As sport-utilities go, the Durango is fun to drive. We spent a week with the big 5.9-liter Magnum V8 in the Washington area. It always feels willing to get down the road quickly and excellent throttle response and quick acceleration brought out the bad boy.A daylong drive though the Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio showed us Dodge's 5.2-liter V8 also has lots of power for undulating highways and steep, rocky trails. We drove briskly down narrow roads and handled tight corners and sweeping turns with confidence. Compared to other sport-utilities, the Durango feels sporty.
Steering is precise and the suspension provides excellent transient response, crisply turning from left to right and back again. Shifting is smooth and responsive and transmission ratios are matched well to the healthy torque of the two V8s.
Peeling off the pavement, we bounced down rocky, unpaved roads through the hills. The Durango provided predictable handling in the loose stuff and, in spite of our best efforts, we never bottomed the suspension all day. Without stopping, we slid the silky transfer box into part-time four-wheel drive and the Durango never faltered as it bounded over deep rivulets cut through a steep, rocky path. We'd drive a Durango anywhere.