Thinking of looking for a leftover 2011 given the extra incentives. Besides the 6spd auto for th 12' hemi, were there any other changes?

1) Towing capacity. I see the 6 is 6200 and the 8 is 7400. I am towing a 5000lb boat/trailer. Does the durango tow rating go down as one adds passengers? I know other SUVs like the MDX, XC90, as you add passengers, the max towing rating drops. What is the durango's tow rating for the 6 and 8 with 4 occupants and 6 occupants?

2) Anybody here towing 5000lbs with a 6? Will the 6 be up to the job? I'd spring for the hemi, but just wish it got a little better gas mileage as this durango would be my wife's daily driver.

3) Are you 6 owners happy with your acceleration and highway passing performance?

4) I live in FL and don't think I need AWD. BUT, at boat ramps, does the RWD have a limited slip or will the stability control help me on slippery ramps? I don't want to be one of those people that leave's half my tread drifting away in the wind trying to pull the boat out.

5) Any serious flaws/issues come out in this first year so far on either model?

Thanks!

 

Looking for the same answers. Going to check out 2012 Durango upcoming weekend and purchasing shortly after New Year. Towing around 5K too with Acura MDX right now and want to move for something more assuring.

Anybody?

 

Hi happyfirst, I think people are reluctant to answer your generic questions that have already been asked and answered and it sounds like you have not even test drove one yet. Go drive one then come back with your technical questions.

6 speed auto - No, it's not. It's still a five speed.
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...w-6-speed.html

Yes There were some changes for different modes and prices and materials. If you list what model and options you are looking at I'm sure someone will be happy to answer you.

#2 - Towing. These are so new there are not many of us that have put it to the test (yet)
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...-thoughts.html

#3 - That is pretty objective. Yes, my wife is happy with the 6's power but we never even tried the Hemi. Go test drive one or two or five and see for yourself. You may have a completely different experience then we did.
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/3rd-gen...-v6-or-v8.html

#5 - No serous problems, just something here and there for a few people.

There is a lot of info on this forum. Just sit back and do a couple days worth or reading. Or do a search and get to your info quicker, I did to get the links for the above questions.

 

I just bought a 2012 Citadel for my wife last Friday, so we haven't even had it a week. But prior to making the decision, reliability was a big concern. We were looking at the Acadia, Enclave and Explorer and after reading the JD Powers initial quality results on the 2011, especially considering it was the first model year for the Durango, those concerns were put to rest. I was really amazed how well the Durango scored, and how poorly the GM and Ford products scored. It sealed the deal for us.

As far as performance, well, that's subjective. The 6 isn't going to win drag races, but it gets around just fine. My wife thinks it has plenty of power, and we didn't want to mpg sacrifice that came with the Hemi.

 

You made a smart choice...this is my first Dodge vehicle so far no problems, my D has 5k miles. I would have taken the V6 but there wasn't any to test drive and available at the time of my purchase. Well congrats on the new whip!

 

