I wouldn't kick it out of the garage!
SUVs in general provide a sense of power and safety on the road. The 2016 Dodge Durango is no different. Our test vehicle came with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, which puts down 360 horsepower. New aggressive styling adds to the powerful demeanor.
I really couldn't make up my mind here. On one hand, the interior was nice and the infotainment system was aweome. On the other, everything had a cheap feeling that I couldn't quite place. It was fast, but lacked all-wheel-drive to actually use any of its power. It was big, but seemed too narrow inside to really carry stuff like an old suburban of equal size. Overall, it felt like a near miss–especially when I looked at the sticker price.
I think it would be a capable tow vehicle, but I couldn't see myself buying one. It does look pretty cool, though.
The Durango R/T isn't the only sporty SUV out there, as it's quickly becoming a crowded market. This is the one, though, for us muscle car fans. For one, it doesn't cost a million dollars--or even six figures. Call it a modern take on a Road Runner fitted with a 440. It's built for a purpose, not necessarily to impress.
The Durango comfortably, stylishly and quickly carried two of us plus three BMX bikes to a weekend event. Despite the big wheels and low-profile tires, it didn't beat us up or wear us down.
The interior controls all make sense and are easy to use. The gear shift knob might be the one thing that upsets traditionalists, but in a world where everyone has to have a unique gear selector, this one at least makes sense and doesn't leaving you wondering where "park" is located.
Does high-performance SUVs make sense? We'll let the market decide. But if shopping for one, I'd definitely check out this one.
I actually had a 2004 Durango for a company vehicle at one time so I was really interested to see how far they had come. I was really impressed with the 2017 version in both interior and exterior quality.
The exterior had this sinister look to it with the dark gray paint and black wheels. The interior was well laid out and the materials felt like they were good quality.
The best part is the engine and the way it sounds when you accelerate. I would buy one just for that!
I wouldn't kick it out of the garage!
Best looking Magnum they've built yet
I'm glad to see over the top interior colors making a comeback.
Looking at the spec sheet I would expect more than 360 HP from a 57 Liter Engine 
Idunno. You can get a pretty nice AWD Flex Ecoboost for that money. And from the pics the Flex looks like it has a much better interior as well.
When can we expect the Durango Hellcat?
Tommy, AWD is not necessary with a Durango R/T in the South. The weight distribution is 47/53.
I can't keep track of Chrysler anymore. Isn't this essentially a Dodge Journey? Or is the Journey going away for 2017? The Chrysler Town and Country is now the Pacifica. The Dart and 200 are going away. They stuff a Hemi in anything it will fit in. Ditto the Hellcat motor. For Chryslers sake I hope we don't have another oil crisis (of course we will eventually) because all they have left is wonking SUVs. Maybe they think the Fiat end will save them? GM and Ford (especially Ford!) are light years ahead in product mix. Time to call Lee Iacocca back!!
A Journey is different in every conceivable way. I find it ironic that you pay little enough attention to Chryslers to tell two completely different vehicles apart (fwd vs rwd, 1000+ lb difference, 4cyl vs v8 in some cases, etc), but feel qualified to comment on their 'product mix'. 
I drove one of these the first year it came out and was really, really impressed with the driving manners considering how large of a vehicle is. Feels like a sportscar compared to our Sequoia. Also drives really "small" - felt more like it was Rav4 size than a big SUV.
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