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2014 Durango update?

12K views 28 replies 11 participants last post by  oOOOo 
#1 ·
WSJ recently ran an article, and while I couldn't read the whole thing, the part I could see read...

Also on the way: a freshening of the Jeep Grand Cherokee will make its debut at the Detroit auto show in 2013. Later that year, Chrysler will unveil the upgraded 2014 Dodge Durango. He also plans to introduce the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer and the..
So, what are we expecting here? This is pretty much the exact time when I will be seriously looking to purchase. The Durango is pretty much at the top of my current list, but the following (in priority order) would make it a no-brainer for me:

  • 8-Speed Tranny
  • UConnect 8.4
  • White Pearl Paint (not the current police car white)
  • Instrument Display from the new Dart

The last is a long shot, but I would really love to see the option for 6 seats, leaving a pass-through in the second row. (When I e-mailed Dodge this suggestion, they said that they didn't take suggestions from consumers. :ugh)
 
#2 ·
2014 is a long way out, so everything is going to be a guess, unless it is coming from a person who is working on the update.

The rumor is that the 8 speed is going in for the 2013 MY. So wipe that off of the 2014MY update. My best guess is an interior/electronics update, so the 8.4 can be installed. As well as a slight tweeking to the suspention and exterior.
 
#3 ·
The last is a long shot, but I would really love to see the option for 6 seats, leaving a pass-through in the second row.
Oddly, I have stumbled on several sites that state second row captain's chairs as an available option on the 2012 Durango, although I see no way to actually build a Durango with that option on Dodge's site.

Man, once they add the 8-speed, it's going to take a hell of a vehicle to knock the Durango off the top of my list now.

I was also pretty happy to find out that they are working on the next-gen infotainment system, which is said to include "app integration features". Fingers crossed for inclusion in the 2014 Durango!
 
#7 ·
x2, while the two will most likely sit on the same platform, I see the Wagoneer selling for 3 to 5k more then similar Durangos.

Durangos for the price

Jeeps for the luxury
 
#9 ·
Jakino,

I have heard nothing of an SRT8 Durango at the current time but if I do I will post it on this thread.
 
#12 ·
Thought I would keep my thread updated with this news from Milous over at JeepGarage:

The 2014 Durango will launch a few months early, in May of 2013 vs the normal late-July time frame. New features and changes are expected to include refreshed fascias, a refreshed center-stack to accommodate the new 2nd generation 8.4" radio (with and without navigation), and the new 8-speed ZF transmission. Order banks are scheduled to open in April 2013. More information will be posted here on JG as it becomes available.

--Milous
Source
 
#14 ·
I see nothing on the horizon for an SRT8 Durango, especially with the rumored 2016 death of the D. Supposedly, an SRT6 Journey will be in the works.The Wagoneer could be a cool replacement for the D, but it would be really cool if it was a burly behemoth like the original- like a Jeep SUV version of the SVT Raptor :)
 
#15 ·
I see a lot of D's around here where I live... I don't see why they would die out other than this Jeep rumor but idk, sounds fishy.

I wonder if they would keep the same shape, it's not really aerodynamic. If they did make an SRT8, that is.
 
#16 ·
I don't like the new Durangos. The Jeeps are much nicer.

The durango is just plain jane like its brother, the ford explorer. Looks good on the outside but the interior is just too.. blahhh

I hope a new interior refresh is on tap. Tho I can't foresee capt chairs in the 2nd row. Too small inside to house such a setup.
 
#19 ·
I can't foresee capt chairs in the 2nd row. Too small inside to house such a setup.
The 2gen Durango's only had 1.2 and 1.3" more in hip and shoulder room respectively, I think they could do a second row captains chair setup as they did in the 2gens. I have the 2nd row bench seat in my 05 and wished for captains since day 1, but it's not setup properly IMO for that. I think what they are trying NOT to do is create another compromised option. My mother in law drives an 07 GMC Acadia which has the captains chairs in the second row- I think they executed the seats really well in that, an effort I don't think Dodge could compare favorably against. Is a company finally not doing an option just for the sake of having an option?:worthy:
 
#17 ·
I'm not sure why they would kill off the D, but it's coming from the CEO and sounds like it's to get rid of the competition between the Durango and Grand Cherokee, "eliminating redundancies". I say kill the compass(supposed to end in 2014), retool the Liberty (scheduled for 2014), and get rid of the patriot. The spy shots of the 2014 Liberty look like they smashed a Mazda CX and a Nissan Rogue into a little pile of Alfa ugliness.....dislike.
 
