Rented Dodge Durango - Comparison

[Jeff Kleb]

My girlfriend and I rented a Dodge Durango SUV for a short trip this upcoming week. The 5-seat capacity of my 4Runner and her Highlander won't cut it, as we're taking five kids with us one of the days (my kid & two of her kids with one friend each). I had suggested taking two vehicles, but she put the old veto on that. Also, it will let us take turns with the driving and may save about half in gas what we paid to rent the darn thing.

We had reserved a minivan (Dodge Caravan or equivalent), but they did not have one ready when we went to get it - so they 'upgraded' us to an 8-passenger Dodge Durango at no extra charge. Anyway, we picked it up today.

It is a 2006 model, AWD (with a switch that permits you to 'lock' it into 4x4 mode), has a 4.7-liter V8 engine and leather seats. The trim level is SLT, I think. It has a medium-red paint job with a tan-colored interior; which is actually quite nice. The Durango has just about 16,000 miles on the clock and we're gonna put at least 500 or 600 on it this week. It is not a bad-looking vehicle, but I much prefer the 4Runner.

It has plenty of power and the engine is quieter than the V6 in my 4Runner - until you "get on it" and get the RPMs up a bit. The tranny in the Durango can't hold a candle to the smooth shifts of my 4Runner and the 4.7-liter V8 did not seem even marginally faster than my V6 4Runner. I always thought that Durangos had a 5.2 or 5.9 "Magnum" under the hood, but maybe that was the first batch of them before this newer body style came out in '03 or '04.

Anyway, the horizontal column shifter is a little odd - since I am used to the console-mounted vertical one that my 4Runner has. Awkwardness aside, the Durango's setup gives a little more room in the center console area for storage, cup holders, etc., etc. The Durango's stereo seems slightly better than the one in my base SR5, but that was for FM. I have not tried to play a CD in it yet.

I also like the simple and easily-used HVAC controls of the Durango - compared to the silly & goofy setup of the 4Runner. It has separate controls for the middle row of seats and still another set for those all the way in the back. Nice to have the ability to keep from burning up the kids back there when the parental units stay nice and cool up front - and there is a manual override so that you can still control things from the driver's seat if you so desire.

The rear-window wiper is a piece of crap on the Durango, and there is not even a little "rest" to hold the blade. It ends up stopping about a third of the way down the tailgate. Nice job on the quality, DaimlerChrysler. That's the kind of crap that scares people like me towards the imports.

I drove it about sixty miles today and plan to be behind the wheel some of the time during the coming days. I'll post some observations between now and then -- just to give you some reading that will cure your insomnia!

This post will be continued later!


:beer:

 

[Mountaineer]

I drove a Durango rental early last year and hated it. I never felt comfortable while driving it. I didn't like the rake of the windshield, it felt like I was driving a mini-van, and I could never find a comfortable seating position. It had a V-8, I don't remember which one, that was fairly quiet and had good power but got terrible gas mileage. I'll take my V-6 4Runner any day over any Durango. I'm interested to hear what another 4Runner owner thinks of Durango.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Durango Follies -- Continued


Well, I got to drive it again last night. It was a bit different in the darkness; that's for sure. It is awkward trying to turn on the headlights, as I kept turning on the wipers by mistake. Unlike Toyota, the Durango's wipers are on the turn signal stalk - where Toyota has the headlight switch. Doh!

Anyway, the dashboard illumination is very nice. The Durango has the 'black on white' instruments that have a very warm greenish glow when the lights are turned on. Very neat feature! They also don't stay on "all the time" the way the 4Runner's gauges do. Not that one is better than the other, but certainly different! (I kind of prefer the black-on-white dials to the white-on-black of my 4Runner, though.)

The tailgate of the Durango is not nearly as nice as the 4Runner, and the glass won't open separately. It slams shut with a loud "clunk" noise, which cannot compare to the damped operation of my 4Runner. There is no "pull strap" to help you, either. An awkward notch is there for your hand - or you have to put fingerprints on the painted surface when you wish to close it. A minor niggle, but enough to keep me from thinking about ever buying one.

My 4Runner has much better headlights - both low and high beams. The Durango requires you to pull back and 'click' the lights from low to high beam and then do the same to go back. The 4Runner has both a solid 'push forward' notch for the high-beams or a 'pull back' mode that allows for quick flashes without them staying on. Fog lights? This Durango has none at all.

I forgot to mention it yesterday, but the dashboard of the Dodge is very deep - and so is the windshield angle. You could play a game of Monopoly on top of that thing! Maybe I would get used to it, but it seems too much like a minivan the way it is set up. I wonder how many parts came from the Caravan/Voyager line. The previous ('98 to '02 or so) Durango shared the same tail lamp lenses as the '96 to '00 Chrysler minivans. Go look at some of them driving down the road and you'll see what I mean.


The brakes on the 4Runner are excellent - in my opinion. The ones on the Durango do a good job of stopping it, but certainly have a very "spongy" feel to them; reminiscent of a 1970s Buick or Oldsmobile. Heck, I have driven diesel trucks that have air brakes with even more feel to them!