A whopping 332 posts in the 3rd gen durango forum, you yourself only 25 posts, and I'm already accused of asked a generic question that's been answered before already. I disagree that there is a lot of info on this forum, regarding the latest durango model.
I did try search. I have browsed many pages of this forum. I HAVE DRIVEN ONE. Have I test driven one with my boat yet? NO. Have I driven one for hours on a highway and passed cars. NO. Not yet.
First off, thanks for the 5 vs 6 speed link. Interesting read. I had skipped over it during my initial browsing of the site. Although I had not asked any question in that regard, I had just pointed out that that was my understanding of the only major difference between '11 and '12. Whether or not it's really 6 speed or not or worth it, again, not asking any question, but that is for a continued debate in that other thread.
My questions:
1) This is a valid question and I don't see this answered anywhere. A lot of people are amazed when I tell them their SUV has "fine print" regarding max towing limits on car/crossover/nontruck based SUVs. I think this is based on max GVWR. A lot of times, there's a table indicating what the max tow rating is based on the occupants of the car. I have just now found an '11 durango owner's manual online and it does NOT HAVE any towing table based on occupants. Just the one table stating the 6200lb and 7200lb maxes. I just want to make sure that no current owners haven't found or been told of any fine print saying that the max tow rating is less with 7 occupants in the car. At some point I think you exceeed GVWR.
I've done further research since I couldn't find the answers here.
While durango doesn't include a towing chart with occupants, I guess I've figured this out manually from the owners manual. Durango 6 GCWR=11600lbs - Curb weight (4756) - Max Tow (6200) = 644 lbs left for fuel and occupants. So technically, the 6 can't tow 6200 with 7 occupants unless 6 of them are small kids. Interestingly, the hemi has both 1000lbs extra towing BUT an extra 1500lbs of GCWR. So that's an extra 500lbs for durango gear.
In my case, my boat/trailer fully loaded is probably close to 5300lbs, so I have 1544lbs left for fuel, occupants and gear.
Real world, most people tow and just don't care about tow ratings. If they can get a hitch on, they just go for it. I want to tow safely.
One interestingly note in the durango manual does state the MANDATORY need for a weight distributing hitch above 3500lbs trailered weight. Has anybody here done that for their 3500+lb boats? This would be new to me. I don't have one right now and everything seems fine with our current tow vehicle.

2) Anybody towing with 5000lbs. Well, the post you linked too (that I had already read) , nobody is towing 5000+ in there with RWD.
3) I was simply looking for more input specifically about acceleration and passing. Half the thread you linked to, that I had already read, they talked about towing.
4) Still haven't found an answer if "stability control" will handle RWD wheel slippage on a boat ramp or is more about preventing a rollover at highway speeds. I haven't read any comments from people pulling their boats out with just RWD. Sure, every ramp is different, but I just really want to know if I go RWD, is there some kind of traction control that will work on a slippery boat ramp.

Hey, at least I didn't ask the typical "what's your gas mileage?" question that inevitably pops up once a month. I already found that thread and read it.

 

happyfirst,
Sorry to disappoint / annoy you, this is all the info we have for a vehicle that has been available for 9 months. Also, sorry I don't have more posts. I will work on that.

Sounds like you need the Hemi. I think there is a 200lb different tow ratting for Hemi RWD vs AWD. Will you ever drive up a hill with the boat or just stay in FL? I have only towed my 1500lb utility trailer (empty) with the Durango. I have a Diesel pickup with a class V hitch when I have something serious to pull.

Maybe you could rent one from Hertz or something and get some good seat time. It probably would not have a hitch. We were going to do this but ended up buying one right before our vacation so we ended up renting a Nissan Sentra and had a Durango in the garage back home with 250 miles on it. Almost wish we would have drove instead of fly, almost.

 

I have an Express V-6 with 16,000 miles an towing is pretty good. The big factors for towing are wheelbase (which is long on the D) and weight which is around 5,000 lbs. I had a chevy trailblazer with a six and it could tow 6,000# and the D Feels more confident on the the towing driving feel especially with the anti sway control which is big if you are towing a heavy and long load. I also had a 98 Jeep GR Cherokee V8 that could tow 6,500# and the V-8 was about on par with the new V-6 and like the D it was a uni-body.

 

Based on weights, the 6 will do, and deep down I want the 6, but I'm only doing this if I can find a left over 11 that she likes because of the extra incentives and financing available on the '11 and it seems like most leftovers are 8.

LOL, most owners don't read their manuals, and here I am, believe it or not, reading an 11 manual I found online trying to find answers. I did find that the durango has a brake assisted traction control system.

I found what the tow/haul button is I saw on some models but the info was limited. I guess this just changes trannsmission programming?

At 65, what rpms are the 6 and 8 turning? I really hope that if I get lucky and find a 6, that it can tow 5300lbs with 4 occupants at 65 without constantly shifting gears.

 

Look at page 350-352 of the 2011 owner's manual for tow/haul

At 65mph my 5.7L V8 D holds around 1800rpms. With regard to towing, every additional occupant and pound of cargo will reduce your total available tow capacity.