2004 Dodge Durango Review Summaries

What reviewers liked most about the Dodge Durango:

There's an immediate feeling of roominess in the front seats, with a good-sized center console between.

-- MSN Autos

In spite of its generous proportions, the Durango manages to deliver both a smooth, composed ride and nimble handling around corners.

-- Edmunds.com

Instrumentation is clean, handsome, easy to read and easy to operate. It looks classy.

-- New Car Test Drive

Hemi V-8 muscle [optional], solid chassis, nifty instruments, first-rate space utilization.

-- Car and Driver

Two V-8s are available and both are superb. The popular 4.7-liter V8 and the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 are smooth and powerful.

-- New Car Test Drive

What reviewers liked least about the Dodge Durango:

Steering direct but overassisted, and Durango reacts slowly in quick changes of direction.

-- Consumer Guide

Fuel economy is poor. In city driving, I averaged a meager 13.8 miles a gallon...

-- MSN Autos

V6 weak in initial acceleration and passing power...

-- Consumer Guide

...adults will find legroom and storage areas in short supply in the second row. Meanwhile, the third-row seat is suited for kids only.

-- Edmunds.com

The only element singled out for criticism was the location of the rear-wiper switch, low and to the right in the center stack, far from the other wiper control and hard to reach.

-- Car and Driver

Dodge Durango Comparisons:

Cargo volume among best in class.

-- Consumer Guide

Among the nicest-riding domestic SUVs.

-- Consumer Guide

...passenger and cargo room approach, or even exceed, that of full-size 'utes such as the Ford Expedition and Toyota Sequoia.

-- Edmunds.com

Bigger than the first-generation models, the Durango now fits between the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition in terms of size.

-- New Car Test Drive

Redesigned for 2004, the Durango takes styling cues come from the 1946 Dodge Power Wagon.

-- New Car Test Drive

In particular, the tactile differentiation of the various switches - cruise control, power window lifts - was singled out as best in test.

-- Car and Driver

Best one-liner about the Dodge Durango:

Durango's taillights are distinctive as well, looking like afterburners from a jet fighter with two big red stacked circles per side.

-- New Car Test Drive

In addition to stepping up a half-size class, the Durango has also classed up its whole act.

-- Car and Driver