2023 Dodge Durango R/T

[dgunay]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a 3-row SUV to replace my wife's CR-V before the end of this year. I'm not in a death rush as I'm looking for deals and can survive with the CR-V few more months to find a better deal.

What do you guys think about the Durango R/T? Any Durango R/T owners here? I know it's a very old platform, but I like the most updated exterior and interior (2021+) design. I want a V8 before they are gone. We are looking for either brand new, or slightly used 2021+ depending on the price difference. Tow N Go package is a must for us new or used, not just because increased towing capacity, but there are lots of good stuff included in that package.

Since I bought the CR-V 3 years ago, we have put about 12000 miles, so the cost difference between an I-4, V6 and V8 would be negligible. I do not want to buy another boring SUV, and Durango is one of the few ones that offers V8 in an unibody platform. Not considering body-on-frame entries like Tahoe etc. as they are much bigger, expensive and less fun to drive.

Would you recommend it? Let me know your experience & thoughts. Thanks!

 

[BAJA_05]

Very sharp looking vehicle there you posted. Digging the color!!!

 

[SaberOne]

My first experience was the Durango was a rental out of Florida. The back area was huge and I saw that as very appealing. I forget what engine it had but it was a dog, so it must’ve been the lower package. In 2019 I set in an RT or Hellcat version on the Dodge dealer lot. I still liked it, but I noticed the driver seat was firmer than I prefer. Even so, I like the more traditional look up this SUV over most others’ that look like Nissans. Also, I got spoiled with my RECARO ErgoMed seats in my SS.

 

[atikovi]

I'd get the Hellcat version, but if that's too much, here are some examples of what dealers can get RTs for.

 

[SatinSilver]

Looks like a beast, which is a good thing. You should get a decent amount for the CRV. Try to buy during the last few days of the month for a good deal from a dealer with a good rating. Maybe check out the SRT trim or the one with the 6.4.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

You should get a Hellcat, if you can afford it and actually find one

 

[dgunay]

Hellcats are way out of my budget unfortunately. They are asking 6-figure prices here in Canada, and we don't have many available.

SRT would be an option especially used, but they only come with 6 seat configuration (2-2-2), I'm looking for 7 seater, which is available with the R/T trim.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Are you ruling-out the Acadia / Traverse / Enclave?

 

[dgunay]

Are you ruling-out the Acadia / Traverse / Enclave?

Nothing wrong with them, but they are ugly (IMO), I want a V8 with rear wheel biased AWD. Also, I drove them all as I review cars as a side hustle, they are just as boring as the CR-V.

Didn't have a chance to drive & review the Durango, and ownership experience is quite different than driving cars for a week. That's why I wanted to ask.

 

[OVERKILL]

Didn't realize you could get the SRT brembo brakes on the R/T now, interesting!

The 5.7L is adequate, the 6.4L steps it up significantly, but gas mileage is, well, yeah.

I'm a big fan of the updated interior, would have been nice if the GC had also received it, but they were moving that to the new platform, so it didn't.

Given that it's a mature platform with an equally mature drivetrain, I'd say give it a test drive and if you like it, go for it.

 

[dishdude]

I had one of these as a rental a couple weeks ago and it was a very comfortable, great handling and driving vehicle. A ton of room as well. It had a 3.6 and that thing was a dog! To be fair, I was taking it through the mountains of Colorado at high altitude and it did return 25.2 MPG for the entire time I rented it, pretty impressive! Coincidentally, the tiny 1.5 in my Integra is currently showing 25 MPG .

Some of those twist and turns through the mountains are pretty extreme, and the Durango handled them at high speed with ease. It really inspired a lot of confidence for the driver. It had 9200 miles on it when I got it, still on the factory fill. I felt bad for it and dumped a quart of Kroger 5w-30 in it.

 

[Malo83]

Love those gunmetal rims, black rims.

 

[The Critic]

@andrew_j recently had one as a rental and he was less than impressed with the powertrain.

Rental review Dodge Durango

We visited Tampa area last school vacation week to peek at colleges and also some warm sunny 🌞 school kids winter vacation. The rental I thought would be a VW Atlas ended up a Dodge Durango RT. The hemi engine is a fuel pig (15MPG). It was not significantly fast/powerful compared to my previous...

bobistheoilguy.com

As a HEMI owner myself I can confidently tell you that the 5.7L is a thirsty dinosaur that doesn't deliver anything other than a "cool" soundtrack.

There are far more modern powertrains that deliver in terms of power and mpg; I wouldn't go out of your way to get a NA V8.

 

[dgunay]

Didn't realize you could get the SRT brembo brakes on the R/T now, interesting!

The 5.7L is adequate, the 6.4L steps it up significantly, but gas mileage is, well, yeah.

I'm a big fan of the updated interior, would have been nice if the GC had also received it, but they were moving that to the new platform, so it didn't.

Given that it's a mature platform with an equally mature drivetrain, I'd say give it a test drive and if you like it, go for it.

SRT brakes along with a lot of goodies come with Tow N Go package, such as the Bilstein dampers, eLSD, active noise cancelling, louder exhaust, wider tires, better engine cooling etc. definitely worth paying extra. It makes the R/T an SRT without the 6.4L engine.

