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2024 Volkswagen Taos Review2020 Dodge Durango: Affordable Performance and Power
Our experts take an in depth look at the 2020 Dodge Durango and what’s available for trims, options, interiors, and engines.
What’s New With the 2020 Dodge Durango?
The primary differences for the 2020 Dodge Durango come from a couple of the Road and Track, known as R/T packages. The Blacktop and Brass Monkey packages now come with a Hemi fender badge, new switching on the instrument panel, and a new optional 20” wheel package.
You can also see the new 2021 Dodge Durango here – it has several refreshes. This might also be a good time to learn about Durango history.
2020 Dodge Durango – media.stellantisnorthamerica.com | Shop 2020 Dodge Durango on Carsforsale.com
The Breakdown
Cool, standout exterior design
Great at towing
Powerful available V8 engine
Good infotainment system
Not great fuel mileage
Base engine is a bit boring
Interior isn’t up to snuff
Impressive styling with plenty of engine options
2020 Durango Specs
- 293 horsepower from base engine
- 260 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 8 available trims
- 17.2 cu-ft of cargo capacity
- 85.1 cu-ft of cargo capacity with seats down
- Towing capacity of up to 8,700 lbs
- 8.4-inch infotainment screen available
- Available automatic emergency braking
- 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty
2020 Dodge Durango Powertrain
Dodge made the Durango to appeal to a variety of buyers with a big variety of needs. As such, they built three different engines for the Durango. Let’s start with the 3.6 liter 6-cylinder engine with 293 hp and 260 ft-lb of torque. Drivers who wish for more power can upgrade to the HEMI 5.7 liter 8-cylinder engine with 360hp and 390 ft-lb of torque. Want even more? Try the 6.4 liter 8-cylinder with 475hp and 470-ft-lb of torque.
The 8-cylinder engine certainly provides the power most Dodge enthusiasts will want, and even moves this big SUV pretty well. The 6.4 liter adds even more serious power in addition to towing capabilities we’ll discuss later. All the engines are paired with an 8-speed transmission that attempts to keep the fuel mileage high, and is generally fast enough to keep up even with the HEMI capable of 475hp. Overall, we weren’t a big fan of the base engine, but we do like Dodge performance and like the bigger engines more.
How does it drive? The Durango offers a great blend of sport and comfort, though it ultimately does drive like a large SUV and the handling doesn’t reflect the rest of the performance pieces Dodge installed to make the Durango a fun vehicle.
The Durango is available in RWD and 4WD which fits any climate or weather, depending on what you want.
Towing & Payload
The 2020 Dodge Durango is capable of towing up to 8,700 lbs with the SRT class, which includes the highest powered 8-cylinder 475hp engine. Taking one step lower to the 360hp engine, can still tow up to 7,400 lbs. The 6-cylinder engine can haul up to 6,200 lbs.
Payloads are a bit different per level too. The 2020 Dodge Durango SRT can handle 1,590 lbs, while the 5.7 liter drops to 1,280 lbs. The 6-cylinder actually handles a bit more at 1,380 lbs.
2020 Dodge Durango Fuel Economy & MPG
Gas mileage for the Durango varies based on the drivetrain and engine. The six-cylinder RWD models get an estimated 19 city / 26 hwy, adding AWD drops the MPG by one gallon per mile. Moving up to the eight-cylinder 360 hp will net 14 city / 22 hwy. The eight-cylinder 475 hp engine dips down the MPG down to 13 city / 19 hwy.
Is the gas mileage great? Not really. City mileage is slightly less than the comparable 8-cylinder from class rival Chevrolet Suburban.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
The Durango has a mostly comfortable interior. You have the option of cloth or leather with the option of heated or ventilated seats too. The driver and passenger have plenty of space, almost regardless of height and leg space needs. Like you might expect, all rear seats fold flat and are easy to raise again. For interior space, the Durango offers more space than competitors like the GMC Acadia or Ford Explorer. Overall, it makes an excellent vehicle for people looking to haul lots of cargo for traveling or business.
The downside to the Durango’s interior is that the third row seat is optional, and it doesn’t offer as much passenger space as other models. You still have plenty of space for people, but the Durango’s layout and seats muddle the line between cargo space and people space. If you need less space, you can also consider the Dodge Journey.
Entertainment & Technology
We’ll give it to Dodge: They know how to design an infotainment system. The standard 7-inch touchscreen doesn’t seem big enough compared to competitors, but it can be upgraded to an 8.4-inch screen which handsomely fills out the dashboard. Dodge makes the infotainment nicely organized by basic actions, while also providing of options and data about your vehicle – all while being easy to navigate.
You can also opt to use the standard Apple CarPlay or Android Auto depending on your phone, which takes over the existing screen and replaces it with the intuitive and well-designed phone software. These make it easy to play music or podcast, use navigation, and make safe hands free phone calls on the road.
The 2020 Dodge Durango can be upgraded with a navigation system, rear seat DVD entertainment, and more, like Wi-Fi on some trim levels.
Safety Features
The 2020 Dodge Durango has lots of available safety options. The Durango comes with a rearview camera standard, but that’s about it – setting the bar kind of low for a large SUV.
Everything from forward collision alert to automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control in addition to options you might expect near standard, like rear cross traffic alert and side blind zone alert. While you have numerous available options, you might be trading performance, space, and price for having more standard safety options.
2020 Dodge Durango Trims and Pricing
SXT $30,795
The 2020 Dodge Durango starts with rear wheel or front wheel drive, cloth seats, and the base 6-cylinder engine. The SXT trim offers the 7-inch screen.
SXT Plus $33,595
The 2020 Dodge Durango SXT offers the same 6-cylinder base engine and adds rear park assist, in addition to an 8-way power adjustable seat.
GT $34,995
The exterior starts to get some changes with the 2020 Dodge Durango GT with body color facias and moldings. Want bigger wheels? 20-inch wheels become standard with the GT. You’ll also get LED lights and dual exhaust tips. Inside, the third row seat becomes available.
GT Plus $39,245
Lots of exterior updates here with power and memory side mirrors, a power liftgate, and remote start available. Leather becomes available in the GT Plus model along with heated front and second row seats, which is nice for your passengers.
R/T $44,395
The hemi starts here. The 2020 Dodge Durango R/T starts to get more serious, very likable upgrades in the world of Dodge performance with the addition of the 5.7 liter 8-cylinder. The suspension is also lowered a bit to offer a sporty feeling. On the outside, you’ll add HID headlights and auto high-beam control along with rain sensing wipers and front ParkSense. Capri leather trim seats become available for the interior and navigation upgrades for the UConnect infotainment system are there. Add an Alpine speaker system and it’ll sound good in your 2020 Dodge Durango.
Citadel $42,995
The 2020 Dodge Durango Citadel has some upgrades, or side-grades, that make it more of a people vehicle. It inherits many GT features including 20-inch wheels, but adds a different grille with a unique texture and color options. You can also get captain’s chairs in the Citadel, making it easier to move around inside. The Citadel trim includes a sunroof, and a Wi-Fi hotspot and your passengers can use data on the road while enjoying some sunshine.
Citadel Platinum $46,270
The Citadel Platinum adds a unique combination of changes to the Citadel – and as the name indicates, you get many platinum fixtures on the exterior. The interior also receives black or black and sepia leather in addition to ventilated front seats.
SRT $62,995
The SRT finally offers the most powerful Dodge Hemi engine available for the 2020 Dodge Durango as well as an SRT drive mode and suspension equipped to handle the speed. A 3.7 ratio axle is provided too, making the SRT capable of towing 8,700 lbs. The SRT has some interior excitement too with Nappa leather available, ventilated seats, and because Dodge is serious about performance – a speedometer that reaches 180mph.
Warranties
The 2020 Dodge Durango offers a 3-year, 36,000 mile limited warranty and a 5-year, 60,000 mile powertrain warranty.
What we think
2020 Dodge Durango – media.stellantisnorthamerica.com | Shop 2020 Dodge Durango on Carsforsale.com
The 2020 Dodge Durango is a fun SUV to drive and has some serious style compared to competitors – it stands out while screaming “performance” instead of “luxury” though the higher trims do offer lots of extras. If we had to pick a trim, we would definitely start at the R/T just to get the HEMI power that Dodge is well known for. We would, however, like to see the third row seat available on lower trim models – or on all trim models. For drivers seeking a reasonably priced performance SUV with space for people and cargo, the 2020 Dodge Durango is definitely worth looking at. You should also look at the 2021 Dodge Durango – Dodge loves their Hellcat’s and they put that package in the 2021 here.
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