2014 Dodge Durango

Starting with a price of $29,995, the Dodge Durango comes in three trims starting with the base SXT trim. The other two trims are named Limited and Citadel respectively. The Citadel is the top trim and comes with all features and amenities outfitted to it. There is also a powerful sporty R/T trim that comes with the V8 engine as standard but is significantly different from the standard car so it has a separate review. The light-duty AWD system is an available option with the V6 engine, and an on-demand 4WD with dual-range gearing comes with the optional V8 engine.

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The Limited trim with the AWD system is the best choice to go for; it offers significant upgrades over the base trim, and the AWD system helps it perform slightly better off-road. The Limited trim also comes with better quality materials on the inside which gives a more upscale feel.

The standard engine that comes in the 2014 Dodge Durango is a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 motor which produces 290 horsepower and 260-pound feet of torque. Mated with the new eight-speed automatic transmission this engine not only performs well at low and high speeds but also produces better fuel economy than the previous engine.

The available V8 HEMI engine is a beast of an engine that makes 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, which is a lot for a three-row family crossover, but Dodge has a habit of going crazy with their powertrain options. The standard engine helps the car reach 60 MPH in 7.8 seconds and comes with a top speed of 136 MPH.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is the fastest to 60 MPH and also offers similar power to that of the Durango. While Durango has the highest top speed and is the only SUV that comes with a standard RWD drivetrain rather than an FWD drivetrain which means that the Dodge might have slightly better handling than the rest.

The new transmission does help a lot in terms of improved fuel economy, and with the improved figures the Durango becomes a fun choice, the V6 engine offers good power, while the mpg figures stay in a range that is average for the segment. It returns 18 mpg in the city which goes up to 25 mpg on the highway. The EPA estimates that Durango will return a combined rating of 20 mpg. It comes with a 24.6-gallon fuel tank, one of the biggest to be fitted to any vehicle of the segment, which allows for better range even with the average fuel economy figures.

While the Durango has average fuel economy the bigger fuel tank allows for a better range than others. However, the range over the highway that Durango has is less than what the other rivals have on offer, but it has way more range in combined driving conditions than the rest.

The Durango is a crossover SUV, at least that's what Dodge says and that’s what they had in mind while building the Durango. It might still look like a rugged SUV, but instead of a body-on-frame chassis, it is now a unibody design which means it has more space inside. Upfront the seats offer power adjustability and come with cloth upholstery in the base trim, which gets upgraded to leather upholstery from the Limited trim. The seats all around are comfortable and offer good support.

The second row can accommodate three adults comfortably while the access and space in the third row are also good enough to fit two adults without issues. The leather seats however feel a bit flat and uncomfortable which might be due to the ventilation function. There is no lack of space inside the 2014 Dodge Durango and for most of the journey, the occupants won't feel tired no matter where they are seated.

The Honda has the biggest trunk, and also allows for seating of one extra passenger, which makes its total seating capacity stand up to 8. Moreover, the Honda also has the most spacious third row, which makes it more comfortable inside. Rest all the three SUVs have similar space inside, while the Hyundai has the smallest trunk. Key interior features:

• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• Cloth/leather upholstery
• Eight-way power driver seat
• Heated front seats (optional)
• Heated steering wheel (optional)
• Driver memory settings

How intuitive is the 2014 Dodge Durango’s infotainment unit?

The standard SXT trim has decent features for the infotainment functions. It comes with a 5-inch touchscreen display which is paired to a six-speaker audio system. The system comes with basic features like Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port, and an auxiliary jack alongside a satellite radio and a CD player. Move up to the Limited trim, and you get a bigger 8.4-inch screen with Dodge’s UConnect infotainment system. The standard list of features also increases with the upgraded screen and system which include:

• Optional Alpine audio system
• UConnect system
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• Smartphone integration in form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite radio
• USB port
• Auxiliary audio jack

The Durango has moved on from being a truck-based SUV, which shows thanks to the new unibody design which gives it more smooth lines, but it still feels more like a rugged SUV than a crossover. Upfront the big crosshair grille keeps up the classic SUV styling. At the rear, you get LED racetrack lighting which forms a ribbon across the tailgate. The front headlamps also get distinctive hockey-shaped LED lights on all but the base trim. The flared fenders and aggressive sculpting that help one recognize any Dodge vehicle with ease are not present in the design of the Durango.

The Dodge being the heaviest is still the most powerful SUV, and having bigger dimensions than the rest it still is an easy to maneuver SUV. The Durango comes with the longest wheelbase in the competition with a very evident margin and it also comes with the best ground clearance of the lot. Key exterior features:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic headlights
• Fog lights
• Heated side-view mirrors
• Automatic wipers
• Sunroof

The Safety ratings of the Dodge Durango are not too good to boast about, but also are not so bad that you might reconsider your safety and the occupants seated inside. The NHTSA gave the Durango four out of five possible stars for the overall safety ratings, and the IIHS gave it the top rating of ‘Good’ in all the tests conducted on the Durango since IIHS has not tested the Durango for the small-overlap impacts it fails to gain any title from IIHS. Standard safety features include six airbags, ABS, traction control, and stability control. Apart from these standard features as you move the trims, the list increases with the inclusion of features such as:

• Rearview camera
• Parking sensors
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot warning system
• Forward-collision warning system.

With seating of up to seven, a decently powerful engine that offers respectable fuel economy combined with the refined interiors with updated styling and transmission makes the Dodge Durango quite an interesting choice in the three-row crossover SUV segment. Moreover, the design still retains the rugged SUV looks even though it's a Unibody design. With all that, you can consider it if you are looking for an SUV in the segment.