As I drove onto the freeway onramp, I hammered the throttle and was met with a large push from the torquey engine. The pull of the mid-range torque surged the car forward as the speedometer numbers climbed to higher speeds. Pulling onto the freeway is a breeze in the 2023 Dodge Hornet GT Plus, but how well does it do on a long road trip?

I drove it for a couple hundred miles to find out. Fortunately, it didn’t disappoint.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet GT Plus is comfortable but a little coarse

As I made my way down the highway, I decided to take the 2023 Dodge Hornet on a little road trip. Fortunately, my iPhone connected to the Uconnect5 infotainment system easily with the wireless Apple CarPlay function. Some cars take a few tries to get the phone to connect, but it was pretty flawless in the Hornet.

I set a coordinate in Google Maps and was off. As an important note, I did use the onboard navigation system beforehand, and it worked well, too. In fact, I found that it wasn’t as intrusive as some systems when giving me directions. But I digress.

While driving down the freeway, I took note of the Hornet GT’s suspension. The ride is soft but can be a little unsettled over uneven pavement. The Koni FSD shocks provide a sportier ride quality, which is great when hitting the tight corners of a canyon road, but provide a choppy experience on the open road when driving over imperfections

The hard plastics around the cabin don’t seem to help, either. Driving over bumps at lower speeds causes the cabin to rattle. It can feel a little coarse at times, but it’s not overly stiff or painful. I wish it were a little softer, but that’s the price you pay for sportiness.

The front seats were very comfortable as well. I positioned the driver seat perfectly, and there was enough lumbar support to keep my back happy. Additionally, the visibility out of all four corners of car is good and further supported by the blind-spot indicators on the mirrors.

The Hornet’s driver-assist features work well

While cruising the highway, I turned on the Dodge Hornet’s adaptive cruise control and lane assist to have the car do the hard work for me. The driver-assist features worked well and were easy to activate with the push of a few buttons on the steering wheel.

When active, the lane assist kept the car between the lines with only a little ping-ponging when I let go of the steering wheel. The car eventually told me to keep my hands on the wheel, which let me know the driver awareness monitor was working.

Overall, I was impressed with the Hornet’s ability to cruise seamlessly on the highway using the onboard technology.

Does the Dodge Hornet get good gas mileage?

The Dodge Hornet GT is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that’s decently fuel-efficient. During my week with the car, I averaged 26 mpg, which is a little better than the EPA’s estimated combined average of 24 mpg.

Ultimately, the 2023 Dodge Hornet GT Plus proved to be a solid commuter for long road trips. The seats were comfortable with decent thigh and back support, the driver-assist aids did their jobs, and the car was fuel-efficient enough to drive over 200 miles without any range anxiety.

Oh yeah, there’s also plenty of power for the onramps, which makes the Hornet even more exciting to drive.