Overview & Reviews

Though the Dodge Durango has long been classified as a midsize sport-utility vehicle, its designers actually made it a half-size larger in order to fill the niche between the midsize and full-size SUV classes. As such, the Durango is often just the right size for those folks who need more interior room and towing capability than a typical midsize SUV can deliver, while not being as bulky and hard to park as a full-sizer.

The first two generations of the Durango were truck-based SUVs in the traditional style. A used model from this period should be a fair choice, though in the later part of the 2000s, the Durango was outclassed by newer crossover SUV competitors. The third-generation Durango, however, has joined the crossover club. It still offers V8 power and stout towing capabilities, but is a much nicer and well-rounded vehicle overall.

Current Dodge Durango
The Dodge Durango is a large crossover SUV that seats seven passengers, though buyers can opt for second-row captain's chairs that lower capacity to six. Four trim levels are offered: well-equipped SXT, midlevel Limited, sporty R/T and plush Citadel.

Both V6 and V8 power are offered. The 3.6-liter V6 has respectable muscle -- 290 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Standard on the R/T and optional on the Limited and Citadel is a 5.7-liter V8 good for 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque. All models come with an eight-speed automatic transmission. One may also choose among rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive (V6 only) and four-wheel drive with added low-range gearing (V8 only).

In reviews, we've found the Durango confident in terms of handling while still providing a composed and comfortable ride over bumps and ruts. Performance is adequate with the V6, while the V8 provides fairly strong acceleration and added grunt, which would be an asset for those who plan on towing.

Inside, the Durango offers an attractive and upscale design, with class-competitive quality and features, including an 8.4-inch touchscreen display (standard on all but SXT) and an available rear-seat Blu-ray player. The second and third rows offer enough room for most families (the rearmost row can even comfortably sit 6-foot adults), though its seven-passenger max falls one person short of its GM and Toyota rivals. Even so, the Durango comes highly recommended as a choice for a midsize or large crossover SUV.

Used Dodge Durango Models
Revived for 2011 after a one-year hiatus, the current-generation Dodge Durango boasts a full redesign with major improvements in several key areas. A carlike unibody (as opposed to body-on-frame) design notably improved interior space and ride/handling dynamics compared to its forebears. The exterior styling traded the former trucklike look for a more upscale persona, while the cabin followed suit with big improvements in fit and finish. Both the V6 and V8 came with a five-speed automatic. The following year brought a six-speed automatic transmission for V8 models, available second-row captain's chairs and revised trim levels.

Potential buyers should note that these Durangos lack the current version's eight-speed automatic transmission, refreshed styling and updated cabin that offers additional upscale features, including an 8.4-inch touchscreen display and a rear-seat Blu-ray player.

The second-generation Durango was produced from 2004-'09. It was first offered in ST, midgrade SLT and Limited trim levels and it came with one of three engines: a 210-hp V6, a 230-hp 4.7-liter V8 or a 330-hp 5.7-liter V8. These were offered with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive with low-range gearing. Alternatively, a single-speed transfer case could be specified on select 4WD models, which essentially meant that you could get a Durango with all-wheel drive. All Durangos came with automatic transmissions as standard -- four speeds for the V6, five for the V8s.

For 2008, the V8 engines were given a welcome nudge in power. The 4.7-liter now produced 303 hp and was more fuel efficient as well, while the Hemi produced 376 horses. In an interesting side story, the Durango Limited HEV hybrid was produced briefly for 2009. It was a so-called "two-mode" hybrid featuring a Hemi V8 (345 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque), two electric motors (87 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque) and a dual-mode transmission with variable ratios.

There were other changes during this Durango's life. Side airbags and refreshed styling arrived for 2006 and the ST trim level was renamed SXT. Two years later, new options such as a back-up camera, a CD/MP3 player, DVD-compatible audio and a MyGIG multimedia infotainment system with a hard drive to store digital music files made the Durango more competitive in an increasingly high-tech market. An Adventurer trim level also debuted, slotting between the SXT and Limited.

