2022 Dodge Durango

Overview

Being one of the oldest guys on the selling charts, the Durango seems to be a sporty offering in the American-SUV cult. Since the third-gen model entered the market, the SUV did not get many styling upgrades until the 2021 model year kicked off, bringing a more aggressive-looking front fascia with LED headlights. The engine options have been the same for a long time and, to be honest, Dodge shows a big middle finger to its EV counterparts for the use of gas-guzzling engines. There are three engine options: a 3.6-liter V-6, 5.7-liter V-8, and a 6.4-liter V-8. Sadly, there’s no 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 option. Stellantis has a lot of plans for their EV takeover but that might take a few years from concept to production. So, there is a possibility that the upcoming Durango might be a PHEV, an MHEV, or even a fully electric SUV, which we are not sure if it’s going to happen anytime soon. With that out of the sight, there are a few important updates that came along with the 2022 model year. The Durango has seven seats, a power-adjustable driver seat as standard, and even blindspot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert added to the list. The GT and GT Plus get loads of updates starting with the former getting heated front seats and steering wheel along with power liftgate. The GT Plus gets heated rear seats, rain-sensing wipers, and memory settings for the driver seat. With the starting price of $35,475, there are a lot of SUVs you can get your hands on, like the Hyundai Palisade, the Toyota Highlander, or even Jeep Grand Cherokee with a slightly higher price tag.

Trims and Features

Upon ditching the top-tier SRT Hellcat trim, the 2022 Durango is down to five trims: SXT, GT, R/T, Citadel, and the SRT 392. The base SXT and GT get a 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V-6 while the Citadel gets a 3.6-liter V-6 as standard or an optional 5.7-liter V-8. The R/T and the SRT 392 are powered by V-8 engines but the latter gets a slightly bored-out one with a 6.4-liter capacity. RWD is standard on all trims except for the SRT 392, which comes standard with AWD. A detailed trims and features list is just below:

SXT.
Price: $35,475.

• 18-inch alloy wheels.
• LED headlights, foglights, and rear-brake lamp.
• Roof rails.
• Load-leveling suspension for the RWD variants only.
• Seven seats.
• Keyless entry and ignition.
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror.
• Cloth upholstery.
• Power-adjustable driver seat.
• Three-zone automatic climate control.
• Six-speaker audio unit.
• Analog-digital instrument console.
• SiriusXM.
• 8.4-inch touchscreen display.
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

Standard driver assistance features include:

• Blindspot monitoring.
• Rear cross-traffic alert.
• Rear parking sensors.

Optional packages include:

Trailer Tow Group IV.

• Class IV hitch receiver.
• Spare full-size tire.
• Integrated trailer brake controller.
• Load-leveling rear suspension.
• Low-range gearing for AWD variants.
• Long-lasting oil cooler.

GT.
Price: $38,475.

• Ditches the roof rack from the SXT.
• 20-inch alloys.
• Blacked-out grille and window trim.
• Remote ignition.
• Power-adjustable front seats with multi-level heating.
• Power-operated liftgate.
• Leather steering wheel with heating options.

Additional packages include:

GT Plus.

• Auto-dimming driver side mirror.
• Second-row captain’s chairs.
• Leather upholstery.
• Driver seat with memory functions.
• Second-row heated seats.
• Lane-departure warning.
• Adaptive cruise control.
• Forward collision mitigation.

Premium Group I.

• Sunroof.
• WiFi connectivity.
• 10.1-inch touchscreen display.
• Automatic high beams.
• Nine-speaker Alpine premium audio unit.
• Navigation system.
• Wireless charging pad.

R/T.
Price:$47,625.

• Added features from the Premium Group I.
• Sport-tuned suspension.
• 20-inch alloys.
• Household power outlet.

Citadel.
Price:$49,825.

• 5.7-liter V-8 is optional.
• Chrome-surrounded exterior trim.
• Added features from the Trailer Tow Group IV.
• Captain’s chairs for the second row.
• Upgraded leather upholstery.

SRT 392.
Price:$66,275.

• AWD as standard.
• Center limited-slip differential.
• Premium leather sport seats.
• Powerful Brembo brakes.
• Adaptive suspension for enriched handling dynamics.
• Active noise cancellation.

