2023 Dodge Durango

Dodge seems to be kicking and screaming into the new age of electrified vehicles. Even the notion of a new ICE model or two appears to be a foreign concept for the American muscle maker. Take the Dodge Durango; this full-size crossover SUV is one of the oldest cars on sale, having started its tenure back in 2011. Sure, Dodge has updated it in the ensuing years, but the Dodge Durango's fresher competitors such as the Honda Pilot and Kia Telluride still make it feel dated. Nevertheless, this SUV still offers plenty of attitude, a 360 horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine, and up to 8,700 lbs of towing capacity. Love it or hate it, it is still a force to be reckoned with, and in this review of the Dodge Durango, we see whether it has what it takes to remain relevant in a class filled with fresh new competition.

The 2023 Dodge Durango has a starting price of $39,050 for the base SXT, with the SXT Plus adding $1,595 to that MSRP. The GT goes on sale for $41,550, the GT Plus retails for $45,550, and the GT Premium will set you back $49,550. R/T models start at $52,150, while the Citadel costs $53,050. You can get your hands on an R/T Hemi Orange for $54,145, while an R/T Plus requires a $55,150 outlay. At $58,650, the R/T Premium is the priciest of the bunch, before you get to the SRT trims, which we review separately. All these prices exclude the $1,595 destination fee. To add AWD to any Durango costs $2,000 extra, and the Citadel's optional upgrade to the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 comes with a $3,995 surcharge.

With its underpinnings broadly similar to the early-2010s W166 Mercedes ML/GLE and WK2 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Durango has mostly stood the test of time and does not embarrass itself among more modern SUVs. The balance the Dodge engineers have achieved between ride and handling remains quite admirable even today and the Durango manages to feel composed and comfortable without falling apart at the sight of a corner. Yes, it's a big 5,000-pound barge and doesn't corner like a Charger, but it remains safe, predictable, and somehow sharper than you might expect. You are quickly reminded it's an SUV by the anesthetized steering and you can feel the brakes work hard to rein in the mass as it pitches forward, SUV-style, but overall, it's perfectly good to drive and - importantly - comfortable enough for its main remit of family transport. The base 295-hp V6 is probably enough for most, with acceptable performance and economy, but if you want to make use of the excellent towing capacity or want some snap when flooring the throttle, you'll have to go for the rather thirsty 360-hp V8. And if you want to venture off the beaten track, the Durango will do a better imitation of a proper off-roader than most newfangled crossovers.

The Durango has been around since season 1 of Game Of Thrones and has changed little in that time, for better or worse. The Durango flips a middle finger to the established players in this class by being one of the last models to feature V8 power in a world where V6 engines, and lately, small-capacity turbocharged engines reign supreme. The Durango's retro style is still attractive and looks better, in our opinion, than the contemporary modern boxes you see on the road today. The 2023 Durango's strong points include a comfy ride, decent handling, great value, an excellent infotainment system, impressive performance, and good interior quality. On the other side of the coin, the interior feels a bit dated and the handling and steering aren't super sharp, but it's not enough to keep us from coming back for more. It's not a properly resolved modern SUV like a Kia Telluride or the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee, and more safety features should be standard at the price. Now in its twilight years, the Durango still offers that old-school SUV feel, coupled with proper towing and off-road ability in AWD guise. Yet it's been freshened up just enough not to temper its rugged charm, maintaining its appeal to a more traditional SUV buyer.

The first model with a decent luxury specification is the GT Plus. It has three rows and a nice collection of features. We'd stretch the budget a little bit and go for the R/T model, though. If you're going to have a Charger on stilts, you might as well have it with a V8 engine. It also has nicer interior upholstery and an updated 10.1-inch infotainment system with a nine-speaker sound system. It has all the necessary luxury and safety features and still comes in below $48,000