2023 Dodge Durango Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Entering its 12th model year without a redesign, the Durango is certainly a familiar face. But it’s also an attractive one. Dodge leaves the faux ruggedness to other brands, going for clean, almost car-like styling. The Durango has also avoided the trend of oversized grilles. Its slim styling, flanked by forward-leaning headlights, and the large lower air intake show that SUVs can have presence without big grilles. At the back, Dodge’s signature “racetrack” taillights give the Durango a distinctive look.

The muscular SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat models get some unique styling features, but they’re fairly subtle. The main giveaway is a Viper-like hood with a functional centre air inlet and heat extractors. SRT models also get unique wheels and a different front fascia with a chin splitter, engine-oil cooler duct, and cold-air induction snorkel, but it’s a similar shape to the standard front end. Ditto the rear fascia, which incorporates dual exhaust outlets on all but the base SXT grade.

Some of the SRT styling features are also available as part of the Blacktop Package on Dodge Durango R/T and GT models. So, you can have a V6-powered Durango GT with the look of a Hellcat, if you want. Alternatively, a Hemi Orange appearance package for the R/T splashes the signature orange used for Dodge Hemi V8 engines since the 1960s onto the exterior badges and the contrast stitching for the seats. Blackout trim packages are available as well, and all models can be equipped with 20-inch wheels.

Dodge also nearly doubled the number of available colours for 2023, adding Frostbite, Night Moves, Red Oxide, and Triple Nickel to the palette.

The interior doesn’t have as many distinctive styling features as the exterior, but it’s still a nice place to be. Materials in lower trim levels are suited to their price points. A wrapped instrument panel is available as part of the R/T Plus Package, while the Durango Citadel adds more luxurious features like Nappa leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated second-row captain’s chairs. Our Durango SRT Hellcat test car threw out any hint of subtlety with red leather upholstery.

The 2023 Durango is available with a plethora of powertrains, starting with the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine that's standard on the SXT, GT, and Citadel trim levels. Also used in numerous other Stellantis products ranging from the Chrysler Pacifica minivan to the Jeep Wrangler off-roader, the Pentastar makes 293 horsepower (295 hp with dual exhaust) and 260 pound-feet of torque. All Durango models get an eight-speed automatic transmission. In Canada, all-wheel drive (AWD) is standard equipment, while the rear-wheel drive (RWD) setup available in the U.S. is not offered.

Next up is the 5.7-litre Hemi V8, which is standard on the Durango R/T and optional on the Citadel grade. This engine makes 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque—along with a classic V8 rumble you can't get in most of the Durango's rivals.

Things get a little hotter with the Durango SRT 392 and its 6.4-litre naturally-aspirated Hemi V8. "SRT" is short for "Street and Racing Technology," the brand name Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram have used for their performance models since 2002, while "392" refers to the engine's displacement in cubic inches. That translates to 475 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque, which Dodge says will get the SRT 392 from zero to 100 km/h in roughly 4.5 seconds, and through a quarter-mile drag strip in a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)-certified 12.9 seconds.

In a three-row SUV, that level of performance is a recipe for carsickness. But the Durango SRT Hellcat ups the ante with a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 that produces 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque. That drops the zero to 100 km/h time to roughly 3.5 seconds and the NHRA-certified quarter-mile time to 11.5 seconds. That's impressive for a muscle car, but it's borderline insane in a big SUV.

Our Hellcat test car felt every bit as quick as the specs suggest, despite toting three rows of seats. The Durango's size didn't blunt the feeling of acceleration—as it does in the Ram 1500 TRX pickup truck that shares the Hellcat engine—making for a surreal experience. That girth did make the Durango Hellcat somewhat awkward on twisty roads, but on highways it was a blast. Wind and tire noise were minimal at highway speeds, but engineers still allowed some supercharger whine and exhaust rumble into the cabin to remind you of what's under the hood. Adaptive-damping suspension, Pirelli P Zero performance tires, and confidence-inspiring Brembo brakes made all of that power easy to manage.

The Durango is offered in seven-seat or six-seat configurations. Two front bucket seats, a three-seat second-row bench, and two-seat third-row bench are standard on SXT, GT, and R/T models. The Citadel, SRT 392, and SRT Hellcat models swap the second-row bench for second-row captain's chairs (this setup is also optional on GT and R/T models).

Dodge doesn't give up much to other three-row midsize SUVs when it comes to interior space. For the most part, headroom and legroom are within a couple of centimetres of the Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Traverse, Hyundai Palisade/Kia Telluride twins, and Toyota Highlander across all three rows. However, the Chevy offers substantially more cargo space than the Dodge, which has 487 litres with all three rows in place, 1,226 litres with the third-row seats folded, and 2,409 litres behind the first row.

