2018 Dodge Durango – Test Drive, Review, Ratings, Specs

Big Car, Big Aspirations

You’ve got the idea of big all wrong. The Dodge Durango SRT transforms daring bad-ass fantasies into reality with its massive bullet-proof like cargo SUV shell powered by a venomous 6.4L SRT HEMI V8. In essence, if you failed the audition to take part in the next big star action flick, here’s your chance to (somewhat) relive that moment.

All things relating to evil and the like comes to mind when driving the Durango SRT. Weighing in at the mediums of elephant scale, the Durango, through some form of black magic, manages to haul around its mass like a dancing marble on road. Take a ladder and pop the hood reveals the questions to how with a colossal 6.4L V8 HEMI engine. Everything inside out is simply just big – or better yet, makes a great example of America portions.

Menacing Looks

The dark charcoal gray skin color and large 20″ wheels gives off a menacing look, but it’s really the shear size and massive air intakes carved out into the front hood might as well convince you that demons exist and the thick bold “SRT” logos stamped on the low corner of the massive front grille quickly reminds you of its presence. Aesthetic wise, there isn’t exactly anything modern about its shape or form. The chassis even reminds you of the olden days of the emergence of SUV’s back in the 90’s with the mindset of “bigger is better”. Still, Dodge made effort to renovate a golden classic to cope with the demands of the modern eye with HID headlamps, and a slim profile rear LED brake lamps that neatly wraps around its rear corner.

Its evil expression continues into the interior cabin and its front leather seats dyed in venomous blood red color that immediately catches your attention. From the inside, everything is just simply big. From the thick grip on the steering wheel to the large diameter rubber knurled volume knob supersized front passenger seats with large padding for lateral support, the elements of choice here adds character that complements well for its intended purpose of display. The Durango chassis is even large enough that there’s enough room to be enjoyed in all three rows of passenger seats with the added convenience of easily folding down the second or third row for added cargo space.

Power Within the Demon

The best has yet to come until you experience the shear power of a naturally aspirated V8. Powering this beast is a colossal 6.4L SRT HEMI V8 producing 425 horsepower and 420 lb.ft of torque. Gear shifts are handled by a buttery smooth 8 speed transmission with sequential shift mode controlled either by the gear shifter, or more ideally through the steering mounted paddle shifters. Poised as the fastest SUV in the world, there is no better way to do it than a V8. Hauling its heavy weight around miraculously feels effortless with the engine RPMs barely working a sweat. And the power is readily available at will waiting command from further depression of the accelerator pedal. Best yet, there’s no intervention like turbos – just raw power at your disposal and you get a sweet thunderous engine tone along with it. And if you need to tow, the Durango’s got a boat, this Durango’s got you covered with 8,700 lbs of towing capacity.

It even handles relatively well despite its shear size. The Dodge Durango SRT is equipped with dynamic suspension damping whose technology is capable of offering a good balance of handling and comfort. This helps keep the Durango feel relatively composed and smooth on regular city driving; yet, maintain balance and precision around corner. Steering also feels linear and consistent throughout its range. All in all, a job well done in the handling and ride comfort department. There’s 8 gears to shift through within the transmission and transitions between were made relatively quick. Switching to manual sequential mode via moving the gear lever reveals more of the performance capability. Shifts were made fairly quickly on demand although hunting through 8 gears felt a bit exhaustive sometimes. But given enough practice, the manual labor turns into a fun and thrilling experience allowing you to unleash the full power of the V8 at will.

All that comes at a cost, and it’s not just the big sticker price. With all said and done, the sticker price of our tester rings in at a $85,267. You’re also going to get another dent in your wallet per visit at the fuel pump as well with the estimated fuel economy of just 13mpg in the city and 19 on the highway. But whether it’s a lifestyle choice, or for bragging rights, the money spent here buys you a lot of awesomeness.