- suv 155,428
- 6,999 high price
- Corpus Christi, TX
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- autoshopper.com
2004 dodge durango slt review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Totally redesigned, now roomier and refined. introductionthe durango has been around for a mere five years, but it seems so long. The suv world has moved so fast. In those short five years the durango has gone from innovative to dated by its competition. But it has established enduring strengths and character; it's truly rugged and sporty, with distinctive styling that reflects those values. now comes the 2004 dodge durango, a total rewrite of the durango book. It's seven inches longer, and the wheelbase, width and height have all grown by three inches, bringing it to a size between the chevy tahoe and ford expedition. Both the 4. 7-liter and 5. 7-liter v8s are superb, smooth and powerful. They come with a five-speed automatic that's smooth, refined, smart and responsive. Inside, it's quiet, roomy, comfortable and technologically sophisticated. These descriptions would not have fit last year's model. the all-new durango is both more and less of a truck than it was before. More because it's stronger; and less because it simply feels less like a truck than the former durango, despite its size. lineupthere are three models of durango: st, slt or limited. All models come with either 2wd or 4wd. the base st lists for $26,565 with 2wd and $29,350 with 4wd including destination, a great value considering the content. It's thousands lower than the msrp of the '03 durango, which was heavily rebated. For the first time, a v6 is available. The new single-overhead-cam engine displaces 3. 7 liters, makes 210 horsepower with 235 pound-feet of torque, and gets 16/21 mpg. Options include the sohc 4. 7-liter v8 engine that makes 230/290 horsepower and torque, a bigger alternator and battery, traction control, halogen headlamps, heavy-duty shocks and springs, a two-speed transfer case (low and high gears for 4wd), side curtain airbags and a sunroof. the slt is distinguished by the third-row seat, a 50/50 fold-flat bench. The slt can be had with the v6 and 2wd, but the standard engine is the 4. 7-liter v8. Optional is the 335-horsepower 5. 7-liter hemi v8 for $895. The engine is new for durango but has one year under its crank in 2003 dodge ram trucks. Both v8 engines use an extremely smooth five-speed automatic transmission. a 4x4 slt, the best-selling durango model, runs $31,590 including destination, a highly competitive price considering all the new engineering (which we'll get to). Standard equipment includes body-colored moldings and fascia, power driver's seat, interior wood trim, rear ac, foglamps and roof rails. It boasts that other drivers will be inclined to move over when they see a durango or ram in the rearview mirror. The 'crosshair' grille that's so imposing comes only in high-profile chrome in '04. And the new headlamps are called 'shotgun' headlights. We wish intimidation were left out of the equation. The durango is handsome enough to stand on its own. But the dodge truck image is macho, and it works. the word 'retro' doesn't exactly fit, but the big-rig look is even stronger than before, with a conspicuously short hood. That short hood leads into a steeply raked windshield which draws a wedge to the silhouette, enhanced by the roof that slopes very slightly forward. The windshield is also aerodynamically slick, although from the front seats it gives the durango the visual feel of a minivan. the fender flares are exaggerated, not in a wide-tire sort of way but rather more of the semi-truck look; the hood seems as narrow as it is short with the front fenders extended like that. The only other suv we can think of having such fenders is the edgy endeavor by mitsubishi, a company partly owned by chrysler; but curiously, the endeavor came first. the third element is more subtle. The roofline slopes briefly downward at the rear, where the liftgate window leans to meet it. This reduces the normally boxy suv look. The taillights are distinctive as well. They're called 'afterburner' lights: two big red stacked circles per side, with the sheetmetal molded at their edges to suggest speed. The second and third seats are notably easy to access, as the rear doors open an exceptionally wide 84 degrees. The doors are also bigger, yet they're each five pounds lighter, possible because the body's overall structural strength is integrated into the new boxed-rail chassis. the rear seat easily flips forward with the touch of one hand, and the seatback flops flat just as easily. This is no small virtue. The second-row seats recline and have their own climate control, so passengers can snooze in total comfort. The well-thought-out detail continues with convenient grab handles cleverly molded into the stubby rear leg of the second seat, which ease climbing back to the third seat. Once back there, there is a small bubble in the ceiling to give an extra bit of headroom. And from the outside, the liftgate opens very easily. The cargo floor is lower thanks to the rear suspension design, and there are 48 full inches between the wheelwell humps. chrysler has a new and hugely expensive wind tunnel at its headquarters in auburn hills, mich., and it was used extensively with the durango to reduce wind noise. The aerodynamics are fine tuned, including the mirrors and the subtle ducktail at the trailing edge of the hood under the wipers, for reducing wind noise over the windshield. Says engineer bill grabowski, director of dodge truck platform and body, 'even if it's inaudible to the ear, if the data from the wind tunnel shows noise is there, we make it go away.' call the whole durango 'silent running,' like the movie. More details: 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 discovered by engineers to be tiny echo chambers. it's this kind of effort and detail that especially makes the competitive price of the durango so noteworthy. from the driver's point of view, the instrumentation is clean, handsome, easy to read and easy to operate. 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, and forward of that is another important compartment called the 'fast-food bin.' there are two integrated cupholders with removable neoprene for different sizes of drink containers. The seats are about right, neither too soft nor too firm. The 4. 7-liter engine is really good. It's powerful and really smooth. But it only gets 14/18 mpg in 4wd, using 87 octane, and the more we looked at that versus the 5. 7-liter hemi, the more we gravitated to the bigger engine. the 5. 7-liter hemi delivers 105 more horsepower than the 4. 7-liter while providing almost the same economy, 13/18 mpg with 89 octane recommended, 87 acceptable. For $895 more, the hemi seems like a no-brainer; plus, it can tow up to 8950 pounds with the optional 3. 92 rear axle, compared to 7400 for the 4. 7. And the two-speed transfer case is standard with the hemi, optional with other engines. hemi, by the way, refers to the overhead-valve, hemispherical combustion chamber design, and harkens back to the late '60s when the 426-cubic-inch (7. 0-liter) dodge hemi ramcharger ruled. Chrysler modernized the design last year after it had been gone (but not forgotten) for decades. s. CD Player✔ Climate Control✔ Cloth Interior✔ Heated Seats✔ Air Conditioning✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Bluetooth✔ DVD Entertainment System✔ Leather Seats✔ Aluminum Wheels
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