2023 Dodge Durango vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2022 Buick Enclave was a testament to Buick's evolution from conservative styling to a more modern SUV-focused lineup. Historically known for its softer lines and functional interiors, Buick had shifted its focus over the past 15 years, moving away from sedans to embrace the growing SUV market. The Enclave, with its 2018 redesign, stood as the flagship of Buick's SUV offerings, showcasing a blend of comfort and style. The 2022 model received a mid-cycle refresh, featuring updated exterior elements like a new grille and redesigned headlamps, while the Avenir trim boasted unique styling cues. Inside, the Enclave offered a restyled centre console, upgraded materials, and enhanced comfort features, particularly in the Avenir trim, which included climate-controlled front seats and heated second-row captain's chairs.

In contrast, the 2023 Dodge Durango maintained its familiar yet attractive design, avoiding the oversized grille trend and opting for a clean, car-like appearance. The Durango's styling was characterized by its slim profile, forward-leaning headlights, and distinctive "racetrack" taillights. The SRT 392 and SRT Hellcat models featured subtle yet unique styling elements, such as a Viper-like hood and specific wheels. Dodge expanded the Durango's colour palette for 2023, adding new options like Frostbite and Triple Nickel. Inside, the Durango offered a comfortable environment with materials suited to its price point, while higher trims like the Citadel and SRT models added luxurious touches such as Nappa leather upholstery and heated second-row captain's chairs.

The 2022 Buick Enclave was powered by a single engine option: a 3.6-litre V6 with direct injection, producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, the Enclave offered a smooth and quiet ride, thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology. In Canada, all Enclave trims came standard with all-wheel drive, and the SUV boasted a maximum towing capacity of 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) when properly equipped. The Enclave's ride quality was further enhanced by the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping, ensuring a comfortable experience across various terrains.

The 2023 Dodge Durango offered a range of powertrains, starting with the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine, delivering 293 horsepower (295 hp with dual exhaust) and 260 pound-feet of torque. The Durango's performance options escalated with the 5.7-litre Hemi V8, producing 360 hp and 390 lb-ft of torque, and the SRT 392's 6.4-litre Hemi V8, generating 475 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The pinnacle of performance was the Durango SRT Hellcat, featuring a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 with 710 hp and 645 lb-ft of torque, achieving a zero to 100 km/h time of approximately 3.5 seconds. The Durango's performance was complemented by features like adaptive-damping suspension, Pirelli P Zero tires, and Brembo brakes, ensuring power was manageable despite the SUV's size.

The 2022 Buick Enclave offered a spacious and comfortable interior, with easy ingress and egress and excellent visibility. Standard features included an eight-way power driver seat and six-way power front passenger seat, both heated, along with tri-zone climate control. The Enclave's cabin provided ample room for passengers in all three rows, with the third row accommodating six-footers comfortably. The second-row captain's chairs facilitated access to the third row and offered versatility with flip-and-fold functionality. The Enclave's cargo space was generous, with 668 litres behind the third row, expanding to 1,634 litres with the third row folded, and a voluminous 2,758 litres with both rows down. The test vehicle featured power-folding third-row seats, enhancing cargo accessibility.

The 2023 Dodge Durango was available in seven-seat or six-seat configurations, with standard front bucket seats, a three-seat second-row bench, and a two-seat third-row bench on lower trims. Higher trims like the Citadel and SRT models featured second-row captain's chairs. The Durango's interior space was competitive with other midsize SUVs, offering adequate headroom and legroom across all three rows. However, its cargo space was less than some rivals, with 487 litres behind the third row, 1,226 litres with the third row folded, and 2,409 litres behind the first row. The Durango excelled in towing capacity, with V6 models capable of towing up to 2,812 kilograms (6,200 pounds) and V8 models up to 3,946 kilograms (8,700 pounds).

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a standard 4.2-inch driver information centre, with Premium and Avenir trims offering an 8-inch reconfigurable version. The Essence trim included an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The Enclave's infotainment system supported pairing up to 10 devices, with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot for up to four devices. The Premium and Avenir trims boasted a 10-speaker Bose audio system, while all Enclaves came with a three-month SiriusXM 360L trial and six USB ports. Notable available features included adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, and HD surround vision.

The 2023 Dodge Durango's lower trims came with an 8.4-inch touchscreen featuring wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, while the GT grade and above received a 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screen utilized the Uconnect 5 system, offering a responsive and user-friendly experience. SRT models included the Performance Pages app, providing performance data like timers and a g-force meter. A 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system was available on higher trims. The Durango's infotainment system, despite the vehicle's age, remained competitive due to periodic tech updates.

The 2022 Buick Enclave saw significant updates to its safety features, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package becoming standard across all trims. This included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-change alert, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and more. Additional features on higher trims included enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera. The Enclave received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings in most IIHS crash tests, with an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test.

The 2023 Dodge Durango received mixed results in IIHS crash tests, with "Good" marks in some areas but a "Marginal" score in the driver-side small overlap front test. The NHTSA awarded the Durango a four-star overall safety rating, with five stars in the side crash test but only three stars for rollover resistance in AWD versions. Standard driver-assist features were limited, with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert included on all trims, while other technologies like forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control were not standard.