2019 Durango R/T

Exterior Design

Interior Design

Safety & Technology

Driving Impressions

Performance

"The aging beast."

Dodge is known for their characteristic HEMI V8s and their tire-shredding Hellcats, but sometimes others don't see what else they are doing to their lineup. In comes the Durango R/T. Read on to learn more about it.

Trim Levels

* The trim levels and pricing only applies to the 2019 model year Dodge Durango.

SXT

MSRP $30,445

(4WD +$2,600)

SXT Plus

MSRP $34,440

(4WD +$2,600)

GT

MSRP $34,895

(4WD +$2,600)

GT Plus

MSRP $39,245

(4WD +$2,600)

Citadel

MSRP $43,245

(4WD +$2,600)

R/T

MSRP $44,245

(4WD +$2,600)
* Rally stripe shown is optional equipment

Citadel Anodized Platinum

MSRP $46,520

(4WD +$2,600)

SRT

MSRP $63,245

Exterior Design

Dodge did an admirably good job trying to keep the Durango fresh through two minimal refreshes (one in 2014, the second in 2018 which was more major), but the Durango is really looking dull. Yes, the R/T and SRT does spruce it up a bit, but still... DODGE REALLY NEEDS TO REDESIGN THIS THING. HID headlights were equipped on our tester, surprisingly no LEDs available, but given the age of this behemoth, its fine.

At 201 inches in length, the Durango is one of the longest entries in the class. It's 4.3 inches longer than a Kia Telluride, and you can definitely see that. One thing to note is that on the Durango, roof rails are ONLY on the SXT Plus trim, which is a really big mistake by Dodge cause people like to use their SUVs to do SUV stuff! But you can easily see the rear-drive layout in the Durango. The front axles are pushed close to the front end, so that means less front overhang, but the wheels are well spread apart, so that will make it much more planted when you drive it spiritedly.

Around back, personally, I am not a fan of the design. It looks bloated. The taillights are a bit too large for my taste, but I love the signature "racetrack" accent lights. A dual-tip exhaust comes on the R/T model, but for sure I wish they were quad-tips. It sounds awesome with just the dual exhausts, but I know for a fact it would be even crazier with quad tips.

Interior Design

When you enter the interior of the Durango, you will definitely see the age of this behemoth.

There is a good percentage of soft-touch materials in the cabin, but there's no elements that contrast with the interior. Not even the silver plastic that feels extremely cheap and looks like an afterthought.

Comfort though is really great. Seats are plush, have plenty of adjustability, and so much more. A 7.0-inch touchscreen is standard, but you can opt for the 8.4-inch as well. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard. The 9-speaker Alpine stereo system sounds incredible, and it's one of my favorite stereo systems I've ever reviewed.

In the second row, there's your own climate controls, heated rear seats on our tester, but the rear seats only recline, they don't slide forward or backward.

To access the third row, Dodge has a clever solution, BUT... that's if you don't have any child seats in that seat. There's a red strap that is quite hidden from sight (you have to feel around for it), in which when you pull it, it tumbles the seat back while folding the head restraint down, then you have to pull it once more and the entire seat will release and will fold up on it's front hinge. It's also hydraulic-assisted, so you don't have to worry about the seat slamming into the front seat back. Room is actually really good back there. For a rear-drive layout, I'm surprised at how low the floor is. My knees aren't in my face, and I still have enough room to be adequately comfortable, although I'd recommend the Kia Telluride if you use the third row frequently.

Safety & Technology

Because the Durango was last redesigned for the 2011 model year, the Durango doesn't have the modern safety ratings that many customers look for when purchasing their new car.

Although it does come with a good list of advanced safety features, it just cannot miss that it earned a Marginal rating in the driver-side small overlap crash test from IIHS, and a Marginal rating for all headlight combinations of the Durango. In addition, the Durango's shorter platform-mate known as the Jeep Grand Cherokee earned a Poor rating in the passenger-side small overlap crash test, so there's no doubt that the Durango will likely earn the same rating on the passenger side.

Dodge always taunts the total number of available safety features, somewhere in the ballpark of 80 total. But Dodge needs to work on two major safety features rather than just use numbers to sell; headlights, and small overlap crash safety. Read more on the 2019 Durango's safety ratings by clicking here.

