Driving the SRT Durango: Dodge Finally gets a High Performance SUV

The 2018 Dodge Durango SRT is the high performance SUV we have all been called for since the SRT division became a thing.

At long last, the Dodge Durango SRT has arrived and to get a feel for the long-awaited high performance SUV, I made the trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway to drive it on the road and on the road course of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It did not disappoint.

So, if you live under a rock and didn’t know that there was finally an SRT Durango, this new high performance SUV was introduced a few months back at the Chicago Auto Show. Like the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, the Durango SRT is powered by the 392 cubic inch Hemi, delivering 475 horsepower and 470lb-ft of torque and making this sleek SUV the best performing non-car since the Dodge Ram SRT10.

All of the Durango SRT power is sent through the 8-speed automatic transmission and an active all-wheel drive system, which shifts more or less power to the rear wheels depending on the drive mode chosen. An active suspension system, which is also adjusted via the drive mode system, and a Brembo brake setup are also standard equipment, helping the SRT Durango handle just as well as it accelerates.

Finally, the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT has an aggressive exterior aero package which makes for the sportiest Durango during this modern generation – packing more high performance style than the current Durango R/T. Of course, like all SRT products, the Durango SRT has a loaded interior with leather seats, a leather wrapped dash and a premium UConnect 8.4 infotainment system.

Our test time with the 2018 Durango SRT began at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where we were given the opportunity to push the 475hp SUV to its limits in the safe confines of one of the world’s most iconic race tracks. To be exact, we were testing the SRT Durango on a modified version of the F1 Grand Prix course, with some slightly alterations to avoid some construction being done to the track facility. In total, we had a 2.2 mile road course with 14 turns, a short straight and, of course, the long front straight of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

My drive of the 2018 Durango SRT began as the newest Mopar SUV exited pit road into the first turn of the F1 course. This wide, sweeping turn allowed the Durango to accelerate a bit out of the pits and while doing so, body roll was minimal and understeer – which is a common problem for larger performance vehicles – was nearly non-existent. In fact, when you get too hard into the throttle either in a turn or coming out of a turn, the 475hp Hemi will spin the back wheels and cause a touch of oversteer, with the front wheel traction snapping the vehicle back straight. Turns 2 and 3 were sharper turns, which required me to use more of the Durango’s Brembo brakes and, as you might imagine, the big stoppers had no issue slowing the heavy SUV down in a big hurry.

After a high speed pull around the inside of turns 1 and 2 of the Indy oval, we broke hard and dove into the infield portion of the road course, all the while the Durango SRT shined bright. A series of back and forth turns leading to a short straight showed that the Dodge SRT SUV can hammer through a slalom with impressive stability and when we hit that short straight – the newest Durango quickly got up to big speeds. After another hard braking exercise and a series of tight, lower speed turns, we turned from just inside of the oval’s 4^th turn out onto the front straightaway of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

I slipped through a quick chicane of cones and began my blast down the famous front straight, crossing the brick start/finish line at better than a hundred miles per hour – just in time to break hard to dive back into the sweeping 1^st turn of the road course. The wide tires and track-tuned suspension setup allowed the Durango SRT to carry a ton of speed into that turn and through the short portion of track before the first had turn of the lap.

From there, I continued to zip around the track with the Durango SRT, enjoy every second of the drive as I cut through the corners and cruised down the front straight.

The 2018 Dodge Durango SRT isn’t going to battle supercars on a road course, but after pushing it to its limits on one of the best known tracks in the world, there is no question that this new SRT SUV is the best-handling 3-row SUV in the world while also being the quickest and the fastest. By the way, the Durango SRT will also tow 8,700 pounds under the SAE testing procedure, so while offering the best performance, it also offers the greatest working ability of the 3-row SUV class.

After spending a few hours racing around the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT, I headed out onto the road to see how this high performance SUV handles street use. After all, there is a good chance that far more Durango SRT owners will drive them on the street than those who will go road racing, so it was important for the engineering team to develop a high performance Durango which was still as comfortable for the daily drive as the rest of the Durango lineup.

While we drove the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT around Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Track Mode, we swapped to Sport Mode for the drive around the back roads and highways of central Indiana. Sport Mode softens the shifts a bit and while also offering a slightly more cushioned ride, so while it still offers solid handling, you feel less of the road harshness through the wheels in Sport Mode. This makes the ride far more comfortable while still being a blast to drive, really serving as what I consider to be the ideal mode for the daily drive.

The Durango SRT does have a slightly rougher ride than the Durango R/T, but the difference is slight while the advantages in handling are great, so it is more than a fair trade off. Really, if you are that concerned with ride quality, you should be looking at the R/T model, but if you want a big, 7-passenger vehicle that offers a sporty ride with bogs of power and a long list of premium interior features – the Durango SRT might be your ideal daily driver.

The Durango SRT can easily tow the average race car and trailer to the track, and whether you road race or drag race, the 475hp Dodge SUV can drop the trailer and hit the track with confidence. The exterior appointments of the SRT package make for one great looking performance vehicle and the interior features rival the layout of many luxury vehicles – and you can get all of this in the low $60k range. That isn’t exactly chump change, but for a 12-second SUV that will haul 7 people, tow 8,700lbs and blast around a road course, there is no vehicle on the market which can compete.

After years of Dodge fans clamoring for a proper SRT Durango, it is finally here and it is everything that we have been wanting. It is quick in a straight line, it packs big towing power, it handles remarkably well for a big SUV and it has room for 7 people in a leather-clad cabin. It is basically a big Charger SRT 392 and if nothing else, it is the most interesting 3-row SUV sold in America because it does everything well.

2018 Dodge Durango SRT

2018 Dodge Durango SRT

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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