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2017 Dodge Durango R/T Blacktop

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2017 Dodge Durango R/T Blacktop

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2017 Dodge Durango R/T

FCA US LLC

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2016 Dodge Durango R/T with Radar Red Nappa leather seats

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2016 Dodge Durango R/T with Radar Red Nappa leather seats

FCA US LLC

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2017 Dodge Durango R/T

FCA US LLC

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2017 Dodge Durango R/T

FCA US LLC

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Over the years the Durango has really become the family workhorse for the Dodge brand, continuing in that vein with the newest version this year in the top trim Citadel that has now received an additional upgrade adding Anodized Platinum to the nameplate. This has always been one of our favorite family oriented vehicles because it will hold a crew, has all-wheel drive, space for all the kids and their stuff.

Our week this time with the Durango proved to be no different, with us even, having the opportunity over the weekend to have our grandson Jensen stay with us. What better way to test out a vehicle than with a three year old in the back. The car seat easily installed, score one point for the Dodge and Jensen really loved every opportunity he had to climb up into the car seat from the ground. Strange how much 3 year olds can enjoy climbing, but he loved the challenge and with the extra room in the Durango this became his favorite part, also made it easier for Grandma Deanne to get him into the SUV!

The SUV also proved its worth over the weekend as we had to participate in the Art City Days parade in Springville and had to transport a wagon for Jensen to ride in, balloons and other paraphernalia for Craig’s strange political ambitions along with our daughter Sadie and our friend Laura. We had quite a car full that would not have been possible with a smaller SUV.

Jensen also became quite enamored with the movie ‘The Aristocats’ as Grandma Deanne figured out how to use the included DVD player so he could watch from the backseat, we think Sadie also enjoyed having the movie going as Craig had to help with the concert in the afternoon, giving the others time to go to lunch, enjoy the splash pad, along with other activities.

Deanne also had the opportunity to take the Durango to a baby shower on Tuesday in American Fork having first to get Sadie from her new place in Lehi way up on Traverse Mountain. The athletic ability of the Citadel was evident from the moment she got on the freeway and continued on the foothill roads during the climb to Sadie’s apartment, the electronic steering kept her in touch with the road with all the confidence she needed both to and from the shower, either on twisty mountain roads or out on the freeway.

The new 8 speed transmission that Chrysler has putting in their new cars performed extremely well no matter what we were asking for, be it a quick down shift to handle a steep climb or needed a moment of quick acceleration on the freeway, the Durango was more than eager to handle the challenge.

We should point out at this point that the new Citadel comes standard with only a 3.6 liter V6 that put out a very nice 290 horsepower and proved to be and excellent choice for all the time we had in the SUV. We would suspect that it would be fine for pretty much any family to use every day or on the long family vacation. There is a Hemi option for those that might need the extra 70 horsepower for towing, but mpg drops a couple of points also.

In fact is, the need for speed is something that dad has to have Dodge even make and SRT8 version of the Durango that Craig had the opportunity to take out on a track east of Denver, and he was

Not being built on a truck frame as some of the larger competition like Tahoe and Expedition are the Durango has a much smoother ride. From the first day we were very impressed with how nice and comfortable the ride and seating were in the Citadel, comparing it will recent drives in larger SUV’s we would have to admit the Durango would be our choice for cursing out on the open road.

In fact Car and Drive lists the Dodge Durango as the number one choice in the midsized SUV and crossover market, ahead of the likes of the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. Out of 12 different competitors in this field we were in agreement, especially with the Citadel edition with all the luxury included, it would make for the ultimate all wheel drive vehicle.

The Durango has an extremely athletic look with a low profile front end that is rounded out with the signature Dodge cross grill and LED daytime running lights that are the perfect accent to the high intensity headlamps. In the rear the Citadel is of course rounded out with the another signature Dodge effect of LED tail lamps that go from side to side of the vehicle, at night it will really stand out in a crowd!

The Citadel also comes standard with 20 inch polished aluminum wheels, a power lift gate and what is becoming standard on new Chrysler vehicles a cap less fuel port. In other words by hitting the fuel filler button on the inside the small door will open and attached to is a rubber cap that covers the fuel port, no more losing the gas cap at the station or having to unscrew the cap from the car, and the chances of getting gas on ones hands are down considerably with this type of system. We agree that this is a feature that every manufacture should look at incorporating into their vehicles.

Inside the Citadel had every extra feature we would’ve wanted, starting with the really cool dual video screens that were incorporated into each of the backs of the front seats, we especially liked the way that they folded down flush with the seat when not in use. Each screen would also work together or independently of one another so there would be no arguing from the back seat as to what to watch. There were also video and HDMI inputs in the sides of each front seat, and of course wireless headphones were standard.

Another great addition were the second row captain’s chairs that tumbled forward and were heated for the times when mom and dad want to take friends out on the town instead of the kids. There is also a center console armrest between the two seats with storage for the rear seats and also included a USB charging port and 12 volt auxiliary power outlet. There were also 2 USB ports for the back seat in the bottom of the front center console and also a 115 volt outlet for running game consoles and such.

There were also of course many great additions to keep mom and dad comfortable up front, since keeping the kids engaged would not be a problem in the rear. Heated and cooled front seats for starters along with the large 8.4 inch touch screen monitor that we love from Dodge. With that came navigation, SirrusXM radio, and the Chrysler Uconnect system. Bluetooth audio and voice commands made hooking up our phones a snap as usual.

A tri-zone climate system is standard and will keep dad, mom and all the kids as happy as can be with no one complaining about how hot or cold it should be on those long family vacations. It seemed the more time that we spent with the Citadel the more it seemed like a mini-van without the stigma of actually being a mini-van.

The Citadel also came standard with things like keyless entry that allowed the driver to open the doors by simply placing a hand behind the handle and locking them with the push of a button on the handle, easy for mom with kids in tow! A remote start made cooling down the vehicle easy before heading out, the rain sensing wipers were awesome in the couple of summer thunder storms we had during the week.

Paddle shifters on the steering wheel will give dad the feeling that he is really in control of how the Durango shifts, although the 8 speed transmission does a great job all by itself. The rotary shifter again took us a day or so to get used to but it is growing on us since Dodge started using it, there really is much more space available on the dash and with it located on the center console it was very easy to access after starting the vehicle with the pushbutton located just above it.

The new Durango Citadel would be a great addition to any family or even to empty nesters like us that just want to ride in comfort and have the ability to leave the pavement and enjoy some of the hard to get places in Utah. See one today at Doug Smith Dodge 523 West Main Street in American Fork, 801-492-1110, Doug Smith Dodge at 1339 North Main in Spanish Fork, 877-629-6450 or Larry H. Miller Dodge 1825 N University Pkwy, Provo, (888) 245-3833.

Base Price: 43,995

Price as Driven: $53,580