Durango!!!!

[Flyin6]

I just got back from vacation, and I rented a Dodge Durango to drive the couple of thousand miles we put on it. After spending a bunch of time in it, I have to say, WOW!
So it had the spindly little 3.6 motor, same as in our Jeeps, but this thing actually had a bunch of power. I mean, I was impressed with it in all phases of driving. I drove it at 80-ish MPH, and it still delivered 24.3 MPG on the highway and 21.2 for combined country/city driving.
We went to Branson, MO, where there are very few straight sections of road. That's where the handling started to shine. I started pushing it like it was a Porsche Cayenne, and it never disappointed. I was similarly impressed by the way it stayed glued to the road.
Another thing I liked about it was that it has an older, more analog setup. I don't know about you, but I think most of today's electronic features are just costly junk on its way to a complete and costly failure. Give me featureless cockpits any day! Honestly, all these gizmos seem to make a vehicle less manly, well, at least to me.

That got me thinking that maybe I like it enough to own one, so I checked at the stealership. That's where I got yet another wow moment. These things are cheap! $40s for standard GTs, and just into the $50s for a 5.7 Hemi.
Best of all, believe it or not, a 392 Hemi Durango can be had for around $50K!!!!
It has the SRT 485 HP setup, leather sport seats, a 500-watt Alpine stereo, Brembo brakes, 20" wheels with Pirelli tires, and a 4.4-second 0-60 for $ 50K-ish.

Dunno, I think I'm headed to the dealership to place an order for one...

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[Bandit’s Lair]

Durangos are really nice. I test drove a couple Citadel models when looking for one for the wife. Very plush and plenty of power. I have an older model sitting in the drive that needs a reflash and some other work to get on the road again. Only thing I’m leery of is the electronics. A fuel pump failure left wifey stranded on the side of the hiway and the vehicle wouldn’t shift out of park. Even when the release was pulled. Not sure what went on there but that’s about the only problem we’ve had on one.

 

[DirkG]

And on the tried and true Mercedes platform. I've said many times on this board, the Hemi Durango is the best deal on the market. Sure the structure is 15 years old, but who cares when you can keep it relevant with interior and tech updates and sell it for this cheap...

 

[BourbonRunner]

They're the best bang for the buck in the SUV market today and if i wasn't in need of a pickup bed and proper 4x4, i'd have a 392 Hemi Durango outside without a second thought. They've aged very well.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Maybe I can get a 2-fer from AMW doing the Durango and the Gladiator to the 5.7 at the same time.

 

[Flyin6]

So, I got some disappointing news from the dealership today.

I went down there and decided that if they were willing to come off list price, I was going to order one.

First off, the base model is gone! That's the one I wanted. A Hemi 392 Durango with only the "Night Moves" paint at $595. That's it, no other options. Well, I cannot order a 2026, and the base model is discontinued for 2027!
That's important because not only did the base price go up $3,000, but now you have to get the Hemi Plus or Hemi Premium. Both of those models have sunroofs. Did I mention I hate sunroofs? Not having one. Extra weight, extra cost, leak and failure point, and I N E V E R use the one in the wife's Caddy.
Oh, and you have to get at least one option from a specified group. The black top option is cheapest, but it adds roof rack rails that I also don't want. The price rose to $58,xxx before shipping and taxes.
The worst part is that Stellantis isn't accepting orders for 392 Durangos right now.

They shared some very interesting news with me. They said the 392 Gladiator will be available in the first quarter of 2027!

So, I wonder how the standard 5.7 Hemi GT model would be? 360 HP vs 480 is huge...

 

[Jteakus]

Hellcat Durango is available as well.

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