While sedans still rule the road, SUVs are catching up quickly, becoming a dominating force in the automotive market. As more power combines with greater fuel efficiency, there's a lot to love about these outstanding vehicles from just about every manufacturer.
Drivers across Asbury Park, Freehold, Monroe Township and Farmingdale know that when it comes to performance the Dodge Durango and the Ford Explorer are two of the best SUVs on the market today. But which one is the better choice overall? Check out this direct head-to-head competition and overview the Dodge Durango vs Ford Explorer to see which is the better Sport Utility Vehicle. With any questions, feel free to contact us today!
2018 Dodge Durango
The all-new 2018 Dodge Durango is a stunning new SUV. It's built for power and performance, driven by a HEMI engine in its new SRT configuration. It's the most capable vehicle in the Durango lineup and delivers outstanding levels of performance overall. The powertrain puts out 475 horsepower and 470 ft-lb of torque paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission and standard AWD.
It's reported to go from zero to 60 in 4.4 seconds, and has seven different driving mode, so no matter what the weather or environmental conditions, you'll get where you need to go. It handles like a dream and the brakes and springs have been significantly upgraded from prior years. At the SRT level, the brakes come from Brembo, a top-of-the-line manufacturer.
The new Durango gets new styling as well, keeping its truck-like look, but overlaying it with a sleek and sporty exterior that's bound to be eye catching no matter where you go. Again, the SRT level gets an even greater upgrade with a unique wide-body design. Inside, you get high-end upholstery and soft-touch materials that will leave you in the lap of luxury.
Finally, it further improves on the already outstanding cargo and towing capacities in the entire class, with 84.5 cubic feet of total possible storage and towing of up to 8,600 lbs.
New Ford Explorer
The new Ford Explorer, on the other hand, only puts out a maximum of 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, not even close to the high end output of the Durango SLT's HEMI engine. This year it only comes to the table with minor upgrades ahead of a forthcoming redesign cycle. This year, you get a new grille, new fog lights, and the EcoBoost V-6 models get quad exhaust tips.
Inside, you get a 4G LTE hotspot and a few new safety and driver assist technologies, all of which are also available on the Durango via the Uconnect interface and Dodge's own laundry list of safety features and telematics.
There's no doubt that the Ford Explorer is a near-class-leader among midsize SUVs; the problem is that the Durango shoots the entire class forward by light years with its new SRT level, and any manufacturer will have a tough time catching up.
Dodge Durango vs Ford Explorer - Test Drive
If you'd like to check out the awesome power and features of the new 2018 Dodge Durango in the Freehold, Asbury Park, Farmingdale or Monroe Township areas, Freehold Dodge will have them in stock soon. Give us a call to find out when you can stop in for a test drive!
