Dodge Durango Vs. Ford Explorer

The love affair with SUVs is as strong as ever. With so many entrants into the crossover category, it’s sometimes easy to overlook those built for more rugged use. Are you frequently in the mountains or heading out to go kayaking? Or are you a soccer family that needs room for teammates and gear?

One of the best-selling SUVs in the Dodge line is the Dodge Durango. You might be wondering how this beast of a vehicle compares to a top competitor, such as the Ford Explorer. Read this brief overview as the team at Chris Nikel Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram FIAT in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, compares the two vehicles.

Exterior Features

Dodge Durango by Jason Lawrence is licensed with CC By 2.0

It’s the stripes that’ll get you first. The Dodge Durango lets you add a sleek and stylish look with Mopar stripes over its topcoat, stretching from bumper to bumper over the roof. You can also choose distinctive colors, such as Sterling Silver, Bright Blue, Gunmetal Low Gloss, and Flame Red. 

For family adventures, the Dodge Durango lets you install an available roof rack, which will support 150 pounds, so you can easily haul your bicycles, tents, and other cargo to one of the great camping spots near Broken Arrow. The Durango also comes with a package of trailer technologies that’ll let you tow along the items you need on your journey.

The Ford Explorer is ready for offroad adventure, offering a twin-panel moon roof and features such as a rear liftgate, cargo basket, and rooftop cargo box. You’ll appreciate the front struts and rear shocks for uneven terrain and the 18-inch all-terrain tires. Explorer hybrid or limited hybrid models can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Performance and Powertrain

Dodge refers to the engines in the Durango trim as “the belly of the beast.” Depending on which trim is suitable for you and your family, you can choose from a 5.7-liter, a supercharged 6.2-liter, or a 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 engine. A 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine is also available. 

The top-of-the-line supercharged engine delivers 710 horsepower, 645 lb-ft of torque, and a towing capacity of up to 8,700 pounds. At the lower end, the Pentastar V-6 drives 295 horsepower with 260 lb-ft of torque and has towing capabilities of up to 6,200 pounds. So you can pull anything from a watercraft to a speedboat.

In general, the Durango won’t be a cost-saver at the pump. According to EPA estimates, it gets 19 mpg in city driving and 26 mpg on the highway, for a combined rating of 22 mpg.

The Ford Explorer, described by Car and Driver as a “perfectly adequate vehicle,” comes to the table with a 300-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. You can also opt for a 400-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine. You may lean toward the hybrid version if you’re an ecologically sensitive buyer.

Given the different engine and powertrain configurations, the Explorer has a few different fuel-economy ratings. Its rear-drive hybrid provides up to 27 mpg in city driving and 28 mpg on the highway, while the Platinum hybrid models register in the EPA estimates at 25 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

Interior Comfort and Features

Drivers are at the center of the interior design of the 2023 Dodge Durango. The car offers a driver-centric cockpit with all the technological features you need to focus on driving. The brand has also kept passengers in mind in its design, building enough flexibility to allow for up to 50 different seating configurations.

With three rows of seating, the Durango has room for up to seven. In the third row, you can put the seats down for extra cargo room, keep them both up in a 60/40 split, or have one up and one down based on the needs of your journey. 

The entertainment/information center leverages the UConnect 5 system featuring a high-definition 10.1-inch diagonal touch screen. Connect your cell phone through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to access your most important apps for your journey. 

In the Explorer, the standard display is an 8.0-inch touch screen. You can also link to your cellphone through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The Explorer can also serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot. If you want to go bigger on the screen, consider the optional 10.1-inch vertically oriented screen. Each model offers voice-activated navigation and a rear-seat entertainment system.

The Explorer’s interior offers a standard third row, which allows easy access by moving the second-row seat out of the way. Car and Driver found the rear of the Explorer to be very spacious in tests of how many bags can fit in the vehicle.

Safety and Technology

The Durango matches its high horsepower with plenty of cutting-edge safety technology, including embedded sensors, software, and cameras. For example, you can “cruise with confidence” with adaptive cruise control. The feature lets you select a minimum separation distance between you and the car adjacent to you, slowing when needed to maintain that space.

One of the biggest causes of accidents today is cars that linger in your blind spot. The Durango has you covered with blind-spot monitoring, including rear cross-path detection. Both features have the same purpose: to see areas you can’t see. Blind-spot monitoring and cross-path detection are part of the Dodge Citadel family of security technologies.

The Ford Explorer also offers technology suites to keep you, your passengers, and fellow drivers safe. Standard features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. 

Test the Midsize SUV Market

The Dodge Durango and Ford Explorer offer a mix of comfort, style, and technology for consumers needing more space than a crossover can offer. Let the sales team at Chris Nikel Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram FIAT help you decide. Our dealership serves Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and the surrounding areas with a comprehensive selection of new vehicles from our various brands and an always-changing inventory of used cars. We also support you with financing alternatives and repair and maintenance. Call us or contact us online to learn more.

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