#18 ·
I admit the new D's have a big rear end, but the Grand Cherokee is a little tight on rear seat legroom. I haven't been inside the new D's to compare. The big problem is there is nothing out there right now that makes me want to ditch my 05 and dig myself into $40,000 of debt, across the board they are all a bunch of compromises (albeit the true nature of an SUV)
 
#20 ·
Sorry I didn't update my own thread earlier, but a lot of these have already been confirmed. The D started offering 2nd row captains chairs (with or without a center console) in MY2012. Milous over at jeepgarage confirmed the 8.4 UConnect, the 8-speed is all but official, and the digital instrument is still a maybe.

Actually, my big lingering question has now become whether or not the MY2014 Durango or Grand Wagoneer will launch with a diesel option.
 
#22 ·
^Just because they can "fit it" doesn't mean it's practical! I am going to say the seat still folds forward ;)
And props to them for making the 3rd row a two seater vs a 3 seater. 3 seats in the rear = a marketing push but its just not practical either.

End of the day, the Durango is just simply too small.
 
#23 ·
Define "too small".

"Too small" for 6-7 NFL linebackers? Sure.

"Too small" for a couple and their 2 kids with an occasional 2-3 extra passengers along for a ride? Not really.

This is why I will probably buy a brand new Durango Citadel when the 8spd transmission and other updates happen next spring:

Room for 7 passengers.
Good towing capacity when compared to it's competitors.
A good amount of cargo room.
Strong V8.
Good gas mileage (with 8spd).

Sure. I could get a Suburban (their 3rd row seat has the crappiest foot space/seating position ever for a giant passenger vehicle) or an Expedition EL (awesome cabin space...lackluster engine for it's size) if I just wanted/needed a ton of room. However, I'd still be driving a full-size "truck" that handles like a full-size "truck". With the Durango, I think you get a happy median between a large truck based SUV and a small sport based SUV.
 
#25 · (Edited)
I've had a Suburban. 1999 GMC 1500 4-spd auto. Ran it 11 years 120k plus miles. The ride was amazing. As good as or better than a big-ass caddy. Handling was great. My 19 year old would prefer to drive the Sub versus its replacement 2010 MDX Advance. Given that her ride is a Civic 5-spd manual, that says a lot. The visibility in the sub was better than most cars. It nearly drove itself. The MDX and its shorter wheel base requires much more careful attention on the road. Visibility in the MDX is not as good, though the rear-view camera helps a good deal.

But some people (cough, wife, cough) don't do well with full-sized in parking garages. Hence the MDX. Which has it's own virtues.

Not among those virtues is the ability to take loads. I never succeeded in overloading the sub though I certainly attempted to. The MDX, easy to overload. Then it gear-hunts. In its defense, the route between Blacksburg VA and Pittsburgh PA is some pretty tortuous up and down. That stretch, 79/19/77/460, would do well as an acid test of drive train. And brakes. Probably drivers as well.

On the highway, loaded down, the Suburban rules. Country driving, just fine. Tight places, less skilled drivers ... issues.

I seriously looked at re-acquiring a Suburban. Even considered swapping the Dakota for an Avalanche. What stopped me was the government issue interior ... and disconnected price. The only platform variant to put the display where it belongs (top of the stack) was the Escalade. Which, imo, is a chrome bedeviled pimp-mobile. And even more over-priced. So I was looking at modifying a chevy to fix the display issue or modifying an Escalade to re-truck-ify it. Both approaches seemed to involve more time and frustration than I was willing to commit to, and with another suburban I'd still have the too big for parking garage issue. So we still have the MDX and the Dakota.

If the other half decides to swap her Mustang for something she can drive 4 seasons, then I could swap the MDX for something less garage friendly. If they put the 8-speed on the Durango with the hemi, that looks like a candidate. If they put paddle shifters on there, the R/T perhaps, I'll get real interested. Probably not interested enough to say good bye to my Dakota 5-spd! I'd be ok with trading the MDX though...

The Mustang is a sweet ride in its own growly way. A bit more of a chick accessory than I care for, but she likes it. Not gonna push real hard on swapping that out.
 
#26 ·
You had the old school burban.

THe new burban and hoes are junk. Their space management is crap and their build materials are crap. And overall, they don't drive that well. You may consider it, but take it for a looooong test drive.

Heck, even the Jeep Commander, and Ford Expedition drives much better than the burban or hoe.
 
#29 ·
You had the old school burban. ...
Right you are. Barn doors, 44 gallon gas tank. Usually my passengers had to pee several times before I really needed to re-fuel. Though if I waited 'till near empty I'd have the gas pump arbitrarily decide I'd had enough long before the tank was full...

Not sure what size they've got in the new ones. Less than 44 gallons though. They had the sheet metal on the '99 too thin as it was. But I suspect they went thinner. Fuel mileage is a harsh mistress.
 
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