensive for a small car, too small for a medium car.
For the Hornet, especially compared to the Trax/Venue/Maverick/Kicks/Corolla Cross, they cost waaay too much, and Dodge has nothing below it to even get people in the door.
I’ve been ragging on the Hornet ever snice it came out. But none of the vehicles you mentioned are even comparable to the Hornet. They’re down in powertrain (except for the Maverick), features and they feel cheaper inside.
Isn’t the Venue a raised HB with FWD only? The Kicks was a joke, the new one looks promising but still way down in most respects.
On paper whoever gets a Trax, Venue or Kicks for the same price as a Hornet is choosing a lesser vehicle, which may not necessarily depreciate less in the long run, might not be more reliable and will be less enjoyable to drive.
Interestingly though, while the Dart was an out and out flop, the 200 was actually the best selling midsize sedan in the history of the Chrysler brand. But, it was a flop in the sense that it needed to sell higher volumes by itself than the previous 200/Sebring and Avenger combined, and it didn’t.
Though it did outsell the K-based LeBarons, the Cirrus, all generations of Sebrings, and the first gen 200, etc
Is this just a bad marketing thing? I am a regular reader of car sites like this and the only reason I even knew this existed was from articles about how badly it’s selling.
Like the market is generally gobbling up crossovers and at least in my opinion this thing is pretty decent looking, certainly not the lamest looking crossover. Do they have a bad reliability reputation due to its Alfa roots or what? Or am I crazy for thinking it’s kind of good looking and the broader market thinks its ugly?
I’ve wondered this too. I mean, people still buy VWs, Range Rovers, and Jaguars despite reliability that I imagine is even worse than whatever this could be.
I’m not surprised it takes some discounts to move them, but 33% off is pretty surprising.
Me too. I do kinda wonder if it’s a product of Dodge’s marketing of them as crossovers for the antisocial set? Which scares away everyone else?
It makes me wonder if simply selling it as a Jeep with no other changes would be more successful.
Honestly you don’t even have to change the model name in that instance. Hornet is an outdoors thing.:D
The whole thing feels to me a little like the ’20s version of the Dodge Dart saga.
Obviously a small sedan was a tough sell from the beginning then compared with a crossover now, but maybe they’re a little similar, facing that as a consequence of its success with very particular other types of vehicles, Dodge is at a loss on how to pitch stuff like these.
The Dart came out during something of a small car resurgence, so it’s maybe more comparable than you think.
In the early 2010s the Big 3 all had shiny new content-packed small cars and were boasting how they could build them profitably in the US again. Hyundai was making waves with the Elantra, Mazda 3 popularity continued to grow and it hit its best-ever sales year in 2012, while Honda was dragged for making a cheapened Civic.
Maybe they’d have found success with compact and midsize (final 200) segments by the time another product cycle rolled around. The Hornet, even if it were priced right, is the first small crossover entry Dodge has had, and at most dealers it’s on the same showroom floor as the Jeep line which has a much better public image and appeal. A Compass is more practical for the same price or less; you could even step up to a Grand Cherokee for the price of some Hornets.
It’s an interesting thought experiment. I wonder if Dodge has painted itself into a corner by basically taking the Chevy approach to the Camaro and making an entire brand with the look and feel of the old Fast N Loud show. The Hornet ad campaign taken as a whole seems to suggest that it’s a car for reprobates to buy for their burgeoning reprobate teenager or something.
I don’t think the design of the Hornet would jive with the Jeep brand. And if people are buying the Jeep brand, they’re going to want and expect something that looks Jeepish. Even if what’s underneath ends up being an NA 2.0L and a CVT (a la Patriot).
I think the main issue that Jeep has is that they currently don’t sell much that leans into their own marketing, which is crazy to me. The Compass is bland. The Cherokee is gone. Slapping the word Jeep on the Hornet probably wouldn’t help.
Oh yeah, if they actually tried to make it into more of a Jeep, that would work even better, but my point is simply that it’s doing so poorly as a Dodge that even a non-Jeep looking Jeep might sell more.
I will agree that if it was a Jeep, at least people would be more likely to at least know it exists.
This is a segment that appeals to the most normcore folks out there. And some of the people I know that would be looking for a compact crossover think that both Chrysler and Dodge are dead.
Yeah, and even if it has terrible reliability, most of the market aren’t autopian readers who are well informed about that kind of stuff. I would think there would be plenty of people out there whose buying process is “Hey I like the way that car looks, I’ll buy that one” or “I’m a dodge person and I want a CUV so I’m going to buy this” to avoid needing a 1/3 discount.
I’m with you there. I think it looks perfectly fine when compared to things like the Chevy Trax and the Ford Escape. But the well-documented reliability issues scare me off, especially after owning a Corolla hatchback for five years and literally having to do nothing beyond routine maintenance.
I think it’s more a case of Stellantis thinking a compact SUV was just going to print money, so they built a metric ass-ton of them. I think the real problem is most people going to a CDJR dealer these days are going there for the JR part, and aren’t even aware the CD part still exists. I mean CD only has three products between them so it’s not like they’re a huge draw.
It seems to me Stellantis is basically selling this thing to a customer they don’t have.
Dodge Hornet: “In Terms of reliability, we have no reliability“
I see a Dodge Hornet commercial constantly during Mecum broadcasts on MAX. It’s a guy who’s younger, 12 year-old self drives him around in the Hornet and convinces him to buy it over one of those boring, reliable CUVs.
I think Dodge tried to have a little fun with it, but it ended up being a more obnoxious commercial in practice than it should have been.
There’s a lot of issues with marketing at Dodge. And product planning.
The premise of “sporty crossover” doesn’t seem to fool too many people. How many products with that description have been successful of late? Because every brand that’s offering a blocky, ruggedized design it killing it right now, your RAV4s, Foresters, Bronco Sports, etc. Curvaceous crossovers always look awkward and even non-enthusiasts don’t fall for the idea that they might be fun to drive.
This is a segment where people value reliability, predictability, and the implication of an active-adventurer lifestyle. The Hornet offers none of these things.
Though that may be changing – the Buick Envista is striking, in a good way. At least to my eyes. Squint and it’s a sleek, sporty hatchback.
1) overpriced
2) poorly built/unreliable
3) see point 1
4) see point 2
Stellantis has actually been marketing the Hornet fairly aggressively, by their standards. They probably run more Hornet TV and streaming ads in a week then they did for the Chrysler 300 in its entire final decade on sale. But, it’s an overpriced product with a terrible reputation in a crowded market with no shortage of better built and better priced alternatives
You can also get an essentially new Fisker Ocean for around $25,000 or less.
Make of that what you will.
if I were an incumbent politician up for reelection, I might use those two examples as a hand-waving argument that things aren’t really too expensive, and keep voting for the same policies!
I mean if they gave me $25k I’d consider driving one.
I dunno Thomas, that gold ones getting concerningly high in mileage for one of these.
I had to check the mileage after you said that. I agree, high mileage, hard pass
Still a hard pass from me. That is such an unfortunate looking thing.