Dodge Durango R/T 5.7?

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Hey guys,

So I know some of you are driving R/T and SRT. Experience from owners of both would be appreciated.
So here is the deal.
My BMW is getting too small for family. We just did 5,114 miles trip, and it is getting cramped. On top of that I do not want to deal with SCR junk pass 120k (I am at 97k). So, regardless how fun this oil burner is, I just have to change it. I was contemplating to get some family "kill me boring" SUV, and then on a side BMW with stick, but after wife and I went to check some SUV's, things got more complicated then before.
We tried Honda Pilot. OK, actually interior is like they tried to copy BMW E70, but there are some utterly ridiculous stuff. Only touch screen audio, camera that shows right blind spot on screen. While idea is OK, it always makes me turn to screen. Probably can be turned off, but stupid. However, it is very practical vehicle. Still, biggest problem is drivers seat does not go far enough back so my legs are actually in some weird position. Same problem I have driving my in-laws previous generation Pilot, and every time I drive that one I say: I will never get this junk, and yet I thought they would fix it. On top of that 6 speed does not have manual option (for me going downhill from ski resorts important) while 9 speed has some issues and on top of that has that ridiculous button shifter which was designed by someone who does not have driving license. Nope. So that is no.
Tried VW Atlas. While much better on the road and has very clear interior with no stupid gimmicks, engine is utterly underpowered. I tried it today like 5th time trying to convince myself that it is me not engine, but wife after driving it said: this thing is dead on the road. Plus, for 38k (SE/Tech) passenger seat cannot be adjusted up or down even manually. So no.
That left us with Toyota Highlander which I drove some time ago, but my wife did not. She saw it, and checked interior, and said today: that thing is small and might not be solution, but let's check it on Monday, so that is still in play.
Believe it or not (this is big step for me
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), we came down to Durango. She said we could get Mercedes GL 450, but I am not in the mood dealing with air suspension issues which that car is known for or not that good brakes (they warp fast).
So, it might be Durango. I drove R/T once (2018) and I liked it because that MB platform is stiffened and that ZF, while not like in BMW, is really good. I like sound system, I like that it has a lot of stuff for price. However, my question is overall quality. I believe HEMI will last long, but I am not sure about rest of the car. Some parts look pretty cheap, and considering history, it is not something that gives confidence. But at the same time I want to think that FCA did good job and they are selling fast. I see them all over the road. SO I am guessing there is something there. Sound is great of course
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So anyone can give me some take on it? Issues? Overall quality? Mechanical or electrical problems? MPG (i do not expect anything special in the city, but I have read that HWY is actually pretty good)?
Please note that I am not interested in body on frame or anything that has that utterly stupid thing called CVT.
Thanx a lot to everyone!
 
Durango with the 5.7L is a great choice. Also consider the Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 5.7L. They are made on the same assembly line. I have had great luck with the quality of FCA products although I would recommend staying away from the 3.6L no matter what a dealer might tell you. The engine is great but the ESS (Engine Stop/Start) system has ruined it.

The 5.7L is strong and a joy to drive, but the 6.4L is in a different universe. The power and sound are incredible. Both the 5.7L and 6.4L engines mated with the German ZF8HP70 transmissions are a winning combination.

The main issue with the SRT Durango and SRT Jeep GC is cost. You have to decide if the big difference is worth it for you. My 2016 Charger Scat Pack with the 6.4L was $37K OTD. That will not be the case with the Durango or Jeep.

I usually drive gently with all my vehicles and I get about 22 MPG overall with the 5.7L I have now and those I have had in the past. I don't pay attention to gas mileage with the Scat Pack.
 
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Yep, the SUV market is hot so expect higher prices.

IMO the Durango is a great one, and there are a variety of trims to suit different tastes.

We have a 14 RAM with the 395hp 5.7/8HP70 combo with 3.91 gearing. Super responsive for a 5200 pound truck, yet excellent gas mileage. Transparent MDS, super smooth and competent trans programming, and excellent brakes have made us smile all the way to nearly 80k miles.

Oh, we broke the console latch. HUGE failure, now I know where Chrysler gets their bad rap!

As for my sig car, it is still the tightest American car you will ever see, purchased new in August 05 and stronger than ever now at almost 110k miles. The 6.1 is an amazing engine, purpose built for performance, no MDS or other gas saving tech, just robust construction. Rated at 425hp yet my Wallace Racing calculators have set it at closer to 460 based on actual performance.
 
