My new Hemi
#14
03-07-2010 | 08:44 PM
Thread Starter
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Grand Champion
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,099
Likes: 5
From: Colorado
Getting on the Hemi is pretty nice. It really moves. It if probably pretty torque controlled to make it smoother for the SUV buying public. Could probably be opened up a lot more, but since it is just the family SUV and we want to get as good of MPG's as possible, I'll leave it alone. Plus, I still have 5 years of factory warranty on it, so can't mess with it too much.
The main thing I noticed about the Hemi's power though is how powerful it is when you aren't on it hard. Cruising through the moutains of Utah and Colorado, over moutain passes steep grades and curves, it really just cruised along effortlessly. In the pickup, i'd be downshifting just to maintain speeds up the steeper passes. The Hemi didn't even break a sweat. The Aspen with the tow package that mine has on it is rated for 9000 lbs of towing. That's more then I would ever need to tow with it, but I have no doubt that it would do it just fine.
I don't mind the ridges on the hood. After looking at the Durango's and the Aspens up close for several weeks now, I think I actually like the Aspen hood and grill a little better. They are basically the same vehicle in everyway other then a few minor sheetmetal changes and interior differences. Everything else is identical between the two. The Aspen is basically a Durango Limited, but with a little higher quality on some of the interior stuff.
I would definetly recommend a Durango or an Aspen if your in the market for an SUV now. Since they where discontinued in 2009, you can't really buy one new anymore, but there are still lots of them out there with really really low miles. We passed on several that had a lot lower miles then the one we bought because we were looking for a certain configuration. If you where not as picky, you could pick one up that is basically new.
This sounds funny, but one nice thing is that the market has not treated the value of them very well after they where discontinued. And it's not due to quality either, as the 2008 has an excellent consumers digest quality report - well above average almost across the board. It's mostly due to the influx of so many car based SUV's into the market in the last 1-2 years (like the Enclave, Acadia, Journey, Traverse, etc...). The truck based SUV is considered old school now, and is looked at poorly when it comes to market value. It is so much more capable then any of those car based SUV's though (at least in the areas I need it to be). So this lower market value is to your advantage if your looking to save money on something you plan to have for a long time. You basically get a nearly new, really nice SUV that is more capable then may of the competitors for less then what you would spend new on one with not nearly as many features. If you are looking for something that you can sell in a year or two though, better get a Honda or a Toyota instead. They hold their value better. We don't plan to sell ours anytime soon though, so it was a win/win for use as far as price was concerned.
The main thing I noticed about the Hemi's power though is how powerful it is when you aren't on it hard. Cruising through the moutains of Utah and Colorado, over moutain passes steep grades and curves, it really just cruised along effortlessly. In the pickup, i'd be downshifting just to maintain speeds up the steeper passes. The Hemi didn't even break a sweat. The Aspen with the tow package that mine has on it is rated for 9000 lbs of towing. That's more then I would ever need to tow with it, but I have no doubt that it would do it just fine.
I don't mind the ridges on the hood. After looking at the Durango's and the Aspens up close for several weeks now, I think I actually like the Aspen hood and grill a little better. They are basically the same vehicle in everyway other then a few minor sheetmetal changes and interior differences. Everything else is identical between the two. The Aspen is basically a Durango Limited, but with a little higher quality on some of the interior stuff.
I would definetly recommend a Durango or an Aspen if your in the market for an SUV now. Since they where discontinued in 2009, you can't really buy one new anymore, but there are still lots of them out there with really really low miles. We passed on several that had a lot lower miles then the one we bought because we were looking for a certain configuration. If you where not as picky, you could pick one up that is basically new.
This sounds funny, but one nice thing is that the market has not treated the value of them very well after they where discontinued. And it's not due to quality either, as the 2008 has an excellent consumers digest quality report - well above average almost across the board. It's mostly due to the influx of so many car based SUV's into the market in the last 1-2 years (like the Enclave, Acadia, Journey, Traverse, etc...). The truck based SUV is considered old school now, and is looked at poorly when it comes to market value. It is so much more capable then any of those car based SUV's though (at least in the areas I need it to be). So this lower market value is to your advantage if your looking to save money on something you plan to have for a long time. You basically get a nearly new, really nice SUV that is more capable then may of the competitors for less then what you would spend new on one with not nearly as many features. If you are looking for something that you can sell in a year or two though, better get a Honda or a Toyota instead. They hold their value better. We don't plan to sell ours anytime soon though, so it was a win/win for use as far as price was concerned.
#15
03-07-2010 | 09:30 PM
Champion
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,831
Likes: 1
From: Miami, Fl
Hey look at the bright side since you went with this instead of a toyota you wont have to worry about it trying to speed up and losing the brakes at the same time.
And it looks clean not a bad buy at all, and a SUV is supposed to be based off a truck not a little car
All that power only means your gonna have to do some work to your motor so its faster
And it looks clean not a bad buy at all, and a SUV is supposed to be based off a truck not a little car
All that power only means your gonna have to do some work to your motor so its faster
#17
03-07-2010 | 11:34 PM
Thread Starter
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Grand Champion
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,099
Likes: 5
From: Colorado
Ya, when the 2nd gen Durango came out, I wasn't a fan either, escpecailly when comparing it to the 1st gens. They grew on me over the years though. I really like them now obviously, or I wouldn't have bought one. Sure beats a minvan any day of the week. I didn't like the new Ram (3rd gen) when it came out either. But those have grown on me too.
