? 2011 Durango Hemi

[skiyaker]

Well the time is near to replace my wife's Honda CRV, and I'd really like something that seats 7, fits in my garage- and could tow my boat so I don't have to be such a redneck on vacations (you should see it- the past 2 vacations we've packed boxes and tossed them in the bed of the truck) I know there are a lot of die hard big truck fans on this forum, and I won't argue against a big diesel Ram being an ideal tow vehicle- except it doesn't meet the above criteria. A suburban won't fit in my garage. I was thinking about the 2011 explorer that's coming out with a V6 that's more powerful than my Frontier and a 5000# towing capacity- but then I saw this- wondered what you Dodge guys think this will do with the 5.7L hemi V8 and a tow rating 7000# +.

http://www.allpar.com/SUVs/dodge/durango-2012.html

[maxpower220]

Why not a Tahoe?

I have only owned 1 Dodge vehicle (a 1500 truck). I will not own another one after that debacle. I'm sure you will have good luck if you buy one, I did not.

[skiyaker]

yeah Tahoe would be a consideration- I haven't seen the dimensions on the new durango yet so I'm not sure how the size compares- I was thinking a slightly smaller vehicle would meet my needs better if it had the power (since my wife will be the primary driver)

[Ian Brantford]

If you want an SUV and don't plan on upgrading your boat to a significantly heavier one anytime soon, a good mid-sized SUV like the 2011 Explorer is a strong contender.

Also worth considering would be the 4Runner. It offers the same engine as a Sequoia but in a smaller package that still is a surprisingly good tow vehicle. That information is from researching the 4th-generation 4Runner a couple of years ago. I do not know much about the 5th (2009 to the present) model. I was very happy with my 3rd-gen 4Runner overall and with my previous boat, but the XLV was a bit much for it on a gravel ramp. Towing was more stable than you'd guess, but I would not make the same assumption about 4000-ish lbs on a single axle trailer as you probably have with your Outback V.

I am with maxpower220 regarding anything from Chrysler. I do not have a reason to believe that they have overcome quality issues. I see the same with GM. I used to think not much better of Ford, but would put their vehicles on the short list for personal research now.

[moombadaze]

Have a 06 ram 1500 4x4 with 53k on the hemi motor---not one issue so far with it. The new Dodge's have sure come a long way-just like our Moomba's

[Ian Brantford]

Have a 06 ram 1500 4x4 with 53k on the hemi motor---not one issue so far with it. The new Dodge's have sure come a long way-just like our Moomba's

That's encouraging. I was looking up Dodge's offering the other day and it had completely passed me by that their noncommercial models are using coil springs for the rear suspension to stifle axle hop. Kudos to them for that. It must greatly improve the ride and handling for unloaded driving.

[cab13367]

Well the time is near to replace my wife's Honda CRV, and I'd really like something that seats 7, fits in my garage- and could tow my boat so I don't have to be such a redneck on vacations (you should see it- the past 2 vacations we've packed boxes and tossed them in the bed of the truck) I know there are a lot of die hard big truck fans on this forum, and I won't argue against a big diesel Ram being an ideal tow vehicle- except it doesn't meet the above criteria. A suburban won't fit in my garage. I was thinking about the 2011 explorer that's coming out with a V6 that's more powerful than my Frontier and a 5000# towing capacity- but then I saw this- wondered what you Dodge guys think this will do with the 5.7L hemi V8 and a tow rating 7000# +.

http://www.allpar.com/SUVs/dodge/durango-2012.html

skiyaker,

That new Durango will do just fine. My tow rig is a 2000 Durango, AWD, with the 4.7L engine - 235HP, 295TQ - and it pulls my 2006 LSV just fine. Towed three hours one way into central Oregon this summer for a 5 day weekend. The back of the Durango was completely full of stuff and even had overflow stuff loaded in the boat and it did just fine.

Al