On my Charger, I like the engine, suspension, and brakes. Everything else is 'meh' at best.

Too soon to speak about reliability at this point.
 
Lease one for two years. Minimize your investment and if it turns out to be a keeper. Purchase it at the end of the lease. For the kind of money an R/T will run you have a whole list of options are available to you. Manual transmission is going to box you into very few choices and in a lot of cases low level trims if optioned with a manual. I do like how the Durango looks when all in black, sinister, and it sounds fantastic. Wife has a minivan with the 3.6, not a Hemi but nearly 300HP. That thing is fast! No mds, no auto stop/start on it. I have just had my first problem with it. The a.c. stopped working. Leak in the rear evaporator where the lines run through the floor. Her prior '05 minivan did the exact same thing and I corrected it the same exact way by capping off the rear a.c. lines and re-charging the front only. The front is more than adequate for the whole van. The Mercedes you mention appeals to me except for the huge depreciation these vehicles have once driven off the lot.
 
I might be in a minority here but... I didn't really like the 5.7 in my Grand Cherokee. I had a 2013 with the 5 speed (technically 6 speed I think they had two 2nd gears).

The engine just didn't have much low end grunt, it had laggy response, and the MDS never felt right. Its a shame as I really wanted to love that thing. It had all kinds of other issues I won't comment on. But yea the engine just didn't do it for me. Maybe they've gotten better, or the newer transmissions help. But it just didn't feel like 360hp 390tq. I suppose a tune would have helped, but I wanted to make sure it kept its warranty. Fuel economy I saw was basically exactly what it was rated for.

A friend had a Jeep with the 6.1L. That was a whole other animal. A fantastic engine.
 
We owned a Durango for a little over a year and purchased it because we fell it love with it after having one as a rental. We traded it on a truck because we ended up really needing a truck, not because we were dissatisfied with it, quite the opposite.

We did look at upgrading to an R/T or SRT at one point, but never pulled the trigger. However, I can provide you with some comments on the differences you will see there, as we test drove both and of course my DD is an SRT GC, which is built on the same platform.

The SRT will be better appointed than the R/T and will have far more in the way of standard options. The seats will also be better. It will ride a bit firmer, stop a lot better (Brembo's) pull harder (has ~100HP on the R/T) and by extension, use a bit more fuel, particularly if you are flogging it. My mileage generally varies between the toilet and low 20's depending on how and where I'm driving. The SRT I believe has (I haven't checked) lower gears in the pots as well. The shift programming on the SRT will be different, however you'll find "Auto" to be rather lazy/economy oriented and sport significantly better. Both are better than what the R/T will offer up in terms of performance programming. That's not implying that the R/T's trans programming is bad, it is simply not programmed to be as "sporty" as the SRT.

The MDS in the 6.4L and this platform drones a bit when it kicks in. While mostly transparent on the larger LX cars, that is not the case in this smaller SUV platform. I didn't notice it in the R/T, which has significantly quieter exhaust. It also "rumbles" a bit when engaged, to go with the drone. Not offensive, but noticeable, which wasn't the case in my Charger.

The UConnect infotainment system is excellent. Assuming you are looking at new, you'll be getting the updated Panasonic system, which comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both work extremely well (we have it in our truck). The SRT will have a better sound system factory, which is quite good for the price point.

The SRT will also have the standard auto-levelling HID's, which are a pretty big step-up from the conventional projectors on the other models. The HID's are an option on lower trims IIRC.

Now, we had a couple things dealt with under warranty:
- The rear USB connectors, which my kids managed to get snow and road salt in. We had them replaced under warranty eventually because they became intermittent
- The large rear LED tail light assembly got water in it and had to be replaced under warranty. This is a common item, or was on earlier versions when they moved away from the traditional rear tail lights to this massive single unit.

On the SRT, you will have the added expense of tires and brakes. Recall my somewhat recent thread about brake replacement on the GC. It isn't a huge expense, but it is worth noting if you are split between a trimmed-out R/T or Citadel and the SRT.
 
I agree with the Durango's being very nice. I have a 14 Limited with 3.6 (no ESS), 55K miles. Never been back to dealer. Great ride and handling for a full size SUV.

