2011 Dodge Durango First Drive

Two years ago, the Dodge Durango retired. There was no fancy send-off. Chrysler's Newark, Delaware, assembly plant shut its doors, and as far as we know, nobody got to move to Palm Springs.

Now the retirement is over. Like Brett Favre coming back for another year on the gridiron, the redesigned 2011 Dodge Durango is being built once again, although this time it's at the automaker's Jefferson North plant in Detroit.

Unlike Mr. Favre, though, the 2011 Durango didn't have to switch teams to make a comeback. It's still a Dodge, not a Ram. It's still a large, seven-passenger SUV, too.

Bones of a Mercedes GL-Class
But unlike some mangled quarterback, the 2011 Dodge Durango has a new set of bones. Dodge ditched the old Durango's arcane body-on-frame structure, replacing it with the unit-body architecture already used on the Jeep Grand Cherokee. This one change should increase the Durango's life expectancy by at least five years and make it far more viable as a 21st-century family vehicle.

Although it shares its basic structure with the midsize Jeep, the 2011 Dodge Durango has nearly the same wheelbase (119.8 inches) and track (64 inches front and rear) as the old Durango. So it's still not a midsize.

But the beauty of the new chassis, which has much in common with the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, is that you're scarcely aware of all that mass when you're going around a corner. Indeed, we're blithely ignorant of our 2011 Dodge Durango test vehicle's 4,800 pounds as we speed along California's Highway 1 until we notice our passengers' woozy expressions. "Pull over, please," we hear from the backseat.

So we made our passenger carsick, but the Durango is truly at ease through Highway 1's tight turns. The 2011 model's stiffer structure (more torsionally rigid than the big Benz SUV, we're told) allowed the Dodge engineers to tune the SUV's fully independent suspension with more precision. The upshot is that the new Durango feels steady and controlled over bumps and ruts that would have had the old truck bouncing and fumbling to regain its composure.

If sharp handling is somehow your priority in buying a large SUV, Dodge will eventually offer an R/T model with an even more aggressive setup than our workaday Durango Crew tester. Slated to arrive later in 2011, the Dodge Durango R/T will feature stickier tires along with an 0.8-inch lower ride height and Nivomat load-leveling shock absorbers in the rear. Nivomats are cool, and fortunately, they're also included on any 2011 Durango with the optional tow package.

Another significant change on the 2011 Dodge Durango is the use of an electric motor to drive the hydraulic power steering pump. Effort levels feel about right, but as on any heavy SUV, steering feel is absent. The steering ratio (19.1:1) and 3.67 turns lock-to-lock are pretty close to the old Durango's numbers.

She's Not So Quick
We end up working our 2011 Dodge Durango's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 pretty hard on our scenic drive. Low-end torque is not a strong suit of this 290-horsepower engine, which is standard in our midrange Durango Crew model (and the base Express and top-of-the-line Citadel trims). Acceleration is adequate when you're driving on normal highways, however, and there's little reason to sweat a probable low-9-second 0-60-mph time in a family vehicle.

Until we made everyone sick, we were all clucking over the new interior in the 2011 Dodge Durango.

Fuel consumption is more in line with a typical household budget, too, as Dodge estimates the V6 Durango will earn an EPA mileage rating of 16 city and 23 highway mpg — a huge improvement over the 14/20 rating on a 2009 Durango with the old 3.7-liter V6.

A five-speed automatic transmission drives our Durango tester's rear wheels; a light-duty, single-speed all-wheel-drive system will cost you $2,000 and 1 highway mpg (16/20 predicted rating). If you want a full-on four-wheel-drive system with low-range gearing, you'll need to step up to the 5.7-liter V8, which is optional on Crew and Citadel models and standard on the R/T.

Still marketed as a Hemi, the 5.7-liter is rated at 360 hp at 5,150 rpm and 390 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. It, too, comes with a five-speed automatic, and will likely earn 14/20 (2WD) and 13/20 (4WD) EPA ratings. Eventually, a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission will replace both five-speeds in the Durango, but Dodge isn't saying when.

Dodge is keeping things simple with the final drives, offering 3.06 rear gears with the V6 and 3.47 with the V8, regardless of whether you get the tow package. The automaker claims a 6,200-pound tow rating on V6-equipped 2011 Dodge Durangos and 7,400 pounds with the V8.

Bring Your Crew to My Citadel
Until we made everyone sick, we were all clucking over the new interior in the 2011 Dodge Durango. While the old Durango's cabin hit some pretty low lows on the cost-cutting spectrum, this new one achieves quite a few highs.

There's no groundbreaking design here, but the dash is shapely and attractive, and every surface we touch is supple and sufficiently upscale for a vehicle line stretched across the $30,000-$45,000 price range. Most photos show the high-end Napa leather in the Citadel model, which starts at $42,645, but the cloth upholstery in our $34,740 Crew tester is quite nice, too.

The Durango's electronics aren't quite as slick as the stuff in the 2011 Charger (with its 8.4-inch touchscreen), but you're not going to miss out on modern realities like iPod integration, a keyless ignition, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring or a back-up camera with rear cross-traffic detection — so long as you're willing to pay (extra) for them.

The Durango's front seats are predictably roomy and comfortable. During our turn in the second row, we determine that legroom is adequate, but not plentiful for a 5-foot-10 adult. Overall comfort is so-so due to flat cushioning, but at least the 60/40 seatbacks recline.

The third row only seats two and is unapologetically tween-size. Wisely, Dodge has designed a low-effort, one-yank fold-and-flip mechanism for the second-row seats, so your 10-year-old can access the third row without any help. Mercifully, triple-zone air-conditioning is standard on all 2011 Durangos. Sirius Backseat TV is included with the optional rear entertainment system for those of you bent on raising couch potatoes.

Maximum cargo capacity is 84.5 cubic feet — far less than the 102 cubic feet Dodge claimed on the old Durango, but we suspect a different measuring protocol was used, as it doesn't appear that much smaller.

Better Off Than Favre?
There's little doubt that the 2011 Dodge Durango rights most of the wrongs of the 2009 Durango. Dodge has designed a serene, seven-passenger SUV that rides and handles with the grace and composure expected of a modern utility vehicle. There's now a legitimate V6 option that delivers solid mileage. Cabin furnishings, too, are now up to par with the competition, and many of the materials are nicer than what you'll find in other family-oriented SUVs.

However, the Durango has been out of the game for two years, and as Mr. Favre has shown, you can't just waltz back in and compete at a high level. Unlike last time, this Durango will be competing with the Chevrolet Traverse, now a fixture among three-row crossover SUVs, and the eagerly anticipated 2011 Ford Explorer. There's the Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9, too, both of which are worthy rivals.

In this group, the 2011 Dodge Durango stands apart as the lone SUV that offers a V8 option and bona fide towing capability, but it isn't the quickest or the most fuel-efficient, and it certainly doesn't have the roomiest seating. Yep, the road back from retirement is going to be tough.

Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.