2005 Dodge Durango Review

The Dodge Durango is big and powerful with bold styling. Yet it's surprisingly refined, benefiting from a complete redesign for the 2004 model year. It's quiet, it rides smoothly, and its handling is stable and relatively agile. Efficient packaging has resulted in lots of cabin space for people and cargo.

The first-generation Durango was rough around the edges, but the current model is far more refined. Inside is a quiet, roomy, comfortable and technologically sophisticated cabin. Bigger than the first-generation models, the Durango now fits between the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition in terms of size. A space-efficient design makes maximum use of the Durango's size and it can seat up to seven passengers with the optional third row.

Two V8s are available and both are superb. The popular 4.7-liter V8 and the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 are smooth and powerful. They come with a five-speed automatic that's smooth, refined, smart and responsive. There's also a V6. The 2005 Durango lineup adds new SXT and Adventurer models and the availability of heated cloth seats and a full-screen navigation system.

We were most impressed by the five-speed automatic transmission that comes with both V8s. The shifts were incredibly smooth. Shifting up or down between third and fourth gears is undetectable. The transmission features a Tow/Haul mode, which holds the gears longer and will even downshift under deceleration, as might be needed with a trailer. It's cool when you come toward a turn at high speed and back off, and your automatic transmission drops a downshift for you. When you need to use the brakes to slow down or stop, they'll be there.

They're big vented disc brakes with twin-piston calipers in front, just the thing for slowing down this heavy beast. ABS helps the driver maintain steering control by eliminating wheel lockup, while electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) balances braking forces front and rear for more stable stopping. We slammed on the brakes several times from 70 mph and found the Durango stopped steady and true.

The current Durango represented a clean-sheet design when it was introduced as a 2004 model, with nothing borrowed from the Ram pickup (as before). New manufacturing processes resulted in a more rigid chassis, which benefits from hydroformed boxed frame rails, a new independent front suspension and innovative adaptation of a Watts link rear suspension with coil springs. Cornering and handling are excellent, maybe even superb, for a big SUV.

The ride quality is quite good, way better than the old Durango. There's a lot more travel in the suspension. The rack-and-pinion steering provides a 39.9-foot turning circle, very good for a vehicle of this size. We had a chance to toss the Durango around more than 100 miles of remote twisty roads in the Texas Hill Country, and it stayed on an even keel through some very hard cornering. The engine sits farther back in the chassis resulting in better balance. We drove 4.7-liter and 5.7-liter models. Driving a 5.7-liter Durango SLT around Detroit in January backed up our earlier impressions. It felt very secure in icy conditions. We drove the Durango off-road and didn't hit bottom even when driving aggressively over rough terrain. Crawling over irregular terrain in 4 Low reveals the suspension is set up more for on-road handling than off-road flex. On a great 4x4, the suspension articulates to let wheels droop to the ground.

That's fine for severe off-highway use, but makes good handling on pavement problematic. In the Durango's case, Dodge has traded some extreme off-road capability for superior on-road handling, which more people will appreciate on an everyday basis. We towed a 5,950-pound trailer for about 30 miles, and decided you should get the 5.7-liter Hemi if you need to tow something that heavy. That's what we had hooked to the trailer, and the 4.7-liter wouldn't have been enough motor.