Rental review Dodge Durango

[andrew_j]

We visited Tampa area last school vacation week to peek at colleges and also some warm sunny school kids winter vacation.

The rental I thought would be a VW Atlas ended up a Dodge Durango RT. The hemi engine is a fuel pig (15MPG). It was not significantly fast/powerful compared to my previous Acura MDX and vehicle had an adolescent exhaust roar/note especially on startup. Not sure they had a mode to tone the aggressive exhaust.

Otherwise Stellanis makes an impressive vehicle as I liked everything else about it. I have not driven Dodge in years and was simply wowed by interior quality, smoothness and build seemed high quality.

 

[Owen Lucas]

vehicle had an adolescent exhaust roar/note especially on startup. Not sure they had a mode to tone the aggressive exhaust.

I think this is their target market. The guy who was caught going 156 mph in a Dodge Charger would approve.

 

[supton]

The hemi engine is a fuel pig (15MPG).

Was it just driven around town? did you reset the mpg readout?

I know nothing about them, but I could see a big V8 in a big SUV being thirsty in a city... and if the prior drivers drove it like the rental it is, that 15 might actually be a good number.

 

[dishdude]

They are very nice vehicles, comfortable and engaging to drive.

 

[samven]

The gas mileage has not changed on those engines. I have a 2003 Ram 1500 QC LB with the 5.7 hemi. I can squeak out 18 mpg on the highway but mixed driving is usually 15 mpg and has been since it was new.

 

[OVERKILL]

Yep, the HEMI is thirsty, and not particularly powerful in the Durango/Grand Cherokee (360HP/390lb-ft), though I suspect those numbers are higher than for your MDX. The 6.4L is the next step up in SRT trim and that's 475HP and gives you a 4.7 second 0-60, so it's a considerable upgrade, though fuel economy is even worse:

 

[Bighorn2500]

Yep, the HEMI is thirsty, and not particularly powerful in the Durango/Grand Cherokee (360HP/390lb-ft), though I suspect those numbers are higher than for your MDX. The 6.4L is the next step up in SRT trim and that's 475HP and gives you a 4.7 second 0-60, so it's a considerable upgrade, though fuel economy is even worse:
View attachment 143203

But you buy it for the smiles per gallon as you watch the tank drain, not the MPG

 

[OVERKILL]

But you buy it for the smiles per gallon as you watch the tank drain, not the MPG

Exactly, lol.

 

[SaberOne]

I rented a Durango and I liked it too! I was impressed with the amount of space.

 

[Tahoe4Life]

I rented a Durango and I liked it too! I was impressed with the amount of space.

That is probably why the Miami-Dade PD has a lot of them.

 

[LouC]

I love the sound & feel of the Hemi & nothing with 6 cyls comes close. Not just speed, it’s the sound, feel, loads of low end torque. For towing can’t be beat pulls like a freight train. 6cyl just ain’t it for me.

 

[HemiBenny]

The 5.7l Hemi in that application is more for smooth, effortless acceleration IMO,...not necessarily to be fast. In the Dodge Durango, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 5.7l Hemi gets that boat moving smoothly with no fuss or high revving.

 

[andrew_j]

Exactly, lol.

The guess Durango R/T is heavy and 392 HP gets eaten up by weight.

Yep, the HEMI is thirsty, and not particularly powerful in the Durango/Grand Cherokee (360HP/390lb-ft), though I suspect those numbers are higher than for your MDX. The 6.4L is the next step up in SRT trim and that's 475HP and gives you a 4.7 second 0-60, so it's a considerable upgrade, though fuel economy is even worse:
View attachment 143203

You are on point about HEMI in rental version not particularly powerful and thirsty. I just expected more for my 15 MPG of 50/50 mixed driving .

My poor wife without me bumped manual shift and got it stuck in gear 1-2 not understanding it and mortified with noise. She reset it by turning car off.

 

[AmBeRnEcTaR]

Was it just driven around town? did you reset the mpg readout?

I know nothing about them, but I could see a big V8 in a big SUV being thirsty in a city... and if the prior drivers drove it like the rental it is, that 15 might actually be a good number.

I had a rental one for a week, same one, 2022 'Hemi R/T.
They're HEAVY and you feel every bit of that heft during spirited driving. I hated how disconnected the throttle felt to the pedal inputs it was brutal. Mine had savage lifter tick too with ~25,000 kms on it.

Otherwise very comfortable SUV that would be a nice place to spend time for extended interstate travels.

 

[aquariuscsm]

A friend of mine has a third gen Durango (can't remember the year, it's an earlier one) and it's one of the nicest most comfortable vehicles I've ever ridden in. It's black with black leather, maybe in the 150,000+ mileage range. The leather is beautifully fashioned and made really well. It's absolutely silent on the highway and smooth and rock solid. I'm guessing it's a V6 because it doesn't have dual exhaust and it's really quiet (doesn't have that V8 rumble).

If I was to ever own an suv type vehicle it would be one of these.

 

[OVERKILL]

The guess Durango R/T is heavy and 392 HP gets eaten up by weight.

360HP, the trucks got the 395HP version but for whatever reason, the Jeep and Durango kept the 360HP version.

You are on point about HEMI in rental version not particularly powerful and thirsty. I just expected more for my 15 MPG of 50/50 mixed driving .

Yeah, the programming doesn't help either, it's pretty dampened (the throttle).

My poor wife without me bumped manual shift and got it stuck in gear 1-2 not understanding it and mortified with noise. She reset it by turning car off.

My dad did something similar in our RAM, lol, hit the gear limiter on the wheel and he pulled over and shut it off, had no idea what he had done.

 

[Skippy722]

My poor wife without me bumped manual shift and got it stuck in gear 1-2 not understanding it and mortified with noise. She reset it by turning car off.

My wife did the same thing, but she bumped it into 1st… and I had a Gibson axle back exhaust on my 2011 Durango. She worked about a mile from home at the time and I could hear the poor thing screaming down our road at 3000-4000rpm, which was 25-35mph

 

[Nick1994]

The guess Durango R/T is heavy and 392 HP gets eaten up by weight.
You are on point about HEMI in rental version not particularly powerful and thirsty. I just expected more for my 15 MPG of 50/50 mixed driving .

My poor wife without me bumped manual shift and got it stuck in gear 1-2 not understanding it and mortified with noise. She reset it by turning car off.

I don't get much better than that with my '14 Grand Cherokee with the 3.6L V6

 

[AmBeRnEcTaR]

The 5.7l Hemi in that application is more for smooth, effortless acceleration IMO,...not necessarily to be fast. In the Dodge Durango, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 5.7l Hemi gets that boat moving smoothly with no fuss or high revving.

I thought it was decently quick actually. My butt dyno figured it for a 14.0 quarter mile @100mph.
Not bad for a heavy brick.
You could feel how hard it is on brakes though with all that weight and nosedive.

 

[Torrid]

I think it's awesome all these V8 vehicles exist but I can't think of a single reason why I would buy one for myself. If I towed on occasion it would make sense.