2008 Dodge Durango Lineup Review at Automotive.com

2008 Dodge Durango Review: Model Lineup

Below is a full, detailed review and road test of the 2008 Dodge Durango written by either the experts at New Car Test Drive or by one of Automotive.com's very own. A full evaluation of the driving experience, price, equipment, and specs are here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists ... more

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LEARN WHY

IntelliChoice Value Rating

The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.

One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.

What is a good car value?

A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.

But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?

For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.

This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)

Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.

Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.

So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.

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2008 Dodge Durango Review

Big and brawny, yet surprisingly refined.

Lineup

The 2008 Dodge Durango is offered in four models: SXT, SLT, Adventurer, and Limited. Each is available with two-wheel drive (2WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). (All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices and do not include destination charges; MSRPs can change at any time without notice.)

A 210-hp 3.7-liter V6 with four-speed automatic transmission is standard in 2WD SXT and 2WD SLT models. The 303-hp 4.7-liter V8 and five-speed automatic are optional ($785) for those models, and standard for all others. Dodge's 335-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is optional for 2WD SLT ($1780), AWD SLT ($990) Adventurer ($990), and Limited ($795). It comes with a five-speed automatic transmission. A two-speed transfer case for low-range gearing on AWD models is optional ($195) when ordered with the 4.7-liter V8 and standard with the 5.7-liter V8.

Standard features for SXT 2WD ($26,455) and SXT AWD ($29,735) include front air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, cloth upholstery, front bucket seats, 40/20/40 folding second-row seat, heated power folding mirrors, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry, four-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo, cargo cover, theft-deterrent system, rear privacy glass, roof rails, and 245/70R17 on/off-road tires on steel wheels. A Technology Group for SXT ($1030) includes a six-disc CD changer, Sirius Satellite radio, remote engine starting, and laminated side glass.

Review Sections

• Introduction

• Lineup

• Walkaround

• Interior

• Driving Impressions

• Summary & Specs

Get Your Free Quote on a Dodge Durango

SLT 2WD ($29,785) and SLT AWD ($33,065) add upgraded Yes Essentials seat fabric that Dodge says is odor and stain resistant, rear air conditioning and heater, eight-way power driver seat, two-passenger third-row folding bench seat, AM/FM radio with six-disc CD changer, Sirius satellite radio, floormats, fog lights, and 265/60R18 on/off-road tires on alloy wheels. SLT is offered with the Technology Group II ($2105). It includes rear obstacle detection, rearview camera, Alpine sound system, MyGIG Entertainment System that replaces the six-disc CD changer, leather-wrapped steering with radio controls, UConnect wireless cell phone link, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

The off-road oriented Adventurer 2WD ($31,710) and Adventurer AWD ($33,930) come with all SLT features, plus special off-road equipment that includes tubular side steps, reversible slush mats, a rubberized washable cargo liner with built-in cargo organizer, unique machine-finish wheels and Mineral Gray moldings and fascias. Adventurer also comes with a Thule roof rack with a choice of six rack systems or a unique Adventurer accessory kit. Adventurer reverts to 17-inch wheels, with 265/65R17 on/off-road tires.

Limited 2WD ($34,995) and Limited AWD ($37,215) are the plushest models, with dual-zone automatic climate control; leather upholstery; heated front seats; four-way power passenger seat; power-adjustable pedals; memory for the driver seat, mirrors, radio, air conditioning and pedals; three-passenger third-row 60/40 split folding seat; leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls; Alpine eight-speaker AM/FM/CD/MP3 player; MyGIG Entertainment System; rear obstacle detection; rearview camera; auto-dimming rearview and driver side outside mirror; universal garage door opener; automatic day/night rearview mirror, power liftgate, automatic headlights, overhead console with driver information center; security alarm; and 265/60R18 on/off-road tires on chrome alloy wheels. This model deletes the six-disc CD changer.

The MyGIG Entertainment System is new for 2008. It includes a 6.5-inch touchscreen and a 20-gigabyte hard drive to hold songs and pictures. It is included in the Technology Group II for SLT and Adventurer and is standard on Limited. Also available for Limited is Technology Group III ($1435), which includes UConnect wireless cell phone link, remote engine starting, laminated side glass, and the MyGIG Multi-Media Infotainment System, which adds a navigation system with voice controls and real-time traffic information to the MyGIG Entertainment System. The navigation map information is kept on the hard drive.

Options include leather upholstery ($750-$1175) that comes with heated front seats, the three-passenger third-row seat, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with radio controls; heated front seats ($250); second-row bucket seats ($950); sunroof ($850); rear DVD entertainment ($1295); a Trailer Tow Group ($495) with heavy-duty cooling and battery, seven-wire harness and Class IV hitch receiver; a rear cargo organizer ($200); running boards ($445); skid plates ($170) for AWD models; and 265/50R20 tires on chrome alloy wheels ($1495 SLT, $795 Limited).

Safety features on all models include dual-stage front airbags and head-protecting side-curtain air bags that cover all three seating rows and have roll-over sensors. Side-impact airbags, however, are not available. ABS and electronic stability control with traction control come standard. A tire-pressure monitor comes standard on all models. Rear obstacle detection is standard on Limited and available in various packages on other models. A rear backup camera is available for 2008 and we recommend getting it as it can help the driver spot children and objects behind the vehicle when backing up. next page