Two and a half metric tons is a whole lot of metal. In today’s world of space-age, light-weight materials that weight could easily translate to three compact cars. Yet, we have the Dodge Durango—a massive 5.1-meter, traditional body-on-frame SUV that’s unashamed of its plus-sized American origin as a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. The Durango’s certainly not healthy: its heft makes it too big for some of our roads and it guzzles gas like there’s no crisis. And like the stars-and-stripes in wax-coated paper, the Durango is comfort food.
The Durango’s wrapper is simple and straight-forward. If you’re relying solely on the exterior as a measure of gravitas and luxury, then you won’t be gastronomically satisfied. In fact, those familiar with the pre-facelift Durango will note that the new one looks plainer and simpler, with all the bear-inspired features thrown out. Still, since this Durango’s a facelift, there’s some degree of ursine styling like the hutched styling and squared-off shoulder line. The bear’s been given a sophisticated makeover though thanks to the huge crosshair grille and spiffy chrome clad 17-inch alloy wheels. Weighing the doors, the Durango does feel like the Quarter Pounder of SUVs—the doors feel solid and heavy, shaming similarly priced competitors.
Once the Durango’s unwrapped though, the interior is a showcase of solid execution with first-rate materials. This is still Americana so there are some hard plastic surfaces here and there, but at least this one feels well-screwed together with buttons that actually work and stalks that engage crisply (this is compared to Dodge’s newer offerings). There’s no beef patty in the Durango, but leather and suede does come standard be it on the first or the third row. The interior’s extremely roomy too, providing ample space for 8 hungry adults. It’s an extremely comfortable place to be in.
Unlike our aforementioned Quarter Pounder though, the Dodge does have a tasty treat buried somewhere between the carpeting: modern creature features. No expense was spared here: the front seats are adjustable electronically with a memory function for the driver; the interior lighting uses LEDs creating futuristic mood lighting whenever someone alights from the car. Perhaps the best morsel of the Durango has to be the MyGIG entertainment system. At first, it may look like a typical audio unit, but the large LCD screen has a touch-screen interface making it easily accessible to all but idiots (eat your heart out, iDrive!) Almost everything can run on the Durango’s audio system and for the more technologically-oriented owners, there’s an auxiliary input jack to hook up an iPod and even a 20GB internal hard drive to store ripped CD tunes.
Of course, despite all the impressive dressings and add-ons, the Durango’s still a traditional SUV at heart when talking about the platform and engine. It’s a body-on-frame construction with independent Double Wishbones upfront and a rigid axle with Watt’s Linkage at the back. The 3-meter wheelbase assures good ride quality, better in absorbing irregularities than the current Ford Explorer and Expedition. More than anything, the Durango’s ride is a throwback to the soft-riding SUVs of the past. And it doesn’t feel sickening like the Isuzu Alterra can—it modulates itself quite well. Don’t worry about the handling aspect either; it goes through corners just fine assuming the driver won’t think he’s Lewis Hamilton. Electronic Stability Program or ESP is standard, allowing a margin of safety to those drivers who think they are. Aside from ESP, the Durango has a multitude of airbags (well, just four actually), a tire pressure monitor and rear parking sensors that integrate a camera shown through the MyGIG’s LCD screen.
The tasty meat of the Durango burger has to be its powertrain. At its core is the trusty 4.7-liter Magnum V8. Though the 230 horsepower doesn’t sound befitting a killer gun, the 393 Nm of torque is—and it makes the Durango a brisk machine. It sounds like a proper engine with a lively, deep throaty sound and a burble that’s unmistakably V8. It returns mileage in the low fives (5.3 km/L in this test), which may turn off some buyers. But, in reality those figures are close to that of a six-cylinder Ford Explorer! And for those who crave even more beef, there’s a 335 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V8 available for P 400,000 more.
On the surface, practicality would dictate that the Dodge Durango isn’t the car one would seriously opt for. After all, it’s massive and it’s got an unquenchable thirst for fuel. And yet, beneath the stereotype, the Durango is mighty impressive. Though most would still opt for a Ford Explorer or Expedition or even the new Toyota Land Cruiser, the Durango offers just as good value for money, if not even better. After driving tinny hatchbacks half the time, cars like the Dodge Durango still proves that size does matter, and more really does give you more.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos Ulysses Ang
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