Those vehicles are priced much higher than a comparably equipped D. Have you seen the price of a new expedition or tahoe lately
At the NY auto show they had a decently equipped tahoe for $50k and an LTZ for almost $65K
Dont forget back massaging seats!
What would you pay for a D with all those extras?
At some point and probably the reason for it's possible fade out in 2018 or so THE DURANGO will cost too much for it's marketed Genre. If you want all those extra things you can go get them...elsewhere.
Just think back why you chose the Durango. Its a lot of bang for the buck and to keep selling Durangos they need to be well optioned but not way too overpriced or they just wont sell
STEVE

 

Again, that's why they are options. Choose the ones that keep it in your price range. That is why not all Rams/Jeeps have 4 corner air, but you can if you want it and can afford it!


Yes, I know what they cost, my other vehicle is a base model (LS) Suburban. I got the base model because I wanted the 40/20/40 front seat, and you cannot get it in an LTZ, Denali, or Escalade. It cost less than my fully loaded Durango, but still has 4 of the basic options I'm asking for. Would I trade these 4 basic options for the Adaptive cruise in the Durango, NO! But I wish I could have at least opted for some of the other features also. I would have gladly paid for them, if they are the same price as I see on the option sheet of other Crysler products (specifically the RAM, $50 for 3.92 gear option, Heck yah I'll take it)


Actually, one of the options it has was not on my list, which reminds me Doge Cares:


8. Again, not a deal breaker, but I would like a 4 position 4wd switch in my new 2017 Durango (Auto/AWD, 4wd high, 4wd low, and 2wd).


Yes, I like being able to put my suburban in 2wd and spin the rear tires from time to time, I'm 41 but the kid in me comes out sometimes I guess.

 

I agree with #8 for sure
I think that was all manufacturers cutting cost with these limited transfer cases. My Gen 1 Durango had that and I loved it.
STEVE

 

I miss the days when you could actually pick every single option you wanted instead of having the packages they do have today.
There are very few basic vehicles out there day. Most of them come with PS, PB, air, power windows, power locks, power seats, AM/FM stereo/CD/etc. and a host of other stuff we didn't even know existed back in the day. Take away all of those goodies and the price will drop about $10K or so -- but of course nobody would buy them either. Luxury has become standard equipment.

 

As long we're sending a memo to Dodge on what to improve on the next D:

- Tailgate lock: Maybe this was fixed in 14, but my '12 Durango has an annoying quick. I love that it I don't need to take my keys out of my pocket for the front doors. So why doesn't the tailgate work the same way? While you are at it, the ford hands free foot wave thing is pretty cool.
- This is probably not possible, but fitting a 4x8' sheet of lumber in the back would be nice. GMC Acadia does it.
- Speaking of the Acadia, the tailgate located stereo controls are a pretty cool idea for tailgate parties.
- Power! More power! How about a turbo on the 6? Supercharger?
- All time AWD? Could you eke a few more MPG out of this thing by manually switching to 2wd when AWD is not needed (which is what, 90% percent of the time for most of us?)
- Exterior design: I like the window design of the Jeep version better... looks cleaner with out the pillars between windows. Chrome trim looks nice too.
- Wheels: The stock wheel designs in 2012 kinda sucked. You can do better. Oh, and aside from ugly design, mine are chipping and peeling at 30,000 miles.
- Badging: Again, I'm at 30,000 miles and the badging is turning green and pitting. You guys live in Michigan, right? I would think you can figure out the effects of salt. Ditto for the chrome piece on the tailgate. Mine's already rusting.

 

Steve,
Great points, might as well get it 100% right this go around. Its a great platform, and in the spirit of baseball season I would say the current model is a triple, which is very good, but if they take our suggestions the 2017 could be a home run. Or at least would have the options available for you to create a home run, if you wanted to pay for them.


I disagree with your comments about the wheels though, I like the factory wheel designs. Although after seeing another post with pictures of 10" wide wheels this morning I definitely think the factory wheels need to be wider now, especially in the back!

 

I know this is the Durango forum....but since we are talking about the future of our mother lol, am I the only person who loves the new look of the Charger??

I know many people say Dart blah blah blah(which I think is a good looking car especially when optioned right) but I feel it more closely harkens back to the Chargers of 1968-71 with the front end(i know no hidden lamps but has that rectangular shape to it) and the rear reminds me more of Viper than Dart especially with the ducktail.

I can't wait to see it in person and think this may be our next car.(lowered, exhaust, Hemi of course.....)


Chris

 

I don't like the "bird of prey" (dodges term not mine) nose they gave it. but I think they have nailed the Challenger....

 

The Challenger is spot on!! However I think I still need a 4 door...

 

Back in the late 90s early 2000s, Pontiac was a performance brand and stood out within the company and in the market. The Firebird had exclusive models that the Camaro didn't giving it the nod as being superior. The 97-03 Grand Prix had the supercharged 3800 (240hp for GTP, 260 for GTX) which wasn't available on the Impala/Monte Carlo the only one more powerful was the REGAL GSX. The Grand Am in all its cladding overkill had the 3.4L when the dull Malibu only had the 3.1L. GM killed this around the time that they killed the Firebird. Pontiac was without an iconic performance model save for the Grand Prix which was not enough. They made this worse by making the hideous Aztek and offering the same lame powertrain as their minivans. They finally after a year hiatus they added the GTO, but they only made the top of the line model with no entry level model which prevented many from being able to afford it, not to mention that it looked nothing like the original GTO. Had they labeled this as the Grand Prix coupe with a full line of models and made the top of the line version V8 the Grand Prix GTO, it might have worked. The 2004-2008 Grand Prix started off strong with being the only model to get the 260 hp series III 3800 and getting the 5.3L V8, but by the time that the 2006 Impala/Monte Carlo came out this advantage was lost as the Impala/Monte Carlo had the same powertrain. The G6 had to share its 3.6 & 6-speed tranny combo with both the Malibu and the Aura leaving it not to stand out there either. The real problem began when they released the G5 but wouldn't give it a performance model like they would the Cobalt. That was the writing on the wall that Pontiac's performance was no longer the priority. Having a Camaro concept and having no Firebird concept was the writing on the wall. The Camaro was one of many of cars and it always played second fiddle to the Corvette, the Firebird was Pontiacs iconic car. The elmination of the Grand Prix was a very big mistake as it still sold anywhere from 100-150K per year, the replacement with the G8 was a mistake. The G8 appealed to a very different audience and it was too little, too late in reviving their brand image. It sold horribly in comparison to the Charger and the 300. Had the G8 been the Bonneville replacement, this might have worked.

What is going on with Dodge while I don't like the separation of Ram from Dodge, killing the Grand Caravan, or the non-replacement of the Avenger, Dodge is getting back to what it is supposed to be. An SRT version of the Dart makes perfect sense and will be a compliment to Dodge and the SRT badge IF done correctly (WRX STi competitor). Don't forget that one of the first SRTs was the Neon and it was a good move. The SRT Journey I want to wait and see what they are going to do with it. I'm glad that the Durango is going to continue. In my view, this and what GM did to Pontiac are exact opposites. Chrysler is the brand that is losing its identity. They just need to call it Plymouth and be done with it.