2011 Dodge Durango Review

Working man’s SUV now offers plush Citadel AWD model

By Mark Savage

Published: August 9, 2011

Photo by Chrysler

I used to picture the Dodge Durango as the working man’s large SUV, modestly priced, but still big enough to haul seven people and tow a loaded trailer.

That was before driving the new 2011 Dodge Durango Citadel AWD, the top-level Durango fresh off a restyling. There’s no denying its nose and dual headlight remake up front has given it a more sophisticated look. But in the Citadel trim, this Durango takes on a sophisticated price tag.

Citadel is more in line now with Chevrolet’s Suburban, starting at $43,795 and the test truck hit $47,330. Friends and co-workers were shocked at the price, expecting, like me, for the Dodge to be more affordable.

To be sure there are Durango models the rest of us might afford. An entry-level Express model equipped with rear-drive starts at $29,195 while the AWD model starts at $31,195. But the Citadel, which also is available as a rear-drive ute, is sashaying into the luxury ute market.

Photo by Chrysler

What do you get for nearly $50 grand? Well, to be honest, a fair amount of goodies. For instance, the Citadel comes with a blind-spot warning system and heated steering wheel, both pretty upscale. There also is a rearview camera and warning system, remote start and adaptive cruise control.

Both the front and second row seats include two-speed heating, while the front seats are ventilated too, so they’ll cool quickly on a scorching summer day. Seats are leather and well-formed and extremely comfortable. Both the first and second row are roomy, but foot and knee room becomes a bit tight in the third row. Kids will fit easily.
On the performance end, Durango remains a solid large ute, checking in at a hefty 5,097 lbs. and nearly 200 inches long. It rides on a 119.8-inch wheelbase and has 8.1 inches of ground clearance, in case you want to beat your $50 grand sport-ute in mud and rocks off road. We know you at least want to pull a trailer in snow.

The new Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 seems gutsy enough. It has variable valve timing to increase power and fuel mileage and churns out 290 horsepower. Dodge says it’ll tow a minimum of 5,000 lbs., but with the proper towing equipment can tow 7,200 lbs. The test truck added a $600 Class IV tow package.

But the truck never seems like a torque-laden beast when you jam down the gas pedal. Instead the 5-speed automatic transmission turns growly and noisy almost from the get-go. And it hesitates between 30 and 45 mph, sometimes downshifting to give the truck more oomph. Imagine if there were a trailer back there.

I believe all the noise and effort is due to the gearing, because in theory the 290 horses should be plenty. Note that you can get an R/T version, which is Dodge’s racy model that packs a 360-horse 5.7-liter HEMI V8. It starts at $36,315 or $38,715 for the AWD model. If you’re planning to tow a big trailer, this is likely what you’ll want.
Ride also is somewhat bouncy. Certainly Durango behaves well on the highway, but on rough streets you get a little more bounce and jostle. Better is the handling, which is good for a large ute with only mild play in the wheel. Durango corners well and while it feels heavy there is not much lean in tight cornering.

Braking from four wheel discs is good. There are big 20-inch tires underneath and traction seems good with the AWD system, although I only had to cope with damp streets, no muck or snow during the drive.

Gas mileage is decent too. I got 18.3 mpg in about a 50-50 mix of city and highway driving. The EPA rates this at 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, which seems realistic.

The test truck was an attractive blackberry pearl, which was a dark metallic blue that looked black most of the time. That costs $295 extra.

Inside, the tester featured black leather seats with white stitching and a black textured dash and chrome door handles along with chrome on the console and air vents. There also was some gray wood-look trim on the dash and the leather steering wheel had a pewter-look hub.

Under normal driving conditions the interior was fairly quiet, but when you press it and the transmission and engine get to roaring, it becomes less refined than the price tag indicates.

Dash controls are all well laid out and simple to use and understand. There’s a power tilt-telescope steering wheel with trip computer controls on the hub, accessed through a series of arrows. Cruise and radio controls are there too, with radio volume and station selection buttons on the back of the wheel, a good spot and easy to click while driving.

There’s a touch-screen radio/navigation system mid-dash. Buttons around the screen are rather small though.
The test Durango also had a sunroof and its visors slide to block side sun. This one tacked on an optional ($1,695) package that included a rear DVD entertainment system, plus BackSeat TV for the attention-challenged folks that need constant entertainment. Included is one year of Sirius satellite radio, which, I admit, I enjoy. Love those comedy channels!

Fold down the back two rows of seats and the Durango offers a sizeable 85.0 cu.ft. of cargo room, making this a good stuff hauler, when needed. That’s the utility part of sport-utility vehicles.

I enjoyed driving the Citadel version, but for my money the bargain is in the lower-cost Durango models. They feature the same engine and other mechanicals. If you can do with a little less luxury, that’s the way to go.

Photo by Chrysler

2011 Dodge Durango Citadel AWD
Made in: Detroit, Mich.
Engine: 3.6-liter VVT V6, 290 hp
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Weight: 5,097 lbs.
Wheelbase: 119.8 in.
Cargo: 85.0 cu.ft. (second-, third-row seats down)
MPG: 16/22
Base Price: $43,795
Dealer’s Price: $41,337
Major Options:
Blackberry pearl coat paint, $295
Preferred package 26J (rear DVD entertainment/video center, Sirius BackSeat TV 1-yr. sub.), $1,695
Trailer tow group IV (heavy-duty engine cooling, 220-amp alternator, Class IV receiver hitch, 7- and 4-pin wiring harness, rear load leveling suspension, full-size spare tire, steel spare wheel), $695
Delivery, $850
Test vehicle: $47,330
Sources: Dodge, www.autos.yahoo.com
Hits: Handsome large ute that seats seven with comfortable two-speed heated seats and a lot of doodads, including a heated steering wheel and blind-spot warning system. Handles well for a big ute and is fairly quiet inside, with well laid out dash and controls.
Misses: Bouncy ride and transmission seems to struggle in the 30-45 mph range, downshifting often and groaning.