2011 Dodge Durango Crew

The previous Dodge Durango was a dud on such a massive scale that it remained on showroom floors right up till 2010, even while production ended in 2008. That fullsize 4×4 is now dead, but its replacement, a stretched midsizer, might very well be among the best in its class.
Our tester is a V8-powered “Crew” version. Even as the cheapest V8 model, it is rather well-loaded. And it looks rather good.

The rear looks a lot like the Jeep Grand Cherokee from which it is derived, but make no mistake, the Durango is much longer and rides lower.

The interior is covered in soft-touch materials on all the upper areas, feeling much more premium than the plasticky Honda MR-V, GMC Acadia and Nissan Pathfinder, making it more of a competitor for the VW Touareg and the Volvo XC90.

The rear offers immense legroom, with many a/c vents, cup-holders and door pockets. Higher models likely get a DVD entertainment system.

The third row is easy enough to access and is pretty spacious too, with decent legroom for average-sized people and roof a/c vents.

The cargo area under the powered tailgate can hold a decent amount of groceries without putting down the third row.

The 2011 Dodge Durango seems to be the ideal minivan for those who don’t want a minivan, offering aggressive style, premium ambience and even a low-range gear should you get stuck in beach sand. Chrysler really has become the company to watch.