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Dodge Durango
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Comments
Excellent response to brian211's question. Right-on-the-money evaluation of the vehicles you listed. I have been extensively researching all of the same vehicles, but narrowed it down to the Durango and the Nissan Armada. I have decided on the HEMI Durango for many of the same reasons as you did and WILL GET ONE as soon as my Lemon Law suit settles on my van.
The vehicle is well thought out. As far as cargo/passenger space, the only thing the Armada has that the Durango doesn't (that really matters in the real world), is the lift glass in the tailgate. On the Durango, you have to lift the whole gate and rely on a cargo net. But you have 50/50 split bench seats in the Durango that you can't even get on the Armada, so I can live with it. The lift glass is a fantastic feature, but 50/50 split seats are much more useful as the bench in the Armada is really tall in back and is too big for such an "all or nothing" configuration.
For the price difference and the HUGE difference in ride quality, I think the Durango is worth it. Also, my wife gets migraine headaches and got the start of one while test- driving the Armada - GAME OVER. The vehicle we test drove definitely had the resonance problem you may have heard about. I just don't want to chance it, TSB or not. The Dodge rides MUCH better, it is MUCH quieter, has plenty enough power to get you out of trouble (or into trouble!), and the roll-on acceleration is amazing. Test drive one, you will see. I dropped the hammer on my test drive at 60 mph, looked over my shoulder, changed lanes and had absolutely no idea I was doing 90 mph by midway past the car I was moving around. You have to drive it to see for yourself. Motor Trend commented on this specifically because the Armada won off the line.
By the way, I know some of you are going to say that the Armada has standard back-up sensors that you can't get on the Durango, but you are wrong. This seems to be the only mistake that Motor Trend made in their write-up. That was a huge sticking point for me and especially my wife as SUVs in general are not the easiest things to back up. To find them,
- Go to Dodge's website, www.dodge.com
- Select Trucks and SUVs, and click on Durango
- Go to Build and Price
- Enter your zip code
- Select whatever drivetrain and trim model you want
- click CONTINUE
- Go into MOPAR ACCESSORIES. It is in the box below Options and click EDIT.
- Go to Audio Video and Electronics
- About five items below the DVD system, you will find backup parking sensors for $299 and make the Qty 1.
If you don't want to pay $300 for it, go to Pep Boys, or an auto store like it, and they have them for around $70, but they won't look as good, but will work.
Don't get me wrong, I think the Armada is great in its own right and worth at least a look, but the Durango wins hands down FOR ME for now.
By the way brian211, you specifically asked about the Explorer. Not even in the same class of vehicle. Look at payload and towing alone and you will see the HEMI Durango is 8950 lbs towing to the Explorer's max of 7000 or thereabouts with its top available engine. The Durango has a much more rigid frame and far superior engine, yes, even if you get the V8 in the Explorer, it is only a 4.6L with 239 HP, while the HEMI is 5.7L with 335 HP. Keep in mind, the Durango out-tows and generally took out the Expedition with a 5.4L 260 HP engine, which is the Explorer's big brother! If you haven't read the Motor Trend article, read it here:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/suv/112_0403_suvs/index.html
That is my two cents, for what it is worth.
Under the tab that says 2004 Dodge Durango Review, there are links for Walkaround, Interior, Driving Impression and Summary & Specs. Best article I have found and they towed a 6000 lbs trailer which answered my earlier question. Check it out.
can't find the type of fuel requirement for the Hem-mee.. I noticed it has 9.6:1 compression just a bit more than the 4.7 motor at 9:1 that requires regular...
does it require unleaded regular or dare I say it.. high test...
my wife and I both have '01 Subn 4x4's and both leases will be ending very shortly...
any help appreciated .. thanx
a number of the so-called 'performance/sport' SUV's require high test like the MDX, X5 etc.. in this day and age of high tech engineering there is no reason for it.. as far as I'm concerned..
Incidentally, I'm also considering the Armada (mostly for the more aggressive looks and the additional room) but after checking out the Nissan board (squeaks, rattles, rear-end, resonance issues), I'm not so sure--drove them both, and the Armada seems to drive more like my older Durango, while the '04 feels much tighter.