Driving Impressions

Last redesigned for 2011, I was expecting the Durango to be quite a bit rough around the edges. Surprisingly, I was quite spot on with my prediction.

First things first, we MUST talk about the ride quality. Our R/T model tester had a stiffer and more sportier suspension setup, but it was unbearably firm. You felt every single imperfection in the road, whether it was a pebble or a gaping two-inch-diameter pothole. It was so rough, my team constantly was saying "oof" and "ouch".

The Durango comes with a choice of three engines; one V6 and two V8s. Yep, no four-cylinders here! Our R/T model was the first V8 engine which is a 5.7L HEMI V8 that comes from the Ram 1500. In this application, it's tuned down to 360 horsepower and 390 lb/ft of torque paired with an excellent 8-speed ZF-sourced automatic. The transmission shifts buttery smooth, but fires off remarkably quick shifts for a torque converter. The HEMI V8 is super powerful, and launches REALLY hard. It launches harder than the Explorer ST I drove a couple of months before!!!

But quieting down, the firm ride is one big negative I have about the Durango, but the interior is really hushed and the engine and exhaust are quite quiet until you reach about 4000 RPM. Road and tire noise are minimal, and handling is surprisingly great for a 201-inch-long behemoth weighing almost 5,400 pounds.

Now there is the base 293-horsepower 3.6L V6 for those that don't need a thirsty V8, but there's also a new SRT model with a 6.4L HEMI V8 making 475 horsepower also available. Another reason why you should go for the V6 is fuel economy. The V6 gets you 19 city and 26 highway, where the V8s get you 14 city 22 highway and a paltry 13 city and 19 highway, respectively. But a reason to get the V8s is their towing. The SRT model can tow a maximum of an unbelievable 8,700 pounds, which even beats the Nissan Armada and the GMC Yukon's max tow rating by 200 and 300 pounds! The Durango has the win even with it's base V6 by nearly 1,000 pounds over the highest ratings from the competition. The V6 can pull a strong 6,200 pounds (200 more than the Nissan Pathfinder), whereas the 5.7L HEMI V8 can pull a stout 7,600 pounds, again much higher than the competition. And because of that RWD layout, towing should be effortless.

Performance

The R/T model's 5.7L HEMI V8 is no slouch. With 360 horsepower and 390 lb/ft of torque, it's almost on par with the brand new Explorer ST, but it's down 40 horsepower and 25 lb/ft compared to it, but it runs 6.2-second 0-60 time, but the Explorer ST is faster by nearly one second. If Dodge were to reduce the curb weight of the Durango by a few hundred pounds, it might be a whole lot closer.

The feeling of acceleration in the R/T is brutal. From the initial launch that thrusts you quite hard back into the seat, to the rapid snarl on the upshift, and the monstrous 5.7L HEMI roaring under the hood, the feeling is insane. It launches harder than the Explorer ST, and doesn't even have any drama.

Based on the R/T model, I can not imagine how wicked the SRT is. It has a 475-horsepower 6.4L HEMI V8 under the hood, 75 more horsepower than the Explorer ST, and it scolds the ST with a crazy 4.4-second 0-60 time.

2019 Durango R/T

"The aging beast."

Trim Levels

SXT

MSRP $30,445

SXT Plus

MSRP $34,440

GT

MSRP $34,895

GT Plus

MSRP $39,245

Citadel

MSRP $43,245

R/T

MSRP $44,245

Citadel Anodized Platinum

MSRP $46,520

SRT

MSRP $63,245

Exterior Design

Interior Design

Safety & Technology

Driving Impressions

Performance

Performance Figures

360 @ 0000

390 @ 0000

8-speed automatic

RWD / 4WD

14 / 22

6.2 seconds

n/a

Final Verdict & REVIEWS Score

The Durango R/T is a strong performer, but age isn't being graceful.

36/85 | Accumulated Score

04 | Reliability

06 | Ergonomics

05 | Value

01 | Innovation

05 | Electronics

06 | Wow factor

01 | Safety

28/70 | Subtotal Score

08/15 | Subjective Category

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