I feel like a car becomes timeless when discontinued, so yes

 

I look at the "Ram" and see it has nixed the Dodge moniker. The Dart is pretty much a failure. The Dodge van will be scrubbed and absorbed into the Town and Country. Doesn't leave a lot, but if Dodge could stay alive with the SRT series, Charger, Challenger and Durango, it would be a designer brand for the parent company. Regardless, I'll get another Durango. This thing is such a great blend of hot-rod, truck, luxo-comfort hauler and tour bus, that I really don't see anything else that competes. Most other SUV's are "mommy wagons" in comparison.

 

Mr. Kuniskis is only speaking about Dodge brand as a whole and does not mention the Durango at all. If anything this just adds to the speculation regarding the demise of the Durango as a nameplate since he had the opportunity to mention it specifically and still chose to dance around it.

I am not sure what you mean by 'halo', but if you are suggesting that the R/T the flagship of the Citadel, I believe you are confusing it with the Citadel. That being said, the Citadel does in fact come standard with the lauded V6 and the overall consensus amongst industry reviews has actually preferred and recommended the V6 as opposed to the Hemi unless towing is the primary focus and/or need.

IMHO the primary issue that Fiat/Chrysler is dealing with is the stereotypes associated with Dodge. Fair or not, the success of a vehicle is based on unit sales and profit margin - a vehicle can check all the proverbial boxes but if it's not doing those things well than the powers that be will investigate ways to fix that. The recently strong sales numbers will go a long way to help keep the Durango around, but based on the savings people on this forum have discussed when they bought their D's new just reiterates the fact that the Durango (in its current form) just isn't a home run in the eyes of the executives. They want people to be willing to pay near sticker for their vehicles. As good as the D is, its the Dodge brand that maybe holding it back at this point.

That being said, I am still planning on purchasing a D in the very near future and irony of the fact that I am now waiting for the next batch of incentives to be announced has not been lost on me

 

Sorry but this makes no sense....the folks on here a celebrating getting 4k to 6k off the MSRP of a 2014 Durango when getting 8k to 14k off of MSRP on a Tahoe, Yukon or Grand Cherokee is commonplace????

 

It's odd that you took the liberty to decide which vehicles I consider home runs...For the record I was not thinking of any of the three vehicles you mentioned. That being said, when a Tahoe's starting price is nearly $15k higher than the durango's...it is tough to compare the selling prices (compared to MSRP) of them in straight $ figures. But I digress...

 

Actually last I spoke to some execs @ Dodge they are very Happy with the D and it's latest sales figures. There is no definite end to the Durango although it may take on a new look and role in the lineup. Nothing is set in stone.
The execs are excited to see Folks like Us grasping the concept and making it there own.
I am looking forward to a possible plant tour this year.
STEVE

 

You gonna invite the rest of us to join you? :-)

 

I believe Sergio said it was going to die. Grand Wagoner is coming and that will be the new 3 row SUV for Chrysler. Chrysler is trying to get away from brands and vehicles that compete with each other.

It has nothing to do with this "there's less time to build JGCs if we have the Durango." It has everything to do with the fact that if they bring about a Grand Wagoner, the Durango will compete directly with it. Automakers are in the consolidation phase right now and trying to go big with less of a vehicle portfolio. And, IMO, that's the right thing to do. It means that they don't have to hold anything back in their design of the cars. Kinda like GM with their Chevy and Olds brands. The Chevy got the bare minimum and the Olds were basically the same cars with a few extras thrown in to make them nicer. The right thing to do was to kill one and stop holding back on the other. I think we saw a little of that with the 2014 Durango as they finally started uping the game when it came to the interior luxuries and all the other goodies that were previously only available on the JGCs. Although a diesel option is still being held back from the Durango for whatever reason.

The Dodges as a whole right now are heavily discounted. A new Charger is getting about $3250 in cash incentives in Michigan and the great lakes region right now. Even though Chrysler's numbers as a whole were very good, the Dodge brand sales slipped.

I would expect a completely revamped profile in the coming years that includes Dodge focusing more on performance and less on the basic cars they have now. They'll likely consist of the new Cuda, Challenger, and Charger with SRT options available with a decision to me made about the Dart. I imagine they'll get rid of the Journey, Caravan, and Avenger. The deciding factor on the Durango will be what direction they want to go and if they want to keep an SUV in that portfolio or turn the SUVs over to Jeep exclusively.

I purchased a 2014 Durango RT and I would do it again. I love the car. I'm not worried about it being discontinued as parts will be readily available for a long time to come. That would be my only concern. Also, resale doesn't necessarily take as big of a hit as one may think. Many times, people's eyes are opened to something after it's already gone and the only way to get one if wanted is to get it used. The Pontiac G8 and Solstice is an excellent example of this.

I am excited to see what Dodge has in store for the future as I'll have my eye on a Charger in a year or two.

 

I would ABSOLUTELY purchase the Durango again regardless of whether or not it continues. The body lines are stunning and with the right mix of relatively low cost mods it becomes a Charger Family Hauler.

I've added the Flowmasters, Diablo Tune, Mopar CAI, Shark Fin, Aluminum Pedals, Tint and some subtle graphics.

This year, Black Viper Reps are going on, along with a Hemifever tune and self-customized engine cover. Maybe even those sweet black chrome 4" tips that Wash Man just posted on.

I take my truck to car shows, get a ton of looks and find it to be an absolute blast to drive. I've owned more expensive vehicles (Audi's/Jag/Volvo/Saab/Cadillac) but I would be hard pressed to say I've owned a better vehicle.

This one's a keeper as far as I can see.

 

Frank you will have to join us for some meets this year. A bunch of us do a couple a year even a garage day at my house and your close by
STEVE