2021 Dodge Durango

Until recently, Dodge was known for building outrageous high-performance muscle cars, including the Challenger and Charger, with brashly named trims—Hellcat, anyone? Dodge is still finding its footing during the transition to electrification and stricter emissions laws, with plans for electrified and turbocharged muscle yet to materialize in dealerships. The Hornet compact SUV is based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale, and is available as a plug-in hybrid. The Durango SUV soldiers on, largely unchanged from 2011 and still based on the same design as the 2011-2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Most alarmingly, it lags behind more modern vehicles in crash tests. Dodge sits near Chrysler at the bottom of our used car reliability rankings.

In 2014, a new eight-speed automatic transmission was adopted, which improved fuel economy and performance for both engines. Visibility is limited, but a rear-view camera is available. The midrange Limited trim includes lots of desirable features, including a pair of heated leather seats and steering wheel, in addition to the highly desirable Uconnect 8.4 infotainment system. The optional Safety/Security and Convenience Package and the Navigation and Power Liftgate Package are useful additions. Active cruise control and forward-collision monitoring requires finding either the top-of-the-line Citadel trim, or the R/T with Technology Package. Updates for 2021 include a new top-level Uconnect 5 infotainment system, featuring a 10.1-inch touchscreen. Plus, there's a new top-performance model, called SRT Hellcat. There's also a refreshed interior with new controls, including dedicated heated and cooled seat buttons and a more intuitive gear selector. For 2022, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning are standard. For 2025, the Durango lineup is simplified to three trims: GT, with its 295-hp V6, R/T, with a 360-hp V8, and SRT Hellcat, with its mighty 710-hp supercharged V8. Several R/T and SRT Hellcat special-edition versions are offered as well.