Exterior: A true muscle SUV with total aggressiveness

The Durango once looked bland and uninspiring but with the 2021 model year, Dodge has brought a lot of exterior styling changes including the new sleek headlights and a newly designed grille. The Dodge logo is smaller and has taken place on the right side of the front grille. The upper and lower intake grill has been divided by a huge body panel to give the front end a muscular appeal. The R/T and the SRT trim get a vented hood along with aggressive creases on the sides. The base SXT gets a roof rail as standard and an SRT-inspired rear roof spoiler. The rear has LED brake lights in the typical Dodge-styled layout. Dual exhaust pipes and a diffuser house the rear bumper. The base Durango rides on a set of 18-inch wheels while the rest of the trims stick to 20-inch wheels with various design options. If you compare the looks to its competition, we think that the 2022 Dodge Durango with the right trim looks the most aggressive, thanks to Dodge for taking the Charger design and implementing it on its aging SUV.

The overall length is 200.8 inches while the SUV sits on a 119.8 inches long wheelbase. The height is like a typical seven-seater with 72.1 inches excluding the 8.1 inches of ground clearance. Love off-roading? The ground clearance might come in handy. The Durango is also 75.8 inches wide without the rearview mirrors.

Interior: Attractive but not as practical as you would expect

As we have seen how the 2021 model year has brought exterior design changes, the same has been done to the interior with a new dashboard design with a larger infotainment screen that is tilted towards the driver. And with interior quality, we were previously annoyed with the obnoxious use of hard plastics, but it has improved a lot since the outgoing model. So, the dashboard and door trims have some amount of soft-touch areas. The steering wheel is leather-wrapped and is like the other Dodge muscle cars with paddle-shifters available with the R/T and the SRT 392. The instrument console is an analog-digital combo and the visuals are good, to be honest. We can say that the present cabin design is not dull by any means and can stand tall among the competition. Talking about the seats, the base SXT comes with cloth upholstery which has decent cushioning even if you take the beast out on long-highway drives. As standard, you will get a power-adjustable driver seat as standard which has been added with the 2022 model year. Leather upholstery is available on the GT trim with the GT Plus package and upgraded leather upholstery comes standard with the Citadel. Three-zone automatic climate along with keyless entry and ignition come as standard. Although added creature comforts such as a power-adjustable front passenger seat, driver-seat memory functions, heated steering wheel, heated front, and rear seats are available on higher trims.

A big upgrade over the outgoing model would be the inclusion of seven seats as standard equipment, which was previously offered only as an option. But there’s a catch that you need to know. As a seven-seater SUV, the third-row spaciousness is not up to the mark and tall passengers will struggle to get their seating postures right every time they try to hop back. The first two rows have ample headroom of up to 39.9 inches and legroom did not go below 38.6 inches but the third row has a slightly less headroom at 37.8 inches and even a decreased legroom of 33.5 inches. Now, if you compare it to the likes of Hyundai Palisade, Honda Pilot, and the Toyota Highlander, there is no doubt that the Durango has the best third-row legroom. The third row will cause no trouble to the average American. The cargo capacity of the Durango takes a hit though it is not the only one having a smaller boot capacity. The Hyundai Palisade has a cubic foot more while the Highlander packs a cubic foot less. But you won’t always carry seven people at the same time, so you can always fold the third row to get access to a much bigger cargo capacity. A few of the notable interior features available with the 2022 Dodge Durango are as follows:

• Three-zone automatic climate control.
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with heating options.
• Leather upholstery with multi-level heating options.
• Power-adjustable driver and front passenger seats with driver seat memory settings.
• Sunroof.
• Second-row multi-level heating options.

The new sculpted dashboard houses the newer and slightly bigger infotainment screen which is now 8.4 inches fitted as standard. A 10.1-inch display is an option for the GT trim but comes fitted as standard with the R/T, Citadel, and the SRT 392. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come with wireless connectivity. The latest Uconnect system has the most easy-to-use interface and is not distractive at all on the road. A few of the important infotainment system features would be:

• Navigation system.
• SiriusXM.
• 19-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system.
• Bluetooth connectivity.
• Wireless charging pad.

Performance and Handling: Just a Dodge Challenger but in SUV guise

Before just flashing out the engine specs, we would like to appreciate Dodge for its incredible towing capacity which is up to a massive 8,700 pounds, insane numbers. That is because of the ability to extract every bit of power available from every engine and Dodge has done it. The Durango even performs better than the competition and that is obvious given that it is the only SUV to possess strong V-8 engines, as an option, in the competition. Anyway, back to the basic engine stats. It is a 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V-6 engine which powers the lower trims and it puts out a decent-ish 293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet. Ring any bells? Yes, the power figures are very similar to that of the Toyota Highlander. Next in-line is a more powerful 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V-8 engine which has been rated to 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet. This engine is fitted as standard inside the R/T but is available as an option for the Citadel.

