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By Sam Moses
Refined and comfortable workhorse.
Introduction
Boldly styled, the Dodge Durango is big and powerful, but surprisingly refined. That's right, refined. Dodge and refinement haven't always gone together, but the Durango is quiet and it rides smoothly. Its handling is stable and relatively agile. Inside is a quiet, roomy, comfortable and technologically sophisticated cabin.
This second-generation Durango is big. Its exterior dimensions place it between the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition in size, but it benefits greatly from a space-efficient design. Durango can seat up to eight passengers with the optional 60/40 folding third row seat. Folding down the seats reveals more than 100 cubic feet of cargo space. You can slide full-size sheets of plywood in back. And a properly equipped Durango with the Hemi engine is rated to tow up to 8,950 pounds.
Two V8s are available and both are superb. The popular 4.7-liter V8 and the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 are smooth and powerful. They come with a five-speed automatic that's smooth, refined, and responsive, including a Tow/Haul transmission feature we like that holds lower gears longer when towing to reduce gear searching.
The base model has been dropped for 2006, so the Durango SXT is the entry level for the Durango line-up. For 2006 the optional 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine is now equipped with the new Multi-Displacement System (MDS) that disables four cylinders when cruising to improve fuel economy.
The Durango was awarded the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Five-Star frontal impact rating in 2005, in part due to the Durango's frame design, which absorbs front impacts. For 2006, dual stage front air bags and an occupant-sensing system for the passenger-side front air bag are standard. Curtain airbags and electronic stability control are available as options.
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