My 98, 5.2l Durango just turned 356,000 and it is time to replace. I intend to wait for the 2012 hoping that the V8 will be offered on the Express or Heat with the towing option being offered on the Heat.

That being said, I tow a Ski Nautique (trailer & boat approx 3400 lbs) Can anyone comment (hands on) on the towing performance of the V6, ideally comparing with my 98, 5.2l.

Thanks All - Charlie

 

I have a 2011 Durango Crew AWD V-6 with only 1300 miles so far. I have towed my Ranger Reata 1850 fish and ski - weight about 3600 to 3800 pounds. The vehicle did a nice job with the tow on highway and around town. My wife pulled the boat out of water and commented that it was much smoother and with less effort that our previous tow vehicle (GMC Envoy). The ride with the boat/trailer attached was smooth and ride was better than with Envoy. So, the V-6 is a very capable engine and the Durango is a very capable tow vehicle. I have no regrets on purchasing this vehicle. A very nice upgrade from previous vehicle. I have the backup camera feature and it is simply awesome when connecting to trailer. - lines up perfectly each time. A must have if you plan to tow.

 

Good miles out of that 98 falcon_o.

Great response thread for post #1 GDM. Outstanding!

Sounds like you can't go wrong falcon_o on either engine for your specific needs.

IndyD

 

One more aspect of the towing with new Durango is the owners manual indicates not to tow a thing for the first 500 miles and limit the speed of vehicle and not do hard starts when towing for the next 500 miles. I was able to achieve the 500 miles easily before taking boat out for first time with my Durango. My dealer said that towing from the get go was OK...I prefer to follow the owners manual on this stuff.