Lastly, The SRT 392 gets even bigger and is the most powerful V-8 engine among the bunch with 475 horsepower output along with 470 pound-feet of maximum torque. Both the 3.6-liter and 5.7-liter engines come with rear-wheel drive as standard, making the all-wheel drive an optional upgrade. The 6.4-liter V-8 drives all four wheels. All three engines get mated to an eight-speed shiftable automatic gearbox.

SUVs with bigger engines and heavier curb weight do take a hit while driving it on the fast lane. The Durango with the base 3.6-liter V-6 felt no different when we drove it some time ago. In fact, it took about 7.5 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour from a standstill, which we would call sluggish but it can tow up to 6,200 pounds. Car And Driver tested the R/T trim which has the slightly more powerful 5.7-liter V-8 and it hooked up 60 miles per hour on the dash in 6.2 seconds and a standing quarter-mile in 14.7 seconds. The 6.4-liter V-8 powered SRT 392 is the fastest with 4.1 seconds for the 0-60 miles per hour and 12.7 seconds for the quarter-mile run. So, the-more-you-spend-the-better philosophy works damn good with the Durango.

SUVs do not suit fast corners and the Durango behaves similarly, trying its best not to give up. The outcome? Decent steering feedback along with great chassis stability makes up for it. The ride quality is just as great as any other seven-seater SUV but the Durango does a bit better even when you are driving on rough patches. (P.S.- Don’t forget to take your family out to the countrysides on your next holidays). With the R/T, you will get a sports suspension too which will stiff things up but nothing troublesome. We recommend the R/T if you want to play with your Durango, especially in the twisties. The SRT 392 is strictly for enthusiasts for it packs a more powerful engine along with adaptive suspension, and a center limited-slip differential. Again, it has to be the best trim as Dodge has canceled out the SRT hellcat with the beastly 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V-8.

Fuel Economy

If you opt for the Durango then you have to deal with its gas-guzzling nature. We don’t recommend it if you are concerned about the cost of ownership that will increase over time. Even the base 3.6-liter V-6 gets rated as low as 19/26/21 for city/highway/combined while the Toyota Highlander gets 20/27/23 for the city/highway/combined. The 5.7-liter V-8 inside the R/T with RWD scores even lower at 14/22/17 and will go down about a mile or two with the AWD guise. The topmost powerful 6.4-liter V-8 engine that comes with AWD as standard inside the SRT 392 gets the least ratings of 13/19/15 for the city/highway/combined among the trims. It was very generous of Dodge to pack a large 24.6-gallon gas tank that can deliver up to 640 miles and as low as 465 miles on the highway.

How safe is the new 2022 Dodge Durango?

It is sad to see Dodge’s only SUV getting mocked by the competition for not topping in the crash tests. The NHTSA rated the Durango 4 stars while the IIHS has marked it “Moderate” in the driver-side small overlap while the other crashworthiness tests are rated “Good”. So, no “Top Safety Pick+” award. If you can let go of that, there are a few serious additions to the Durango for the 2022 model year. Blindspot monitoring along with rear cross-traffic alert has been added to the base SXT trim. A few of the major driver assistance features available with the Durango are as follows:

• Forward collision mitigation.
• Adaptive cruise control.
• Lane-departure warning.
• Lane-keeping mitigation.
• Automatic high beams.

Should you consider the 2022 Dodge Durango over the competition?

The Dodge Durango is one of the affordable seven-seaters that is still available with powerful V-8 options. Although it is a big, comfy SUV with decent amount features, the lack of good EPA ratings and lower safety ratings might make it look a bit odd where the competition excels in these aspects. But for the record, we think that the Durango will be the best if you have a big family and have a lot of traveling to do.

FAQ

How reliable is the Dodge Durango?
The 2021 model year of the Durango has 2 recalls recorded by the NHTSA and also has an 81/100 overall quality & reliability rating by J.D. Power.

How fast is the 2022 Dodge Durango?
The Dodge Durango can sprint up to 60 miles per hour in just 4.1 seconds with the range-topping 6.4-liter V-8 engine. The base 3.6-liter V-6 is rather slower with the tested 7.5 seconds for the 0-60 mph.

Is there any possibility for the Durango SRT Hellcat to revive again?
There are no official claims for that matter and the SRT Hellcat was launched only for a limited period.

How much does a Dodge Durango cost?
The base Durango trim, the SXT, is priced at $35,475 and will go all the way to $66,275 with the top-tier SRT 392.