My brother has a 16 Durango R/T. It has a few less options than ours, but it has the Hemi. The Hemi/8sp is a GREAT combo. According to the stats, it has 65hp (?) more than my 3.6L, but it feels like alot more.

IMO, and Im saying this unbiasedly, the Dodge Durango is a great value for the $$$ compared to most other SUV's.

My biggest complaint on mine is I feel like the paint job could have been better. But I also realize that most manu's are going cheap on paint jobs these days. And the stock Goodyear Fortera tires are garbage. They may have switched tire brands by now though.
 
You might check out a subaru ascent -although 260hp.
The 170hp forester and the 2013 outback(174hp) both felt sportier than my 270hp 2.0T cherokee

I'd define sportier as handling/steering/road feel etc. Also both subaru were stickshift so I'm not a huge fan of the CVT but its the best on the market (IMO).
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
You might check out a subaru ascent -although 260hp.
The 170hp forester and the 2013 outback(174hp) both felt sportier than my 270hp 2.0T cherokee

I'd define sportier as handling/steering/road feel etc. Also both subaru were stickshift so I'm not a huge fan of the CVT but its the best on the market (IMO).






Ascent is CVT, so NO, and I seriously have issues with last Subarus and how they engineer cars.
Also, every time I turn on TV I can see Subaru commercial that says: Buy Subaru, or your family will die in miserable death.
 
For the clarification:
We are looking something that has meaningful third row. Space is here an issue, or I would never get rid of BMW, especially not for something like Pilot or Highlander. I appreciate their reliability, but I am not dead yet. However, I need space.
Someone mentioned KIA, Hyundai etc. Problem for us is that contrary to what my wife claimed we ended up looking for our BMW in other cars I knew that already, she did not). Another big issue for me is torque. My house is at 6,800ft and I drive regularly over 11,000ft. Engines loose a lot of power here. S, I need something that has some kind of reserve. Trying R/T seems closest to BMW. It does not handle like it, it is not planted like it, it does not have that crisp steering that E70 has, but it is there. It is still planted compare to other SUV's, and I like that it is longitudinal engine. You have that natural feeling going through curves since it is longitudinal and RWD based. Has meaningful third row and trunk.
I was asking for SRT for quality experience. I know it is fairly new on the market though. V6 in Durango is big NO. That MB platform is too heavy for that IMO, especially in high country.
But thanx on these answers. Will see what happened but we will definiately consider it. We will go on Monday to try it.
 
Originally Posted By: FermeLaPorte
Get a Minivan. Chrysler Fiat is a nightmare.

From BMW and R/T to minivan.
I am not sure what made you think I am on the market for that.
 
Make sure the dealer will let you have a full day or even more. Our dealer actually brought us trucks to our home and we tried 3 to get a feel for the various trim levels of our truck.

Best of luck on your purchase!
 
Originally Posted By: edyvw

I was asking for SRT for quality experience. I know it is fairly new on the market though. V6 in Durango is big NO. That MB platform is too heavy for that IMO, especially in high country.
But thanx on these answers. Will see what happened but we will definiately consider it. We will go on Monday to try it.


Once you start optioning out a lower-trim model you'll find you end up quite close to SRT monies, at least that's been my experience.

Anyways, I hope the information I provided helped.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: edyvw

I was asking for SRT for quality experience. I know it is fairly new on the market though. V6 in Durango is big NO. That MB platform is too heavy for that IMO, especially in high country.
But thanx on these answers. Will see what happened but we will definiately consider it. We will go on Monday to try it.


Once you start optioning out a lower-trim model you'll find you end up quite close to SRT monies, at least that's been my experience.

Anyways, I hope the information I provided helped.

Thanx man it did.
Will see, we are discussing it, I think it will be that or used CPO Audi Q7 S line. Everything depends on third row and trunk. I do have second biggest Yakima roof box, so that comes useful.
 
Originally Posted By: FermeLaPorte
Chrysler Fiat is a nightmare.


So how many FCA products have you owned or are you just parroting what you have read somewhere? I have had many GM products over the years and finally gave up on them primarily due to multiple major transmission issues. Lots of GM trucks and lots of trouble. Had a 2001 Ram that gave me 14 years of trouble free service. My experience with Nissan just as bad. The Xterra I had was truly a nightmare vehicle. Oh look, you drive a GM product and a Nissan. I wish you luck.
 
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