The seats in the Durango are very comfortable. While leather generally is not my preference, they felt pretty nice and gave good support. I'll know more about this after Tuesday or Wednesday when we take a 200-mile trip with seven people aboard. I like my 4Runner's seats, although there are times when it is difficult to find a setting that is "just right" for my old back on a long trip. After driving it some more, I can comment further on the ergonomics. I am sure to hear some comments from the 'kids' who will be stuck in the back!

To close out this thread, let me comment about the doors and body panels. The Durango cannot hold a candle to the 4Runner in this regard. When I shut the door on the Toyota, it gives that refrigerator-like "vault" feeling. The Durango gave me that old 'thud' and 'clank" type of sound. Sorry, D-C, but the Toyota gets the nod here.

Finally, be wary of blind spots! The small mirrors on the Durango are more suited for use on a Neon or an Intrpid - not a large SUV. I had to keep craning my neck every time I changed lanes or attempted to back out of a parking spot. Visibility is absolutely terrible. I installed some of those little convex mirrors on my Toyota to help alleviate this problem, but obviously cannot do that on a rented car.....but the Durango's mirrors still suck wind when compared to those on the 4Runner. Come on, D-C; this thing may be made for soccer moms - but it is still a truck!

Further commentary will be arriving in the coming days.


:awais: :bash: :bigok: :biggrin2:

 

[Thai]

Wow...good on-going comparisons.

Thanks.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Okay.....more news on the rented Durango.

We took it to Baltimore for an extended 'day trip' on Wednesday. It got 15.7 and 16,0 miles per gallon on two trips to the filling station. Not bad, I guess.........but not quite as good as the 4Runner might do on the highway.

To be fair, we had 8 people (7 adults/teens and 1 smaller kid) stuffed into it and most of our driving was at 75 mph or creeping in stop-and-go traffic.

The 4.7-liter V8 did okay, but still did not feel as though it had the cojones of the 4Runner's 4.0-liter V6. It also made a lot more noise when pushed harder and the tranny is not in the same league as the Toyota's. I wonder how a Durango with the larger "Magnum" engine would have done.

Seating was nice on the long trip - and I like the Durango's leather seats better than the cloth ones in my 4Runner. To be a fair comparison, though, they should have been the same type.

The Durango has rear A/C vents - both for the second and third rows of seats. My 4Runner has vents for the rear seat, but no vents in the far back section (but I don't have the third-row seats, so I understand why there is no rear A/C in my Toyota).

I still don't like the Durango's turn signal stalk -- seems so 1980s to me and kept turning on the wipers when I wanted to illuminate the parking lamps or headlights. Doh!

Other stuff worked well, including the stereo and the cruise control. Again, I give a thumbs-up to the softe green illumination of the instrument panel -- and got to like the black numbers on a white background during the daytime; the opposite of the Toyota.

We have the truck until Saturday and will be putting some more miles on it tomorrow. $65 in gasoline to go from Richmond to Baltimore and back again. Ouch!!

 

[Thai]

Jeff...i am moving this to COMPARISONS & REVIEWS section.

Thanks again for the comparisons.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Okay, Thai.

We're only going to have the Durango until Saturday, so my rantings will probably cease at that point.
:beer:

 

[pipspeak]

Re: Durango Follies -- Continued

Visibility is absolutely terrible.

Probabaly why soccer moms can be such clueless drivers... they can't see anyone else on the road and wouldn't want to turn their heads to look if they're on the phone

 

[mikestang]

Those Durangos are one of the ugliest things on the road, right up there w/the H2 and H3. It looks like a minivan and a PT cruiser had a baby. :barf:

 

[Jeff Kleb]

A Week With The Durango


Well, we take back the rented Durango today -- after having it for a week. We put just over 1000 miles on it, and I can tell you that it uses a lot of fuel. Fortunately, it runs fine on 87 octane unleaded.....but makes the 4Runner seem downright Thrifty.

On mostly highway driving at 70 mph+, it has been getting 16 or 17 mpg. To be fair, we had eight people aboard and there was some rush hour traffic along the way. I wonder how much different it would have been if we got one with the "Magnum" V8 instead of the 4.7-liter block in the one we rented.

I'll have a better estimate of fuel usage after we fill it this afternoon when we drop it off.


Not a bad truck, but the quality level is definitely not on par with Toyota. I hate that "clunk" when I shut a door - unlike the nice "thud" that my 4Runner makes. A subtle difference, perhaps, but still significant in my mind.
:bash:



UPDATE:
We turned in the vehicle today to the rental agency. We put about 1000 or so miles on it. Not a bad hauler for eight people, but certainly not as convenient or economical as a minivan. We originally were supposed to have a Dodge Caravan, but they were overbooked and gave us the 'free upgrade' to the Durango.

Not a bad vehicle and I'd take one if they gave it to me; but I am not going to trade my 4Runner on one anytime soon. That is for sure! At 16 to 17 mpg on the highway, something like that would break the bank in no time.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Durango

Okay, so here are some photos of it:

Definitely not on par with the 4Runner in my opinion, but still not a bad family hauler. It had eight seats and A/C for both rows of rear seats. I found that quite a necessary feature!

A major gripe of mine would have to be the cheap rear window wiper. It can't even stay up straight - and rests on the painted surface of the rear hatch. WTF?? Chrysler was too cheap to put a stop or rest on there to catch it. Notice that Toyota never made such a glaring mistake!

But anyway, it is back at the rental car agency and has likely served another family well on their vacation.
:awais: