2025 Dodge Durango R/T review: The final roar of the dying

The 2025 Dodge Durango R/T isn’t just another SUV, it’s a time capsule (in more ways than one) that pumps out V8s in a market increasingly obsessed with silent electric cars and soulless hybrids The roar. Dodge knows this thing is an ancient artifact, but they also know their audience: Mopar loyalists who’d rather eat kale chips than give up the roar of the Hermie.

This car marked the end of an era for Dodge. The Charger will make a comeback in 2025, but in an all-new electric form that will ditch Hemi power entirely. Challenger? It’s gone, retired, competing in burnout contests in the sky. And Bumblebee? Suffice it to say, it was more like silent crickets than a buzz at the Stellantis dealership.

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This makes the Durango the last way for Mopar fans to get a Hemi V8 other than a truck or Jeep. At the same time, this is an SUV that hasn’t seen a major refresh since 2011. Yes, the essence of the Durango has been around for almost 15 years.

To find out whether a car that’s old enough to get its own learner’s permit is worth buying in 2024, we just tested the latest and final Hemi-powered versions of them all. This is the 2025 Durango R/T 20th Anniversary Premium trim, and it doesn’t come cheap. The base price for this trim is around $50,000. Prices for our Customer Preferred Package ($9,985) and Tow N Go Package ($5,990) are $72,460. Don’t let this stop you.

quick overview

Before expensive packages, the car still comes with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine, eight-speed automatic transmission, and, in our case, all-wheel drive. Rear-wheel drive is also available. It features a sport-tuned suspension, Sport mode, seating for six or seven, and a modern infotainment system. Over the course of a week, we drove it all over Little Rock, Arkansas. We haul gear, people, bikes, and more. We tested its acceleration, handling and braking capabilities. This is what we learned.

Powertrain

The V8 under the hood of this Durango remains largely unchanged from when it arrived on this platform in 2011. It still has exactly the same power, 360 hp (268 kW), and the same torque, 390 lb-ft (528 Nm), as it did back then. While the lack of progress on this front may worry some, consider two major counterpoints.

First, even now, 360 horsepower is far more than the output of most SUVs in this class. Second, Dodge has supplemented the lineup with 392 and Hellcat versions of this SUV to cater to those who need more speed. Still, we think this car is perfect, and we’ll dig into that further in our driving impressions.

This SUV’s fuel economy is far from class-leading. According to the EPA, it gets 14 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and 17 mpg combined. In our week with the car, we achieved 16.1 mpg, which isn’t surprising considering the fun way this car invites the driver to engage with a bit of speed.

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Photos by Stephen Rivers for Carscoops

The Durango Cabin may be one of its biggest drawbacks. Just sit in any seat for a while and you can tell this is an older design. The dashboard doesn’t have a single huge overall infotainment system integrated into the instrument cluster. The materials are softer in design and feel than many competitors. The seats are large and roomy rather than angular and spindly.

But that in itself doesn’t make it bad. The seats are very comfortable, including in the third row, so even taller people can sit down easily. They even have plenty of support, which is rare among today’s three-row SUVs. Sure, it feels like there’s a ton of cheap plastic on the door panels, but Dodge spent money on the areas where people touch the panels the most, and it shows.

I also don’t miss having some single infotainment system. Uconnect tends to be fast, easy to navigate, and has good graphics capabilities even on what many consider the smaller screen (10.1 inches) in the Durango. What’s even better, though, is that this SUV also has a full set of physical buttons.

And I don’t just mean dials and power buttons for media or climate control switches. In addition to the driving mode switch, mute button, and screen off button, there are many more functions on the steering wheel. Do I still hate the semi-flap paddles on Stellantis products like this? Absolutely. Is it good that they are trying to give customers three more steering wheel buttons in addition to the paddle shifters? Yes, I think.

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Additionally, Dodge has made some minor changes to enhance the interior experience. This SUV has two USB ports, two USB-C ports, and even an AUX port. It has a wireless device charger, three-zone automatic climate control, and a huge panoramic sunroof. Behind the third row, you’ll find 17 cubic feet of cargo space. If you need more, the Durango can tow up to 8,700 pounds, which is excellent in the segment.

