2012 Dodge Durango Des Moines IA

2012 Dodge Durango Inventory in Des Moines, Iowa 

New Durango Power and Handling

Available with rear-wheel or all-wheel drive the new Durango includes a 290-hp 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 as standard and has an available 360-hp Hemi 5.7-liter V8 engine

Design of the 2012 Dodge Durango

Dodge Durango falls right in the middle of the three-row mix of SUVs for outside dimensions, and the long rear side doors look even longer because they have no fixed quarter window within. It's a fairly subtle shape with chrome down low on most models, sprinkled about more on fancy ones. Windows are neither Hummer-slit nor overly generous, and the apparent proportions vary significantly with paint color.

2012 Dodge Durango Interior

The Durango  seven passengers with its folding third-row seat; the Heat trim drops the third-row and seats five passengers. Outward visibility is fairly good. The windshield pillar is slimmed mid-way to aid front quarter vision, and the door pillars will be behind most drivers. The third-row headrests don't block the view because there is a dash switch that drops them at the touch of a button, though heads in back definitely narrow the scope of the image in the rearview mirror. The optional rearview camera comes in handy when Durango is fully loaded with passengers. The front wipe/wash coverage is very good, the rear is good, and the headlights provide satisfactory illumination. HID headlights are available on some models, low-beam only.

Model Lineup

The 2012 Dodge Durango is available in four trim levels, with either a V6 or V8 engine. All Durangos come standard with seating for seven and an automatic transmission, and all are available with all-wheel drive.

Durango SXT is powered by a 290-hp 3.6-liter V6 with a 5-speed automatic. It comes well equipped, with cloth upholstery, three-zone temperature control, cruise control, a compliment of power features, six-speaker audio with single CD, Sirius satellite radio and Uconnect hands-free phone operation, a fold-flat front passenger seat, 50/50-split folding third-row seats, 60/40-split fold/tumble second-row seats, and 18-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires. All-wheel drive is optional.

Durango Crew and Crew AWD come with the V6, upgraded Alpine audio with a 6.5-inch touch-screen media center, power driver and front passenger seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, rearview camera, Keyless Enter-N-Go proximity key, and power liftgate. Crew models can also be equipped with the 360-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8 which features cylinder de-activation technology and comes with a 6-speed automatic.

Durango R/T and R/T AWD are the sportiest Durangos, powered by the Hemi V8 with a lowered suspension, bigger brakes, 20-inch wheels, body-color trim and suede-like, red-stitched upholstery. The R/T comes standard with the Alpine audio and remote start.

Durango Citadel and Citadel AWD are the top of the line. They come standard with the V6, but also with nearly all available luxury features, including Nappa perforated leather seating, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, sunroof, the best audio with on-board hard drive, HID headlamps, blind spot warning, rear cross-path detection, adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning, R/T brakes and the 20-inch wheels. Citadel models are also available with the V8.

Conclusions

The 2012 Durango is a 4-door, up to 7-passenger sport-utility, available in 10 trims, ranging from the SXT RWD to the Citadel AWD. New for 2012, a six-speed transmission is matched with the 5.7-liter V8 engine. A Durango is for those with varied needs: plenty of seats, cargo hauling flexibility, towing, or four-wheel drive. To that end it can accommodate seven, even seven adults. It can be configured to carry big boxes or four people AND a 10-foot long-board inside. It can tow a minimum 3500 pounds fully loaded and up to 7200 in a lightly loaded V8, considerably more than most of the crossover competition that's based on front-wheel-drive platforms. And you can get low-range 4WD with the V8, though it's not as tough underneath as the old truck-based Durango. Learn more about this vehicle at the official Dodge Durango site.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com