The Dodge Durango used to be a small SUV. It’s gotten bigger. I believe it’s still classified as a mid-size SUV, and it might be the perfect size. It’s easy to get into tight places, like those hairpin forest road curves or the parking spot down at the store. But it holds a heck of a lot more cargo now, and it’ll tow a good-sized boat or camper.
I got to drive the Citadel trim package a few weeks ago, and it spoiled me. It had fancy leather seats, a premium stereo, satellite navigation, rear-seat entertainment system, and a bunch of other creature comforts. But that didn’t keep me from taking it out and getting it dirty.
I loaded up my fishing gear and took it to the mountains. My stack of fishing stuff looked pretty meager in the huge cargo area in the back of the Durango, so I put in a big cooler, too, thinking I might need it if I caught some fish. Even with the cooler, there was still plenty of room.
The fishing spot I’d chosen was at the end of a rocky, nasty forest road, and the wet spring left several pretty good mud holes I couldn’t go around. But the Durango clawed over those rocks and through the mud with ease. I only shifted into four-wheel-drive once, and that was just as a precaution. It made it through even the roughest spot with no trouble.
I’m glad Dodge decided to beef up the Durango. It’s just the right size now. It’s big enough to be very comfortable to drive; you can actually fit in the back seats; and it’s still small enough to be easy to get around in the hills and on the streets.
It might be too comfortable, though. I didn’t want to get out of it once I got to the lake, but I did, and that vented seat was nice to get back to on that hot day.