In our tests, we found the second-generation Durango handled adequately for a traditional body-on-frame SUV, though car-based crossover SUVs of the time were noticeably superior at providing carlike driving dynamics. Interior quality was a couple notches below what we've come to expect from family-friendly utility vehicles, and its interior space was inferior to bigger truck-based SUVs and large crossovers. Given the Durango's mass, the V8s are preferable for towing and acceleration, but fuel economy was poor no matter what engine you picked. As such, we'd suggest looking at a 2008 or later Durango and even then only if you need a big SUV that can tow and haul a lot of heavy stuff.

Launched in 1998, the first-generation Dodge Durango brought big-rig looks to a segment full of what essentially were tall station wagons. Then, as now, the Durango was larger than the typical midsize SUV but it looked and felt more like a shrunken full-size SUV. It was a sport-ute for the truck person: a vehicle that sat eight, but in pretty much every other way was the antithesis of a minivan.

The Durango was offered with several engine choices, including a wimpy V6, a couple of V8s and even a rare performance-oriented Shelby model with a high-powered V8, a lowered suspension, big wheels and racing stripes. None of the Durango's engines were particularly sophisticated, nor were they very fuel-efficient. Generally, we suggest looking for a used Durango equipped with a 4.7-liter V8 (offered from 2000-'03) or the 5.9-liter V8: The 4.7-liter delivered the best mileage out of the lot, while the 5.9-liter offered the most torque. Despite its rugged underpinnings, the first-gen Dodge Durango had better road manners than most truck-based SUVs of this era thanks to its long wheelbase, wide track and carefully tuned suspension.

If image projection and midsize-plus packaging were the first-generation Durango's strengths, its chief weakness was quality -- both real and perceived. Gaps between body panels were sizable and inconsistent, while interior fit and finish was lacking compared to the competition. Furthermore, ergonomics revealed the utilitarian pickup underneath, and the third-row seat was uncomfortable for all but children. Still, among families who needed a real workhorse, the original Dodge Durango made many friends.

User Reviews:

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  Better than the competition - 2015 Dodge Durango
  By Patrick Williams - August 3 - 11:29 am

  Dodge has come a long way during the last 15 years. A quality product with technological advances putting them on a par and in allot of cases ahead of the competition. They are listening to the consumers in what they want in a SUV. We get numerous comments on how nice the Durango looks and when people ride with us they cant believe its a Dodge. Kudos to Dodge and their improvements over the years.

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  2 words..... Electrical Problems - 2013 Dodge Durango
  By Rats - July 27 - 3:06 am

  Our Dodge Durango Citadel is a beautiful car. Comfort and performance wise it is the nicest vehicle we have ever owned. Unfortunately the fun stops there. Dodge has several recalls out on this vehicle that they dont have the parts to fix. Our car currently wont start due to a recall issue and the dealership has no idea how to fix the problem because there are no parts to fix the issue. Imagine owning a 50000 dollar vehicle that wont start and has an unfixed brake booster recall. That is the Dodge experience.

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  Buyer Beware! - 2013 Dodge Durango
  By L Falcon - July 22 - 3:58 pm

  The 2013 Dodge Durango looks nice from the outside, BUT inside...the acceleration is mediocre for a 6cyl, air condition takes a while to cool, uncomfortable front seats, a 3-row seating arrangement inside should always include roof racks in my opinion (no roof rack). Most important thing is that this Dodge Durango has had 3-4 recalls since it was purchase in 2014 and every time Dodge has not moved quickly to make the necessary repairs. Their standard answer is always..."the part is not in yet". All the recalls mention possible crash if the issues are not repaired however, Dodge seems to not care about the safety of their customers. It has taken over 6 months for parts to finally become available for each recall and they have not bothered to contact us when that happens. I will not be buying another Dodge ever again.

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  My First Dodge. - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By Jennifer Reynolds - March 24 - 12:21 pm

  My Husband and I upgraded to the 2014 Durango R/T in November 2014. There is about 4500 miles on it so far, and we couldnt be happier with it. We were previously in a 2013 Toyota Venza, and were in the market for a 3rd rower with our 2nd child on the way. The Durangos space is definitely an increase from the Venza, and a great help when you have a 3 year old picky with leg room. This SUV gives you more bang for your buck. I was usually the first to criticize Dodge, but this SUV changed me and my Husband during the test drive. No issues with the vehicle so far.