Increase impressions

Photos by Stephen Rivers for Carscoops

Enthusiasts will immediately appreciate the roar the Durango wakes up to. It’s a fun and fitting reminder that this isn’t a turbocharged hybrid four-cylinder or anything like that. Think of it like an old-school muscle car that fits six or seven people, and you’ll be on the right track.

One of the strengths of this car’s design, which dates back to 2011, is that its underpinnings are related to Mercedes and its M-Class at the time. Now, the M-Class isn’t exactly a canyon carver, but compared to most of Dodge’s direct competitors, it might as well be. This SUV weighs more than 5,300 pounds, yet is much lighter to drive. Steering feel is great, and it grips and controls its line very well around corners, thanks to the wide stance and wide 295-section tires.

This particular example also features large Brembo brakes that, while expensive to maintain over time, do an excellent job of towing this SUV. Best of all, they feel easy to adjust, which only increases driver confidence in the limits of what the Durango can do.

The gearbox is mostly good too. Eight speeds feel like maybe one or two too many, as this Dodge seems to be searching for the right gear at times. Once discovered, though, the performance and shift quality are really good. Even those silly half-paddles have a satisfying response when engaged.

The most interesting thing is the driving feel of the engine. This is not a lightning-fast SUV. According to Dodge, it will do 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds. On unprepared roads, the best we could do was 6.66 seconds. Both numbers are slower than my 2010 Ford Flex Limited. But I will tell you, the Durango is still more fun to drive.

The engine is responsive, eager, and sounds great. Dodge equipped the car with a sport-tuned suspension, excellent dampers, and tough anti-roll bars to keep it flat in corners. Thanks to the rear-wheel-drive bias in the all-wheel-drive system, it’s sportier when pushed hard. My Flex, on the other hand, understeers at the limit, which is also the case with most SUVs these days. In this regard, despite its age, the Durango still stands out in this segment.

Additionally, Dodge has included multiple performance pages in the infotainment system and instrument cluster to encourage drivers to test their skills. These include several timers, such as quarter mile and 0-60 sprint. There’s an accelerometer to show your cornering ability, and there’s even an onboard “dyno” to show power output. More cars should encourage drivers to test their skills and, most importantly, improve them over time.

But that’s probably the most important part. This is still a family hauler for six or seven people. On the highway, in residential areas and on less-than-perfect city streets, the suspension is supple enough to be comfortable, calm and composed. Dodge has found a very good balance between absolute stiffness for performance and softness for comfort.

Compare

Photos by Stephen Rivers for Carscoops

There’s no doubt that the Durango is outclassed by many of its competitors in the current market. Most feature newer, more innovative technology. Many people are more comfortable. Some are more capable off-road. Nearly all of them get better fuel economy. But actually they all drive differently. Best of all, have fun trying to tow anywhere near the Durango’s 8,700-pound limit against any other vehicle in this class.

It’s worth noting that price is also an important factor, as the SUV we drove cost $72,460, almost as expensive as the Durango 392 ($76,460). In this pricing range, the BMW X6 and Porsche Macan are also under consideration. Those who pursue absolute performance above all else should consider these factors as well as the Genesis GV70. At the same time, none of these competitors have third-row seats or the same towing capabilities.

Interestingly, we think there are some tricks here. Forget the fancy Customer Preferred package, just buy the Tow N Go with a regular Durango R/T. You still get big brakes, 20-inch wheels, 295-section-width tires, a Hemi V8, and with current incentives you only pay about $55,000. This is a truly capable performance package that will run around anything else in the segment.

final thoughts

The Durango R/T isn’t going to win any green awards, wow tech enthusiasts, or even win that many drag races. But it will go down in history as a classic SUV. Over time, we won’t remember this Dodge as being any faster than the four-cylinder Porsche Macan. We wouldn’t consider it lacking the Tesla Model Y’s hands-free driving features.

We’ll consider it one of the last affordable, V8-powered, performance-focused, elegantly simple three-row SUVs ever made. This is definitely a future classic in my opinion, and considering there are two more powerful Durangos to choose from, it could be an affordable classic.

Ten years from now, when some guy is trying to figure out how to fix their car that’s 10 years out of warranty with a mild hybrid, a twin-scroll turbo, or some other super complex car (no doubt cool), With technology in its own right), Durango R/T owners can still manage a relatively simple powertrain. Not only that, but they’ll have something that will make them smile every time they light it up.

Photos by Stephen Rivers for Carscoops