From the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, Cars.com's Mike Hanley takes a look at the 2011 Dodge Durango.
Transcript
<v Announcer>Cars.com auto reviews. Hi, I'm Mike Hanley with Cars.com. We're here at the Los Angeles Auto Show, checking out the redesigned 2011 Dodge Durango full-sized SUV. It marks Dodge's return to the full-size SUV segment.
It's actually based on an extended wheel based platform that it shares with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Now, even though it's an SUV, it's gonna be competing against many crossover models, not like the Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Traverse. The Durango wears the new face of Dodge. It's an updated crosshair grill that loses the Ram's head that had previously been on it. And the vehicle has a pretty intimidating look overall, which is typical of Dodge models. Now, to get that extra third row seat that the Durango has as opposed to the grand Cherokee, which is just a two row vehicle, this vehicle has been lengthened by 10 inches. We really like the Jeep Grand Cherokee's interior when we've had it before for testing, so it's not surprising that the Durango has a pretty nice interior too, 'cause it shares the same platform with it. It's a big step up from the prior Durango and is really where this vehicle needs to be if it's gonna effectively compete with new models, like the Explorer. There's a lot of nice dash materials up here and overall really refined for a car like this. The Durango's third row seat is actually pretty accommodating for adult passengers, but when you have all the seats in place, there's just 17.2 cubic feet of storage room. You do have this lower storage area down here, and the seats fold pretty easily. You just lift this handle, that drops the head restraint, and then they fold down. Opens up quite a bit more cargo room in this vehicle. We've seen a lot of consumers migrating to crossover vehicles because of their better road dynamics, but I had a chance to drive the Durango earlier this month, and one of the surprising things about it is it matches the crossover handling characteristics in an SUV package that can tow quite a bit. This thing's rated to tow up to 7,400 pounds. So, if you're looking for a tow vehicle for your boat or camper, this might be a vehicle to check out. <v Announcer>For more car related news, go to cars.com or our blog kickingtires.net.