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  First Dodge product, overall we love it! - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By Mary Samler - February 26 - 12:42 pm

  My wife and I purchased this 2014 Durango R/T in Nov 2014. We absolutely love this vehicle so far. We wanted a 3 row SUV and deemed this best in class. The 3rd row is actually usable by adults unlike some competitors. We have had 1 issue so far, which is currently ongoing, the SD card reader sometimes wont recognize the card is in there and I have to do a soft reset of the Uconnect to get it to work. This has happened twice for no apparent reason. Other than that, all is good. I have mostly owned Toyotas of all kinds in my life so it takes a lot to impress me and I am impressed so far. If this vehicle remains reliable in the long run, I will consider another Dodge again.

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  Junk - 2012 Dodge Durango
  By summer40 - February 6 - 8:34 am

  Please review recalls on this vehicle prior to purchasing. I only had Durango for year and 1/2 and happily got rid of it yesterday. Within short time 2 recalls. Alternator problems still without permanent fix. This is by far the worst vehicle I have ever owned. Panel behind passenger door handle fell off. Trim around gear loose. Terrible blind spots. Against policy to offer customers rental cars when you are having recall work done. If you are considering the Durango just look up the recalls and see that there is still no resolution. Had new alternator put in and with weeks Durango is making noise and starting to vibrate.

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  Not impressed... - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By zoomzoomn - February 4 - 9:07 am

  We bought our Durango at the end of November. A week later the transmission cooler lines popped off while I was 2 hours from home leaving me stranded in an intersection. It took almost 2 weeks to get the car back at which time we found the underside still covered in ATF! Since then we have had problems with the following: alignment off, trash in paint, sunroof misadjusted, keyless entry memory inop, autoclimate malfunctions, audio system malfunctions and now the left rear window will not raise back up and appears to be off track. This is the worst "new car" that I have ever bought. We had planned to keep it for at least 6 years, but not too sure that will happen. Extremely disappointed!!!

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  Great used car value - 2007 Dodge Durango
  By mikey281 - January 26 - 9:39 pm

  The low resale value of these cars can be a real advantage when buying used and planning to keep it for a long time. I have had my Durango Adventurer edition now for about a month and in that time Ive put on about 2000 miles. The ride is smooth and quiet. The 4wd system worked well for driving on the beach to go fishing. I havent had it long enough to know reliability but with most modern cars if you keep them up it should last 150k miles ++ Overall, especially for the price paid I am very happy with this vehicle.

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  Was love at first sight, but then... - 2015 Dodge Durango
  By zoomzoomn - January 21 - 4:57 pm

  We traded in an awesome 7 year old Nissan Armada with over 150,000 miles on it. Our needs have changed a bit we were looking to downsize. Priorites were comfort (including the 3rd row), capability and and gas mileage. The V6 pulls strongly enough and the 8 speed trans is nearly flawless. Gas mileage has been spot on at 19.6 overall in its first 4000 miles. Sadly, the love affair went awry a week after we bought it when I was left stranded 2 hours from home. The car was repaired. Eventually. Now, though, I find myself nitpicking every flaw of which there have been more than Id like. Unfortunately, my initial experience has left me with reservations about recommending this SUV.

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  Hemi problem with blue (oil) smoke - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By cherden721 - January 3 - 9:59 am

  I had 1500 miles when I noticed every time it was started it would leave me engulfed in a cloud of blue smoke. Took back to dealer and they replaced all the valves. Next day, same issue with the smoke. Following week 2 new heads we installed. Finally, it doesnt smoke. Customer Care stated that the oil dip stick is too short for the hemi and the wrong oil pans have been installed but NO recall will follow. Found the same issue for others on the Dodge forum website. I was lucky that my dealer replaced the heads. More buyers are not as lucky, Dodge tells them there is NO problems. Have lost all faith in the Dodge line. BEWARE HEMI OWNERS!!