2004 Dodge Durango Review

Specifications

Vroom to Roam

While many sport utility vehicle manufacturers aspire to build trucks that drive like cars, Chrysler Groups redesign of the 2004 Dodge Durango set out to produce a vehicle with the cargo capacity of a full-size SUV and the handling characteristics of a midsize SUV.

After a week of driving the all-new Durango, Id offer theyve done just that. I couldnt help but think how large it looks from the outside — and in fact from the inside — yet its solid and sure driving characteristics belie the behemoths girth. It actually felt like a midsize SUV.

The designers and engineers also claim to have improved the new Durangos fuel economy over the previous version across the board, which I suppose they have in a sense. While the all-new 5.7-liter HEMI still gobbles the gas, particularly with a full load, its a far cry more sophisticated than the top-level 5.9-liter lump it replaces.

The 2004 Durango is available with two engines, which include a 4.7-liter SOHC V8 that produces 230 horses at 4,700 rpm and 290 lb-ft of torque at 3,700 rpm, and if more power is still needed the aforementioned OHV HEMI that puts out a total of 335 horsepower at 3,200 rpm and 370 lb-ft of torque at 4,200 rpm. My tester came with the latter, and as youd expect it had little trouble getting the heavy SUV over hill and dale. One memorable drive up a local incline dubbed “The Cut” reminded me of taking a HEMI-equipped muscle car for a tear a few years back.

Both modern-day V8s deliver improved fuel efficiency compared with the previous Durango, by the way, and the HEMI Magnum offers a full 100-horsepower improvement over the 5.9-liter Magnum that it replaces, this while additionally achieving a 10-percent fuel economy improvement.

Apart from the awesome power of the HEMI engine, the biggest selling feature of the all-new Durango has to be its interior roominess, along with its superb towing and hauling capability. Addressing the former, it is larger than its predecessor by a length of seven inches, a width of two inches and a height of three inches. With its third row seat folded and middle row up, the result of the increased exterior dimensions is more cargo room than a Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition or Toyota Sequoia, and these are considered to be full-size SUVs.

The Durango is available with an optional 4×4 drivetrain setup, but a rear-drive, 4×2 system comes standard
at the bottom end. Both drivetrains are available in three trim levels, which include SLT, SLT Plus and a new Limited model. A unique two-tone leather interior is also available, though I always wonder about leather interiors in vehicles like this.

According to press notes, the 2004 Dodge Durango delivers best-in-class cargo capacity, offering 67.3 cubic feet of cargo room behind the second row. With the third- and second-row seats folded down, the Durangos flat load floor provides 101.0 cubic feet of space for gear, a 15-percent improvement over the previous-generation Durango.

Other new additions to the Durango, the first-generation which debuted back in 1998 by the way, include a hands-free communications system with Bluetooth technology, a full-on DVD entertainment system and automatic temperature control. Also, a new nine-speaker, 384-watt sound system with ceramic metal speakers and a subwoofer that delivers booming sound for CDs and DVDs comes as an option.

Apart from all the upgraded bells and whistles, the 04 Durango boasts a new advanced airbag system that includes dual stage front airbags and an occupant-sensing system for the passenger-side front airbag. The new system can detect the presence of a child seat and if found will automatically deactivate the front-passenger airbag.

Other safety features include available side-curtain airbags for all three rows of seating, adjustable pedals and standard ABS-equipped four-wheel disc brakes. In addition, all seats in the Durango feature three-point shoulder belts, including a new center-mounted, three-point shoulder belt incorporated into the second-row seating area.

Back to the brakes, theyre the largest in the Durangos class. Shared with the larger, full-size Dodge Ram trucks, they feature 13.1-inch front rotors and 13.8-inch rear rotors, increasing the total swept area by 30 percent. The SUVs standard 17-inch wheels help to improve stability at all speeds.

Another aspect of the redesigned SUV that I couldnt help but notice was its improved interior fit and finish, a little above the standard Id previously come to expect from Dodge. I couldnt say if the brands designers are sneaking peaks into the factories of their stablemates over at Jeep and maybe even Mercedes-Benz, but the attention to detail in the new Durango, especially noticeable in its gauges, controls, seats and roof liner, adds a real sense of value to the vehicle.

All in all, the new Durango delivers on its promise. It truly is a full-size SUV in a midsize SUVs clothing.