I think I'll go test drive another one--and try a few take-offs from a dead stop with the wheel turned hard (like exiting a parking lot)--alternating between traction control on/off and see what happens.
I have the same gut feeling about the Armada--I really wanted to like it (and I do), but there seems to be too many things going on with this first batch--and I'd be kicking myself in the a** if I wind up with one with any of the problems that have been described.
My 2000 SLT+ served me well (turned it back in off lease last Friday) and I know the '04 is that much better--just a little dissapointed in what I perceive to be a softer look, funny front bumper and kind of bland interior--though the switchgear had a much better tactile feel and fit/finish than the Armada.
I'll probably order it this week--I was told there's about a 40 day delivery window for new orders.
Thanks again.
for me the Durango was pretty quiet.. actually surprised me... since I had the salesman with me for the test run, I didn't really get to put it thru it's paces fully .. good ride.. nicely appointed in the Limited version... they could have kept that woodgrain on the SLT into the Limited and done away with the metallic look on the dash.. personal preference on my part.. roomy but even though it's 1" bigger than the Tahoe, I think the Tahoe has the interior room-edge on it... let's put it like this ...it ain't no Suburban like we both have now.. I have a Z71 also..
as far as the Hem-mee goes.. it didn't really impress me like I was expecting... what I mean by that.. from a standing start acceleration was ok... I wasn't expecting burnouts but a chirp would have been nice.. from a kick down at 30 mph for passing it was NOT neck snapping by any stretch ... with that 335hp in that truck it should rock.. to me it didn't..
my nephew had an Escalade last year.. only 10 more hp at 345 it was a lot faster than this one.. maybe something was wrong with it.. I doubt it.. or maybe it's just Dodge's way of using Hem-mee as a marketing tool..
to me, it is NOT the Hem-mee of old... drove the old ones a lot.. couple of good friends had them way way way back then... 426 365hp street version.. 426 425+hp dual quad race version back in the mid 60's when I had my '65 Goat... guess I couldn't expect it to be actually..
as far as that 'different ' front end goes... they should have kept the Ram p/u front end on it.. rather than that droopy nose
anyone else get better acceleration/performance out of the Hem-mee Durango..... I just can't believe it didn't perform better than it did..just seemed to be not enuff ooomph in it..
but I still love that Hem-mee kid... 'Hem-meeeee'
As for the room in the middle row, it is fine. My son just turned 15, he is 6'1" and weighs 210. He likes the room just fine. Especially with the slight-reclining seats. He liked the Armada's middle seat room just a little better, but likes the Durango's third row much better. Chasman, you know why I am not going the Armada way. Sorry about your troubles and thanks for the input on the Aramada board. Hope your lemon law suit goes well. I am getting a Durango as soon as my lemon law suit on my Kia comes through. Is the Hemi the fastest, strongest engine in the world? No. But it is pretty darn good. I'm sold.
i think the 5-45rfe tranny will prove a decent unit in the durango. it's been around serving duty behind the 4.7l since late '98 and so far has proven to be quite reliable. seemingly better than the old RE series trannies that were in dodge trucks behind the old engines (5.2l and 5.9l). plus you get a 7 year 70k warranty. usually if there is a build problem with a tranny it'll show up before then...
as for sqealing the tires...i believe the electronic throttle and torque management computer software are prolly realing this in. plus remember the new hemi is a relatively short stroke design that gets its highest torque and HP output rather high up on the rpm scale.
as for the Suburban 4x4's we have.. I guess there's more of a chance of it snowing in the middle of July where I am near Myrtle Beach than I'd have getting a chirp out of the tires on them..it ain't gonna happen.. nor do I expect it to..:)
chasmanz28.. good luck with the decision on getting the Durango.. hope it meets your expectations.. have fun with it.. because that's really what this car/truck stuff is supposed to be all about
A - Engine sound noticeably louder than cruising when mildly accelerating in single lane local traffic. Do others notice/bothered by it? Haven't read any mention. Would the smaller engine with 4X4 provide passing power and not have this effect? Will not do towing. Plan on owning long enough to make engine price a non factor and don't drive enough for mileage differences to matter.
B - After 15 minute ride my back hurt a bit. Then found out no lumbar support.
