2016 Dodge Durango Limited RWD Rental Review - There certainly been much discussion about crossovers here lately, has not the? Whateve...
There certainly been much discussion about crossovers here lately, has not the? Whatever your opinion on the possession of a CUV, it's hard to deny the functionality of a CUV three rows offer the company and / or to the rental customer pleasure. The ability to carry an entire sales team in a meeting, and presentation documents and suitcases? Useful. The ability to take a family of five to the beach, including assorted coolers and pool toys? Valuable.
Therefore, gentlemen, if you absolutely must have a crossover for your rent or personal needs, well, you might as well have the money damn manliest crossing can buy. That honor goes to 2016 Dodge Durango. Ladies, I have a feeling that you will enjoy the great D, too. Let me share my thoughts with you this week, I walked into the ATL with the entry of the CAF in the hotly contested segment in three ranks.
If you're like me (and really, who is not?), You probably have difficulty remembering what the hell all the different Dodge trim levels mean. My Durango was the limited variety RWD, which means it is in the middle of the range - below the pimpin, pimpin 'Citadel and HEMI-powered R / T, but above the SXT and SXT Plus. Except for the R / T, all Durangos are endowed ubiquitous 3.6-liter V6 Pentastar FCA, who put on an impressive 20 horsepower in this particular application. You also get eight 845RE speed placidly smooth automatic transmission in all non-R / T models, which helps make the Pentastar more enjoyable to drive.
Intensify Limited gets you a series of upgrades, including uConnect 8.4 inch touch screen, heated seats standard leather-trimmed in the first and second rows, a rearview camera, and the option to add a DVD entertainment system for your offspring. You also get a blingy badge that says "LIMITED" because Dodge just does not put one designer who wishes sober details.
The uConnect 8.4 is reason enough to raise those monthly payments a little. Although this is not particularly friendly to the customer rental trying to figure out exactly how to lower the head restraints in the seats of the third row, the interface moves quickly and smoothly through the menus. Almost everything you would check that the driver - music climate controls - is managed by the uConnect interface. The Durango will even recognize cold outside and the inside temperatures during startup and immediately offer you the option to turn on the driver and passenger heated seats and heated steering wheel. This is a feature I greatly appreciated during unusually cold morning Atlanta.
Inexplicably, directly behind the sizzling steering wheel, Dodge has seen fit to place pallets quite unnecessary. Although there is something satisfying to manually rip through eight speeds, I quickly decided that he was a useless exercise. The 845RE was much better than me to select the right speed, and I felt stupid to change gears in a crossover that weighs 4,838 pounds. Perhaps there is an application for towing or something? I'm not tow lot, but the D is rated for max towing 7400 lbs, which is pretty damn impressive.
Yet despite this formidable force and robust appearance, the Durango is quite unpleasant inside. Although I find the Durango is subpar compared with the nicest interiors of the class (think Toyota Highlander), it is not as bad as some would have you believe. The seat is comfortable and supportive, and it is more than enough head and shoulders in the first and second row. I have not spent much time in the third row, as it should be for children and emotional support dogs.
However, there are some areas where the Durango falls short of expectations, and the first is in the visibility department. The fifth-generation Camaro is a virtual Willis Tower Skydeck in comparison with the Durango. As someone who is just about the same height as your typical pilot Durango (which is to say slightly larger than most women and Jalopnik writers), I found it impossible to put me in a position that allowed me to see clearly and safely in all directions. lane change was a complete crapshoot; I especially hoped that other drivers could see me and gave them the appropriate time to avoid the giant black headed in their general direction.
The second issue is the fuel economy of area. In the relatively flat metropolitan Atlanta, and even if I do not drive during rush hour traffic, I am not able to coax more than 17 mpg on the Dodge, and it's horrifically invasive and tremble land Start / Stop activated technology. It is the worst fuel economy I've seen at a crossover period. Hell, I used to achieve similar fuel economy in a Honda Pilot ... while towing a Honda S00 CR on a trailer behind it. Dodge claims a first-class 27 mpg, and I can not understand how someone could possibly get this number without a Ram truck pulling downhill with a tow strap.
That said, the point of view of a driver, the Durango Limited is the most engaging and powerful crossover, you can get money. It even seems powerful, with an exhaust note that matches his masculine presence. If you can actually see gaps in traffic from the driver's seat, the Durango can pull any of them. While the Pentastar does the job, it made me covet a little to the HEMI R / T Durango, because everyone knows that Baron Acton said about power.
The Durango is the crossover for the guy who does not really want a crossover. He managed to do what the explorer could not quite, which is making the transition from body-on-frame SUV to CUV while maintaining a muscular face and muscle performance. The Durango Limited, equipped as my rental was with navigation and power tailgate, priced at $ 38,885. It seems more money than that, it brings more money than that, and it feels solid as hell. In this segment, I am always in favor of Flex Uber Alles , but if you can only have one vehicle, I would choose D.
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