Dodge Durango 4WD Limited

Dodge Durango 4WD Limited - The Durango measured up well in our traditional testing, including a solid first place in a midwinter full-size-SUV shootout (“Gitche Gumee Games,” C/D, April 2004). But a four-day thrash in Michigan’s winter wonderland didn’t reveal much about how the Durango might stand up to the equivalent of a couple years’ of hard work. Computer sims won’t answer that one, either. Only way to get the answer is to drive it, and so, in mid-October 2004, a Durango joined the C/D long-term test fleet.

The Dodge boys also thought we needed a $1200 DVD entertainment system, a power sunroof ($850), and body-color running boards ($445). They were wrong on all counts. They were particularly wrong about the running boards, devices we suspect were created by a cabal of dry cleaners. Anyone who can keep pant legs clean throughout ownership of this or any other SUV with running boards probably qualifies for an Olympic gymnastics team.

With a Hemi under the hood, the Durango has a gross vehicle weight rating (curb weight plus cargo, including occupants) of 6600 pounds, a towing capacity of 8650 pounds, and a gross combined weight rating of 14,000. These are big numbers, even by the hefty standards of the full-size class, and inevitably, they were numbers attractive to folks who wanted to drag something heavy somewhere far away.

The real hauling came once the frost was out of the Midwestern tundra and SCCA club racing resumed, which meant the loads got heavier—about 4600 pounds of trailer and race car, plus some 400 pounds of tools and spares. Aside from a peculiar glitch with the trailer lighting circuit one night in the construction chaos skirting the south end of Lake Michigan—not a good place for your trailer to go dark—the Durango went about its work without a murmur. Even with a trailer, there was plenty of punch for passing on two-lane highways, freeway merges were no sweat, and short haul or long, the Durango’s comfort quotient was high.

So, a solid performer. But not a totally flawless performer. At just over 20,000 miles, a shift from drive to reverse caused the Durango to simply quit cold. This peculiar behavior didn’t repeat, but later that same day the Sirius radio stopped picking up satellite signals. Ordinarily a $300 item, it was replaced under warranty.

Like the durability report, the Durango’s general comfort marks were very good—but not quite perfect. For example, there were complaints about the remorseless draft from the center dashboard vents, which offered almost no adjustability. The middle seat drew some criticism—not quite enough legroom, lumpy padding—and of course fuel economy, an oxymoronic phrase in connection with SUVs in this class, was lamentable.

All things considered, we emerged with a positive view of this Hemi-powered hauler. It’s tough enough to handle heavy duty, civilized enough for all-around use, with a respectable durability index backed by a strong warranty.