I would get a Limited, didn't notice lumbar support in any version. Probably wouldn't have gone for the test ride if I had known. However, all else seemed really nice. They now offer bluetooth cell phone connection and navigation. Nav's something Tahoe and Sequoia don't offer. Denali/Caddy have it, but they are AWD. None of these offer bluetooth. Forget about Nissan Armada or Infiniti QX56 after reading Armada horror posts. I can wait till September and see what Durango and other large SUV's come up with.
Be interested in what current 2004 owners have to say on A and B above. Might then ask salesman for a longer, on the highway, test ride.
PS to chasmanz28: I can't say what to do, but if I were in your place I'd feel the same way. Hard to keep financial considerations in prospective. Hope the pleasure of the next purchase soon makes this a distant memory. I too would like a little more room in the second row and that's what turned me to the Armada/QX56. Wonder why almost every SUV has to be a minivan on steroids. That is, just because you can cramp three rows of seats, can't you offer more room for the second row as an option. Durango once offered them with two or three rows, giving more 2nd row leg room to the former. Wouldn't it be nice to at least allow adjustment to 2nd/3rd row?
almost 99% sure it was the Durango salesman that showed me the manual lumbar support in the Durango Limited 'Hem-meee' I test drove a few days ago.. not sure about SLT though...
Chasmanz28,
Still recommend the lemon law suit and understand why you want out now. I respect your decision. But if you are willing to lose the money to get out of the Armada soon, at least keep up posted with the differences AS YOU EXPERIENCE THEM. I will tell you, I have been tracking your entries on the Armada board and you were the final nail in the Armada's coffin for me. I am staying away. I love the Durango, but you can only test drive so much. You have had an extended test drive of the Armada, now I am curious to see what your extended test-drive of the Durango yields. Look forward to hearing from you. Best of luck with your deal.
Now he tells me that Navigation, listed as a Mopar option (5.8") on the Durango web site, can't be ordered. That's different from what a Dodge rep told me, but then again he said the unit was 4.8", and that didn't sound right. Durango looking real good, but without the nav it's wait till September for me.
Seems like a lot of nice people posting here. Glad to have visited and good luck to all.
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=15&article- _id=7864&page_number=1
Also - skipping the chrome wheels--simply because they are chromed plastic covers--can't get much cheaper than that!! Looks like all the bright work is plastic--guess they've got to save $$ somewhere--at least we'll probably never have to worry about pitting.
The video gave a brief tour of a wheel chroming factory and the factory that make these wheels. It does not SEEM to be a cheaper process - fairly labor intensive.
Now the hard part is being patient--and hoping Dodge increases the rebate/trade in allowance by the time I take delivery--which will make what I think is a great deal that much better!!
Thanks again for your opinions and to all those who take the time to relate their experiences.
Got every thing but the running boards, satellite radio, skid pads, "chrome" wheels, raised white letter tires and the U-connect blue-tooth interface (not even sure it's available yet).
I heard that navigation and back-up sensors will be options for '05.
BTW funny how bowke hasn't posted in a while.
Also, my wife "asked" that I don't bring it home without something for her and my son to help them get in--so really no choice in the matter (she's right anyway).
When/where did you order yours from and when were you told to expect it?
I have not ordered mine yet, I am waiting for my other vehicle's lemon law suit to run. Once the manufacturer makes first contact (by law, they have about 8 days left), I will order. Norm Reeves Dodge in Temecula, CA is telling me 6-8 weeks for it to get in, so I will be ordering VERY SOON. They can only hold it for a week before they place it in general inventory, so I don't want to order too soon. I have to be out of the other vehicle in order to comfortably meet the monthly payments.
I was told 3-5 weeks for delivery depending upon how caught up the assembly line is. Customer spec. orders do, however, go to the front of the line (at least that's what I was told by 3 different dealers).
Might be a slightly longer wait for you since they have to ship it from coast to coast.
Get the Sub back tomorrow. I hope the new engine goes as smoothly as your Durango seems to be going for you. If not I may be taking a hard look at one. Just let my son ride up front all the time!
I'll let you know when I hear anything from my dealer as far as an expected build/delivery date.
Take care. . .