Three-row cruiser handles with ease
ROAD TEST: 2016 DODGE DURANGO
We may say we like our SUVs to look tough, but in reality, most buyers want them to be tender. Dodge’s Durango was much rougher and thirstier in 1998, built on a frame from the Dakota mid- size pickup. Today it’s a unibody SUV, with three rows of seats and a boulevard-cruiser ride.
I drove the base SXT trim level, which comes only with a 3.6- litre V6. If you want the available 5.7- L V 8, you’ll have to move into one of the other three trims, where it’s either optional or standard. Obviously the V8 offers more punch, but the V6 is no slouch, and unless you’re filling all three rows and the cargo compartment and going across hilly terrain, it should be more than enough for most commuters.
Dodge advertises the 3.6-L as having “up to 295 horsepower,” but that’s only in the top- of- the- line Citadel trim or with the optional Blacktop package, as my tester was equipped; in all others, it cranks out 290 horses, as light downgrade that most drivers won’t notice anyway. The power funnels through a smooth, eight- speed automatic that can be sequentially shifted using paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The V6’s allwheel drive is a single-speed system; only the V8 adds allwheel low range.
New for 2016, the V6 has start/stop, which shuts the engine off at idle, such as when you’re waiting at a light. The climate control, stereo, and other functions continue to operate, and the engine automatically starts again when you take your foot off the brake. The system includes a heavierduty starter and battery to handle it, and you can shut it off if you like. Whether it’s a good idea is up for debate, but since automakers use it to help meet federal fuel-economy standards, you’re going to see this type of system show up on even more vehicles in the future. For the record, I don’t know if the start/stop helped, but over the week I averaged a respectable 11.7 L/100 km.
The Durango s hares its platform with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it’s larger and the Jeep is strictly five-passengers eating. While you can get the Grand Cherokee with a diesel, the Durango is gasoline only. That diesel engine would be a good fit in this family hauler — plus “Diesel Durango” has a nice ring to it, but the extra cost for the engine would probably push everything way too far north of 60 grand to interest enough buyers. As it is, the Durango’s starting prices range from $ 43,395, which gets you a V6, to a topper of $56,395 with a V8.
The vehicle responds quickly to steering input, and the steering is light without being flimsy, making it feel smaller to drive than it actually is. You will notice its bulk when it’s time to park, though. A rearview camera is optional on the base SXT; it was added to my tester courtesy of a $ 1,250 package that also included heated seats and steering wheel. But since it was broadcast through the base five- inch centre screen ( an 8.4- inch version is optional or standard only on trim lines above mine), the back view was limited mostly to checking the bumper of the car parked behind me. Still, it’s better than nothing, and the package also adds a system that slams on the brakes if you’re about to back into something.
The interior is handsome and well finished. Normally my tester would have had cloth seats, but its Blacktop package upgraded them to leather, along with glossy black exterior trim in place of chrome. The infotainment and climate controls are large and simple, and while Chrysler’s dial- style gearshift controller may seem like a gimmick, it’s easy to use and doesn’t take up much space. My only issue was with the instrument cluster; it can reflect sunlight in certain conditions, making it almost impossible to see the gauges.
The third row in any SUV is a compromise for adults, but this one’s better than many. The legroom is acceptable for most, at least for shorter drives, and the seats are set high enough off the floor that you’re not sitting with your chin on your knees. Children will love it back there, of course. Both the second and third rows fold flat to carry cargo, and there’s a hidden storage compartment under the floor behind that back row.
It’s comfortable and it drives well, but the Durango has an Achilles heel: compared to its rivals, it’s expensive. The standard features list will vary between them, of course, but against the starting prices of three- row competitors equipped with all- wheel drive, such as the Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Explorer, Hyundai Santa Fe XL or Toyota Highlander, the base Durango rings in from $5,800 to $7,300 more.
The Durango is seriously nice, but that’s also a serious chunk of change, especially if you want to add a few optional goodies. It’s still worthy of a test drive, but your decision may ultimately come from inside your wallet, not from behind the wheel.