Small-item storage space is generous as well. A large wireless charging pad and well-placed USB ports mean phones don't have to live in the cupholders or centre console storage bin. Models equipped with second-row captain's chairs also get a large centre console for that row. However, while a power liftgate is available, there is no power-folding third row. That's acceptable on lower-level models, but not the more luxurious Citadel, or our six-figure Hellcat test car.

The Durango also has plenty of muscle for towing. V6 models have a maximum towing capability of 2,812 kilograms (6,200 pounds) when properly equipped, while 5.7-litre and 6.4-litre Hemi V8 models can tow up to 3,946 kilograms (8,700 pounds). Dodge doesn’t emphasize off-road capability, which avoids overlap with the Jeep Grand Cherokee from its sibling Stellantis brand.

Lower trims of the Dodge Durango get an 8.4-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity. Starting with the GT grade, a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is added. Both versions use Stellantis's ubiquitous Uconnect infotainment system, but the smaller screen gets the older 4C version, while the larger screen gets the current Uconnect 5 system.

The Durango may be one of the oldest vehicles currently on sale, but periodic tech updates mean the infotainment experience is comparable to more recently redesigned rivals. Our test car had the larger touchscreen and Uconnect 5, a combination that was responsive and easy to use. While Uconnect is used in nearly all Stellantis vehicles sold in North America, Dodge also gave this version a bit of added personality in the form of Easter Eggs for the SRT models. Drivers are greeted with a burnout-themed animation on startup, and the figure in the climate control menu sports a racing helmet.

The SRT and SRT Hellcat models also get the Performance Pages app from the Challenger and Charger SRT models. This lets the driver bring up all sorts of performance information on the main touchscreen, including timers, a g-force meter, and added gauges for things like oil temperature, pressure, and other engine parameters. A 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system is also available on higher trims, either standard or optionally depending on the model.

The 2023 Dodge Durango didn't get the full battery of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests—and results were mixed for the tests the IIHS did conduct. The Durango received top "Good" marks in the original-format moderate front overlap and side tests, as well as the roof strength test. However, it received a "Marginal" score in the driver-side small overlap front test.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave a 2023 Durango a four-star overall safety rating. The Durango did get five stars in the NHTSA's side crash test, but four stars in the frontal crash test. AWD versions also received a three-star rollover resistance rating.

Dodge doesn't offer much standard driver-assist tech, either. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert are standard on all trim levels. Forward collision warning is not standard, but varying versions of the technology are offered throughout the rest of the trim line-up. Lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking are not standard, though the SXT Plus grade includes the latter two technologies.

The Durango is most fuel efficient with the base Pentastar V6 engine, achieving a Natural Resources Canada rating of 13.0 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 9.4 on the highway, and 11.3 combined. That's not far off the 11.2 combined of the V6-powered Hyundai Palisade or the 11.4 combined from the Kia Telluride, or the 10.3 L/100 km combined achieved by the Ford Explorer with its 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

Fuel efficiency drops substantially with the V8 engines, to 16.7 city, 10.9 hwy, 14.1 combined with the 5.7-litre V8, 18.3/12.2/15.6 with the 6.4-litre V8, and 20.5/13.8/17.4 with the supercharged 6.2-litre Hellcat engine. We observed 14.6 L/100 km in our Hellcat test car, but that was achieved with mostly highway driving, where the big Hemi V8 is more efficient.

The Durango comes with a five-year, 100,000-kilometre, powertrain warranty and three-year, 60,000-kilometre, basic warranty. It's impressive that Dodge offers the same powertrain warranty for the more highly strung Hellcat engine as it does for the other powertrains.

Thanks to the SRT performance models, the Durango has one of the biggest pricing spreads of any mainstream vehicle. A base Dodge Durango SXT starts at $56,390 as quoted on the Dodge Canada website, including the mandatory destination charge (which varies across the country). In contrast, the as-tested MSRP of our Durango SRT Hellcat would be $136,468 with destination, while Canada has two higher Hellcat trim levels, the Hellcat Plus and Hellcat Premium, which top out at $148,462. Dodge thoroughly covers the space in between with the other Durango trim levels. Note any vehicle priced above $100,000 is subject to the federal government’s luxury tax. Dodge Canada is offsetting this with substantial discounts of more than $10,000 on higher-priced models as of this writing.

Whether it’s driver-assist tech or a burbly V8, most of the Durango’s desirable features are only available on higher trim levels. So, while it does boast handsome styling, and fulfills the SUV mission of providing plenty of space for people and cargo, it’s not a great value. More conventional rivals like the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride are the sensible choices. You can’t get a 710-hp V8 in either of them, but that’s not exactly a relevant concern for most new car buyers.

Note: Images show a US model.