Hello all,

First of all, I want to apologize if this has been gone over a million times! I'm just wondering how good the AWD system is in the new Durango? I would be comparing it to the Ford Explorer "Intelligent 4WD" or similar competitor SUVs. Or even against "old school 4x4"

Is the AWD Durango any good in snow/ice? It kind of seems to me the Durango has a fairly weak AWD system...I would really prefer something with true 4x4 or 4-wheel-drive.

Thanks!

 

i think the awd system is pretty decent. But when it comes to snow/ice, a lot of that will have to do with your tires. I do have 4-Lo mode, which is pretty nice if i ever needed it.

 

I agree, that it is a well designed system. The system has 100% rear bias and disconnects the front drive completely when not needed and quickly engages when it is. Coupled with the traction control system and stability control system it is very capable on-road and off. There is not a huge amount of ground clearance, but where I live, there are a lot of farms and most roads are not paved and the DD handles them very well. We also had snow measured in feet last year and we made it easily.

No mechanical or computer system can help you if you do not have decent tires. The OEM Forteras manufactured special for Chrysler wore out quickly and were quite noisy near the end of their life (only 30k miles). The retail versions that we replaced them with are quite grippy, but do not produce a large amount of road noise and after nearly another 30k miles are not even half worn.

 

No complaints after the snow and packed icy roads here the last few days. I also drive up to the mountains often and she does just fine. I have Yokohama parada spec-x tires.

 

I am very pleased with my 2012 AWD v6 performance on snow and ice. When new the Forteras and AWD system made it nearly impossible to lose traction. Now at 38,000 miles there still appears to be decent tread left, but i have noticed some hydroplaning and may replace the tires if they aren't predictable in the snow.

I'm in WI so we get plenty of snow. Ground clearance ends up being the problem. The front is pretty low. Same for off roading. I'm developing a property and have driven the D through a ditch and cornfield a few times. The AWD system does a fine job of using the brakes to stop wheelspin on whatever wheel is off the ground. My bigger fear is damaging the airdam.

I've even pulled a trailer full of rocks through a ditch and cornfield. No problem.

Steve

 

The D's standard AWD system is decent, but not any better than the other electronic AWD systems you'll find in other car based SUVs (Explorer, etc.). If you have the Low Range option, that's a different story as it locks the differentials and can give you some serious capability in anything you have ground clearance for.

 

Here is a good write up, old (2011 or 2012) but I doubt the system has changed much.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...urango#slide-1

 

Great article. This says all the reasons why I bought my D. And I live in the land of Mercedes SUVs which makes it feel even sweeter ;-)

 

Thanks for all the replies! I was concerned because it doesn't seem like something Chrysler really advertises much; unlike the systems they use in Jeep...and I kind of read online that some of these AWD crossover/SUVs aren't nearly as good as regular 4x4.

Is the AWD in Durango the same they use in the Journey and Charger? I'm a little confused about how it works also, you said it has 100% rear bias, does that mean it's rear-wheel drive until it detects a slip and then the front engages?

I'm mainly concerned about snow packed roads and snow packed hills. I work the night shift and it seems I ALWAYS get stuck at work because the roads haven't been plowed yet....then I live on a hill, and going down a snowy hill can be quite the feat with a row of cars in front of you...So I'd like something that's very good in snowy weather.

 

Gen1 Durango > Gen3 Durango when it comes to snow handling.

with better snow/all terrain tires and a bit of a lift makes a world of difference.
After the lift we had put on and the bfg T/a ko2 tires i can now go offroad where i used to be able to go in my gen1. Pretty pleased with the awd system