WIFE one day said,"I want new car, really a SUV (dunno why, never owned one before) with a 3rd seat". RESULT:found Durango had best size & value available in '98 with that feature (seat fold-away the 'slickest' of all). Above that was great looks, surprisingly good feel and quietness; turned 'on a dime'; Dodge offered special options we wanted w/o having to buy unwanted items that others only grouped in some mandatory, pricey package. Dealer happily accomodated the "$100.00 over invoice" set-up purchase thru our credit union. A nice MOPAR touch if you special order vs. taking from dealer stock is the window sticker will state in large bold print, " This Durango has been specially made for (you name).. etc".

The Goodyear 31-10.5 x 15 R/T tires (only tire available then with the upgraded wheel package). Terrible wet traction with this tread & compound design plus can't stop uneven tread wear (translates into increased interior road noise not heard earlier). Delayed-off headlights and remote,flip-out rear windows were desired but not available.

RELIABILITY: Contrary to some other comments read here, this Durango left the dealer April 1998, is now a tick away from 30,000 miles and IT HASN"T BEEN BACK since. Its first warranty trip is soon planned before "3/36" ends for two minor problems: headliner has a sag near one rear window; a tiny coolant leak seen at thermostat housing gasket.
MPG: Hey, it weighs over 2 tons; don't expect miracles! Don't buy one with the towing pkg (3.91 gears vs. 3.31 std)if you ain't gonna tow. Wife mostly commutes our 5.9 and computer says we avg a bit over 14mpg (17 mpg when checking hwy cruising).
OTHER: no rattles or squeaks heard in or out; very satisfying are the 'gas pedal' feel, the Infinity sound system, and smoothness (which lately diminished somewhat from 'nobby' tire situation occurring as noted before). The smoothest & easiest vehicle I've ever washed & polished (body & trim don't snag wash&dry cloths; don't leave bloody scrapes to back of hands)

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We extensively examined & road tested all brands with 3rd seat:
Big MITSU MONTERO - demo had noisy trans; sluggish acceleration feel; had to buy a Lux pkg (leather, wood trim, etc, just to get the best radio.
FORD EXPEDITION/CHEV SURBURBAN: just too big (and too expensive) just for a 3rd seat.
TOYOTA LC - didn't get past the window sticker!

-Love the looks
-Love the power
-Love the attention it gets
-Like the leather seats and sound system
-Love the sounds the engine makes, get V8 rumble

-Hate the power windows (they usually dont work)
-Had a major problem with the rear axle, had to get a new one
-Tires are a little too small

I have loved this SUV from the day i drove it into the garage. I have had absolutley no complaints until about a month ago. The axle had to be replace. I found this wasnt very common. I still take a few hours out of every night and just stare at this SUV and think of how lucky I am to own one.

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Explorer-way too small and not enough hp
Grand Cherokee-not enough off-raod capabilities

Looks (*****), V8 (4.7L ***), 4-door, 4x4 (AWD/4HI/4LO), stereo/CD (Infinity), interior room (****), mid-size truck

windshield wipers keep freezing up - need to get winter blades (hope that helps), windshield interior fogs/freezes -- anti-fog seems to have helped, windows freeze shut until the sun warms them or I 'help' them open, tough to clean the top w/o a foot stool (okay, impossible *GRIN*)

I love my truck so far, only minor annoyances that I should be able to remedy w/o a lot of time/$. < 500 miles on it so far, so not much experience at this point.

I was in the market for a V8-powered 4x4 SUV/truck with 4 doors that wasn't too big (aka Suburban/Excursion) in which to get around town or too small (aka Ranger, S-10) for long trips with full-size adults. Either the Dakota or Durango would have worked but the Durango had a better stereo system ;) more interior room and looked way cooler.

If I was more concerned with mileage I would have stayed with a V6 or even gone with a 4-door Ranger/S-10 type truck. However, if that were the case, a 4x4 SUV wouldn't have been the proper choice to begin with.

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Excursion -- WAY too big
Dodge Ram -- not enough room
Ranger -- no power, too small

Looks great.....except for rust. Nice ride, good towing (boat/trailer) even on incline. High enough for driving in snow. We were tickled with it the first year!!!

