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Walk Around

Dodge Durango offers an imposing presence in rearview mirrors, with its big crosshair grille and shotgun headlights that have become a Dodge signature.

The 2007 Durango does not look radically different from the '04-'06. But in fact, the entire outer skin ahead of the windshield is new. The Durango's new face is at once sharper and better integrated. There's a crispness to the grille and lights that the previous model lacked, but that you wouldn't notice it lacked until you saw the new model. The new front bumper fascia mounts differently, so it flows into the overfenders without visible seams or gaps. The pouty scribe line at the bottom of the old bumper has been replaced by a better-defined rectangle, which is brightly plated on Limited. The front hood no longer wraps over the sides, eliminating one more unsightly seam.

Changes at the side and rear are more subtle. The '07 Durango still features a high beltline that suggests great mass or perhaps, to some, great safety. The short front and rear overhangs, not typical of a full-size SUV, contribute to Durango's forceful expression. The short hood and flared fenders give the Durango the look of a big-rig truck. That short hood leads into a steeply raked windshield and sloping roof. The front fenders make the hood look as narrow as it is short. The windshield is aerodynamically efficient and offers good visibility.

Eighteen-inch aluminum wheels are standard on 2007 SLT models with either black sidewall or outline white letter tires, and 18-inch chrome clad aluminum wheels now standard on Limited. Newly available 20-inch chrome clad wheels are now optional on both the SLT and Limited. All of these big rims are framed nicely by Durango's bold wheel arches. Larger (6x9-inch) rearview mirrors are heated and folding on all models.

The roofline still dips slightly at the rear, and the liftgate window curves in to meet it, which keeps Durango from looking like the box it came. Afterburner tail lamps, another Dodge hallmark, continue on the '07 model. The center high-mounted stop lamp is integrated smoothly into the rear roofline. A new, wider chrome applique accentuates the rear liftgate and features a centered, three-dimensional ram's head.

The aerodynamics are fine-tuned, including the contours of the exterior mirrors and the subtle ducktail at the trailing edge of the hood under the wipers that minimizes wind noise over the windshield. The motor mounts are calibrated to reduce the frequencies and harmonics of each engine. The windows have an extra layer of lamination to deaden sound. Foam is injected into many of the body and chassis crannies, which would otherwise serve as tiny echo chambers.

Despite its modern aerodynamics, however, Durango takes its styling cues from the 1946-68 Dodge Power Wagon, which was itself essentially a World War II T214 military truck with a longer wheelbase and civilian-style, fully enclosed cab. In the immediate postwar era, when the Willys Jeep pretty much had the quarter-ton utility-vehicle market to itself (and mainstream pickups didn't yet offer four-wheel drive) the 3/4-ton Power Wagon was the first choice of rural contractors, fire fighters, and forest rangers who needed serious off-road capability and more load capacity than the Jeep could provide.

Interior

2007 Dodge Durango

The Dodge Durango feels spacious inside. Large amounts of glass contribute to that feeling along with lots of cargo space. Durango is officially classified as a midsize SUV, like the Ford Explorer, but it's bigger than that and inside it feels like a full-size SUV.

The front seats are comfortable, neither too soft nor too firm, and the four-spoke steering wheel is nice. Upholstery materials have been revised for 2007, and the standard YES Essentials fabric in SLT is said to be stain, odor, and static-resistant. The SLT has orange-hued wood trim, while the Limited presents a cleaner look with its brushed aluminum. And that trim is real wood and real aluminum, not plastic.

A new option for '07 is bucket-type seating in the second row, replacing the standard 40/20/40 bench. A second-row floor console is part of the bucket-seat package. And if you order the optional heat for the front bucket seats, the second-row buckets get it, too. As a compromise for customers who need to carry five adults, a 40/20/40 bench with recline feature remains standard on Limited, optional on SLT and Adventurer. Separate rear-seat climate controls are standard on those models and optional on SXT; that's a useful feature when carrying dogs. For '07, Durango models with rear-seat HVAC also come with a 115-volt power inverter.

Also new for '07 are power windows that operate in express mode both up and down. A new one-touch lane-change feature allows the driver to quickly activate a three-blink turn signal when changing lanes.

Details are carefully thought out, including convenient grab handles cleverly molded into the stubby rear leg of the second-row seat, which ease climbing back to the third row. Once back there, a small bubble in the ceiling provides additional headroom for third-row passengers. A one-piece third-row bench is optional on SXT and standard on SLT and Adventurer. On Limited models, the third row is split 60/40 for additional convenience. SLT and Adventurer (but not SXT) buyers can order the 60/40 split at additional cost.

Behind the second row of seats is 68 cubic feet of cargo space, equal to the total for many SUVs. Put the second row down, and there's 102 cubic feet of cargo capacity. The distance between the wheel housings is 48 inches, so full-size sheets of plywood can be loaded flat. Speaking of loading cargo, this task is aided by the liftgate, which opens very easily. A power liftgate is also available. The cargo floor is relatively low, thanks to the rear suspension design, making loading and unloading easier.

The second and third rows are notably easy to access because the rear doors open an exceptionally wide 84 degrees. The second-row seat easily flips forward with the touch of one hand, and the seatback flops flat just as easily. This is no small virtue.

Instrumentation is clean, handsome, easy to read and easy to operate. It looks classy. We especially like the simple black-on-white gauges and rectangular black Venetian-blind style heating and cooling vents. The center console is deep, under a removable tray. On Limiteds it is now covered in leather. Forward of that is another important compartment designed to serve as a fast-food bin. Two integrated cup holders with removable neoprene for different sizes of drink containers are provided.

We found the SLT's manual heating controls and the wiper controls fussy, and the high beams seemed a little lacking one wintry night. The Limited model's high-tech climate-control panel with automatic temperature adjustment is better. And we welcome the availability of seat heaters.

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