Orlando Sentinel's view

If I were running a car company, one of my prime tenets would be this: Designers may never skimp on the parts of the car the buyer will use most.

In other words, I’d tell the boys and girls down in design that they better make sure every vehicle we make has a first-class interior.

Obviously the people running Chrysler don’t share my belief. Parts of the Durango’s interior are a major disappointment. And that’s a real shame, because Chrysler once again has brought a vehicle to market that probably will cause other automakers to rethink the way they design their own vehicles.

In the new Dodge Durango, Chrysler has made a mid-size sport-utility vehicle that offers the versatility of a full-size model. The Durango will carry eight passengers. No other foreign or domestic compact off-road vehicle has as much room.

With prices that range from about $26,000 to more than $34,000, the Durango doesn’t come cheaply. Nearly every other compact sport-utility vehicle I have tested – and that’s nearly all of them – has much classier interior trim and more contemporary designs.

Chrysler rushed the Durango to market in just 23 months. I think buyers would gladly have waited a little longer for a classy instrument panel and nicer bucket seats, items that are more in keeping with the Durango’s handsome exterior and innovative seating configuration.

PERFORMANCE, HANDLING

Chrysler provided a fully equipped four-wheel drive Durango SLT for a weeklong test drive.

The vehicle’s big V-8 engine pulled strongly and quietly. The Durango has a very solid and well-made feel. The four-speed automatic transmission shifted very smoothly.

The 360 cubic-inch V-8 engine delivered 17 mph while cruising at 70 mph on the highway. In the city, mileage dropped to 14.8 mpg, according to the vehicle’s computer.

Driving off-road in the Ocala National Forest over some very bumpy terrain did not elicit any squeaks or rattles. Not only that, but the Durango was easy to handle and had plenty of power to spare as it churned through heavy dirt and over big dips.

Unlike several other sport-utility vehicles, the Durango’s four-wheel-drive system has to be shifted the old-fashioned way: manually. The floor-mounted shifter is tucked under the dash. On Ford Explorers and other sport-utilities in the Durango’s price range, shifting into four-wheel high or four-wheel low is done the modern way: electronically.

The front disc/rear drum anti-lock brakes are of industrial strength; they are nothing short of excellent. I also felt that the nicely weighted power steering system is one of the best I have tested in a sport-utility vehicle. The 38-foot turning radius gives the Durango excellent maneuverability.

FIT AND FINISH

The Durango has the same dash and front bucket seats as the Dakota pickup truck on which it is based. That dash and those seats may be fine for a $15,000 pickup, but they seem ina ppropriately cheap for a vehicle that starts at $11,000 more.

Our test vehicle sported a $32,280 sticker price. Several passengers and another driver also thought the plastic dash and cloth upholstery were not nearly plush enough for such an expensive vehicle.

But the rear seating area shows some real innovation. Back-seat passengers have their own roof-mounted air-conditioning system.

The second and third seats fold flat, giving the Durango the ability to haul cargo like a pickup would.

The thinly padded front seats proved to be only marginally comfortable. The second row of seats folds forward quickly, allowing passengers to easily settle into the third row of seats. Surprisingly, there is decent room in the third-row seat. But with the rear seat in the up position, there isn’t much cargo room. However, there is no other compact or mid-size sport-utility vehicle with as much interior room and versatility as the Durango.

After a long drive, I discovered t at there really was no place to rest my left arm. It wasn’t comfortable on the top of the window opening or on the door panel.

I like the Durango’s styling. Although it had a heavy appetite for gas, the Durango’s big V-8 was a pleasure to drive. I think the eight-passenger interior design is going to cause other automakers to follow suit. But the instrument panel, door panels and bucket seats need work. Once they are suitably upgraded, the Durango could be the best vehicle in its class.

However, I expect the Durango to set the quality standard for Chrysler-built vehicles. It is the most solidly built Chrysler product I’ve ever tested.