I think they are also moving the Durango to the new platform next year, which will be body-on-frame like the GW. It will no longer be in a unique spot like the way it is currently.

I set my expectations about MPG accordingly but CR-V isn't great anyways, I can barely get it above 20 MPG. I live in the suburbs, so there is no stop and go traffic and at least 70+% will be highway driving, and I don't drive my personal cars that much.

 

[dgunay]

@andrew_j recently had one as a rental and he was less than impressed with the powertrain.

Rental review Dodge Durango

We visited Tampa area last school vacation week to peek at colleges and also some warm sunny 🌞 school kids winter vacation. The rental I thought would be a VW Atlas ended up a Dodge Durango RT. The hemi engine is a fuel pig (15MPG). It was not significantly fast/powerful compared to my previous...

bobistheoilguy.com

As a HEMI owner myself I can confidently tell you that the 5.7L is a thirsty dinosaur that doesn't deliver anything other than a "cool" soundtrack.

There are far more modern powertrains that deliver in terms of power and mpg; I wouldn't go out of your way to get a NA V8.

Thanks for the input, there are more modern platforms for sure, but I think it'd be still more fun than NA V6s like the Telluride, or Pathfinder for a very similar price tag. Do you have any recommendations?

 

[OVERKILL]

SRT brakes along with a lot of goodies come with Tow N Go package, such as the Bilstein dampers, eLSD, active noise cancelling, louder exhaust, wider tires, better engine cooling etc. definitely worth paying extra. It makes the R/T an SRT without the 6.4L engine.

I think they are also moving the Durango to the new platform next year, which will be body-on-frame like the GW. It will no longer be in a unique spot like the way it is currently.

I set my expectations about MPG accordingly but CR-V isn't great anyways, I can barely get it above 20 MPG. I live in the suburbs, so there is no stop and go traffic and at least 70+% will be highway driving, and I don't drive my personal cars that much.

I haven't been keeping up, I assumed it would be moved to the same platform as the Grand Cherokee, which, as you know, is smaller than the Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer and still unibody (Alpha Romeo platform).

That's wild that Tow N Go has been pimped out so much, lol. The big brakes will help for towing though, so I can appreciate that.

 

[The Critic]

Thanks for the input, there are more modern platforms for sure, but I think it'd be still more fun than NA V6s like the Telluride, or Pathfinder for a very similar price tag. Do you have any recommendations?

I’d personally stick to the Telluride unless you really need the towing capabilities.

 

[OVERKILL]

@andrew_j recently had one as a rental and he was less than impressed with the powertrain.

Rental review Dodge Durango

We visited Tampa area last school vacation week to peek at colleges and also some warm sunny 🌞 school kids winter vacation. The rental I thought would be a VW Atlas ended up a Dodge Durango RT. The hemi engine is a fuel pig (15MPG). It was not significantly fast/powerful compared to my previous...

bobistheoilguy.com

As a HEMI owner myself I can confidently tell you that the 5.7L is a thirsty dinosaur that doesn't deliver anything other than a "cool" soundtrack.

There are far more modern powertrains that deliver in terms of power and mpg; I wouldn't go out of your way to get a NA V8.

395HP (your truck) or even 360HP (Durango) is never going to be super cheap to feed, though you can do better than what this old port injected mill is churning out. On a positive note, it's port injected, so fuel dilution and IVD's aren't a concern. It's a pretty simple engine, so as long as the camshaft and lifter issue is actually rectified now, should be pretty low TCO. My 6.4 gets decidedly worse gas mileage than my wife's RAM, despite being in a lighter vehicle.

The 5.0L Ford might be better, but you have 6 miles of timing chains, dual injection and I'm not sure if they offer it in a comparably mature platform or not?

 

[dgunay]

395HP (your truck) or even 360HP (Durango) is never going to be super cheap to feed, though you can do better than what this old port injected mill is churning out. On a positive note, it's port injected, so fuel dilution and IVD's aren't a concern. It's a pretty simple engine, so as long as the camshaft and lifter issue is actually rectified now, should be pretty low TCO. My 6.4 gets decidedly worse gas mileage than my wife's RAM, despite being in a lighter vehicle.

The 5.0L Ford might be better, but you have 6 miles of timing chains, dual injection and I'm not sure if they offer it in a comparably mature platform or not?

Yes, PFI is a huge selling point for me. But I have heard the hemi tick in one of the brand new vehicles during the cold start up(at the dealer). It wasn't very loud but noticeable for any mechanically inclined person.

I think the only direct alternative would be the Explorer ST, but I heard a lot of QC problems about Ford lately.

 

[mr_boring]

Beauty is in the the eye of the beholder, and I think the Durango is a minivan since the most recent refresh. Every time I see a high trim Durango, I wonder if the owner is aware that his/her ride looks more like a minivan than a sport/ut, at least from the windshield back.

The front ends look ok though.

My wife's 2021 Navigator is a blast to drive. I don't dog it, but Friday we were late to a doctor's appointment and I was hitting I20 like a Nascar driver. Of course, I DD an F150, and I'm used to that heavy bastid at high speeds.