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By New Car Test Drive
Big and brawny, yet surprisingly refined.
Introduction
Dodge Durango looks tough but rides smooth. Big and bulky, it handles like a truck, but it's quiet, roomy, and comfortable, with a host of available technology.
This second-generation Durango, which first appeared as an '04 model, slips between the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition in exterior dimensions.
Standard seating is for five, seven or eight (depending on model); optional second-row bucket seats provide six- or seven-passenger capacity. With all seats folded, there's 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 optional Hemi engine is rated to tow up to 8,950 pounds.
A V6 is standard, but two V8s are available and both are superb. The flex-fuel 4.7-liter V8 is upgraded from 235 to 303 horsepower for 2008 without a fuel economy penalty. It can run on gasoline or up to 85 percent ethanol (E85). It's smooth and powerful, but drivers who want or need more can opt for the celebrated 5.7-liter Hemi. Both V8s come with a five-speed automatic transmission that's smooth, refined, and responsive. This transmission includes a Tow/Haul feature we like that holds lower gears longer when towing to reduce gear searching.
Newly offered for 2008 are a rear backup camera, a cargo management system, and Dodge's MyGIG hard drive radio that can hold songs, pictures, and navigation system map information.
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