2004 Dodge Durango

DaimlerChrysler's basic formula for success in the U.S. truck market has been incredibly simple of late: 1) make Dodge-brand trucks bigger and more powerful than others in their class, and 2) make them look even bigger and more powerful.


Dodge's full-size Rams are larger than the trucks they replaced, look more like scaled-down semis, feature an available 335-hp HEMI V-8 and offer a 500-hp Viper V-10-powered derivative, just to make the point. The soon-to-come '05 Dodge Dakotas will be larger than the current ones, look like slightly scaled-down Rams and offer the only optional V-8 in their "midsize" class.

The all-new Durango looks like a scaled-down Ram wagon and offers?you guessed it?that same HEMI V-8.

So it's no surprise that Dodge's '04 Durango "midsize" SUV is seven inches longer, two inches wider and more than three inches taller than its predecessor, looks like a scaled-down Ram wagon and offers—you guessed it—that same HEMI V-8. The huge full-size SUVs (Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, Ford Expedition) are too big for some. Other midsize SUVs (Chevy TrailBlazer, Ford Explorer) are too small for others. Dodge's simple strategy is to offer a "just right" size in between, hoping to appeal to nearly everyone.


The new standard 3.7L V-6 generates a respectable 210 hp and 235 lb.-ft. of torque. The mid-range 4.7L V-8 gives 230 hp and 290 lb.-ft., while that optional 5.7L HEMI V-8 pumps out 335 hp and 375 lb.-ft.—40 percent more power and 12 percent more torque than the previous Durango's top-of-the-line V-8. All three '04 engines carry the Dodge "Magnum" family moniker, and all are more fuel efficient than previous versions.


The '04 Durango claims best-in-class cargo capacity, Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (6,600 lbs.) and towing capacity (8,950 lbs.). Its three-row seating provides reasonable room for seven with increased leg, shoulder and hip room for second- and third-row occupants. Folding down both second- and third-row seats provides a whopping 102.4 cu. ft. of cargo room, 15 percent more than the previous Durango. With the third row down and the middle row up (the way three-row SUVs are usually driven), there's a still-impressive 67.3 cu. ft. of cargo room, more than Tahoe, Expedition or Toyota Sequoia.