Dodge Durango flashes new colors, Sport mode
The Dodge Durango has added sharp new color options, a Sport driving mode and connectivity upgrades for 2016.
Buyers can get the 2016 Durango in a new blazing Red Pearl paint and with seats covered in red fabric or Radar Red Nappa leather. The splashy appearance is not available in mainstream SUVs such as the Toyota Highlander, where the interior colors are limited to gray or black and the exterior paint is more burgundy than red.
New wheels and wheel finishes and a Brass Monkey Appearance Package accentuate the 2016 Durango's eye-catching look, while a new Sport driving mode lets drivers adjust acceleration, steering response and transmission shifting for a sportier driving experience.
A new, Do Not Disturb feature sends all phone calls to voicemail and suppresses texts.
The sizable Durango with three rows of seats remains a recommended buy of Consumer Reports, where reliability is projected to be a bit above average. The federal government reports that the 2016 Durango earned an overall four-out-of-five-stars safety rating.
The starting manufacturer's suggested retail price of $31,490 for a base, rear-wheel-drive, 2016 Durango SXT with a 295-horsepower V6 engine is competitive for an SUV of its size. The lowest starting retail price for a Durango SXT with all-wheel drive is $34,090.
The Durango remains powerful as well as boldly styled.
The 295-horsepower, 3.6-liter, double overhead cam Pentastar V6 that's standard in most Durangos is more powerful than the V6s in many SUVs, including the 280-horsepower, 2016 Honda Pilot and the 281-horsepower, 2016 Chevrolet Traverse.
Better yet for drivers who enjoy power, the 2016 Durango continues to offer the 5.7-liter, Hemi V8, which generates 360 horsepower and 390 foot-pounds of torque at 4,250 rpm.
The interior was quieter than expected, too, especially considering its 20-inch tires. Third-row passengers could speak normally and be heard by the driver while cruising, but while accelerating, the deep, strong sounds of the V8 came through.
Passengers could feel vibrations and some road bumps, but they weren't harsh.
The SUV has worse fuel economy than many competitors, though an automatic engine stop-start system was added to the V6 Durangos for 2016. The test-driven model averaged 18 mpg while traveling mostly at highway speeds.
The rearview camera is invaluable on the Durango as views out the back are minimal. But this camera is not offered on the base model.