The three R's...........RUST, Rotors and Repairs! PLEASE READ BELOW TO FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE RUST UNDER YOUR WINDOW MOLDINGS......SIMPLE TO CHECK, WILL SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OF $$$$$$$$$.

We purchased a 98 Durango in Sept. of 98.....brand new! Loved the looks and the power!! Really Cool SUV!!!!!

They recalled the gas tank clamps.....ok, no big deal.

There was a grinding noise in the front end, which was serviced around 18,000 miles (ball-joints) .....at 25,000 miles we still hear it periodically, but everytime we take it to be serviced, Pompey Dodge doesnt hear it. (It sounds like your driving on invisible rumble strips!)

Our brakes squealed since around 20,000 miles. My husband purchased new brakes.....at 27,000, they were squealing so bad it was embarrassing! So we purchased non-squealing brakes ($100.00) and had the rotors cut. So far that is good....27,001 miles.

We have that "pinging and knocking" sound on high rpms....Dodge doesn't hear that one either.

MOST IMPORTANTLY.....WE HAVE RUST!!!! My husband has worked in the Auto Body Repair industry for over 20 years. He never expected to see rust on a $30,000 truck in less that 2 and 1/2 years, but it is happening. Please check your 98 and 99 Durangos....it will only take 5 minutes of your time and can save you THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!! It is very hard to see on the darker paints, luckily we have a white one. I am trying to warn everyone!

Roll your window all the way down......thats only if they WORK (lol)! Grip the black plastic molding with your fingers and pull up starting at one of the corners. It should come up fairly easily, with some resistance.
Take it only half the way or 3/4's the way off....that way its easier to get back on. If the underneath is discolored or bubbly looking....you have CANCER/RUST. There is a sheet metal piece underneath that is rusting and spreading to your door panels....this damage is un-fixable without getting NEW DOOR PANELS!!!! Dodge started replacing this piece with plastic after 2000.....they KNEW they had a problem......did YOU? To replace the molding, just push it back on, its as simple as that!

If you have rust...it cannot be permanently repaired if it has reached your door panels, the door panels MUST be replaced to keep the rust from coming back. You can call ANY Auto-Body Repair Shop listed in your yellow pages...ask them if they guarantee RUST WORK.....they will tell you NO. They know it will come back, probably just as your warranty expires. We are still fighting to have our door panels replaced (under warranty), and Dodge just wants to "patch" the problem. Do not accept this as "FIXED", trust us, or call your local auto body shop.......cancer of your car, is like cancer of your body, unless it is TOTALLY removed, there are just treatments, and no CURE!

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Chevy S-10 Sierra Pkg, Club Cab. We sold our 90 to purchase our 98 Durango. Wish we had it back!!

the only strength is for the dealers and after you fed up with them the local mech. who has a smile and a cup of coffee for you when you walk tru his door now he can retire on you

not one strong point

had the front end replaced, parts not what dealer specked for the suv had to wait 4 days to match parts, replace oil pump given the reason used quaker state oil in the 318's oil crystalizes dealer states DODGE knows of problem but will not notify owners, trans went, truck will not go in reverse in 4wheel drive ,lites quit working, wears out tires like mad, can't pass a gas station, replaced 3 batteries, paint chipping off,antifreeze congeals, oil must be repaced at exactly 3000 miles burnt,brakes wear out every 12000 miles the list goes on and on the only thing not repaced in drive trian is the rear. the money pit of transportion

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can not compare to Ford or Chevy will never buy chrysler product again

I like all of the things that everyone else seems to appreciate about the Durango. It's good-looking, powerful and comfortable. I have enough $$$, but there isn't another vehicle that I'd prefer to drive, except that......

Unfortunately, cars made in America tend to be a risky purchase. It is a fact. I wish it weren't, but it is. I've had major problems with the rear differential (replaced) at 36k miles.....now, at 56k, the same damn thing has gone wrong with the truck. Like many others, this truck has mostly highway miles with the occaisional 4wd use on ski trips to the Sierras...nothing major. There is absolutely no reason other than shoddy craftsmanship for this vehicle to have this type of major problem TWICE inside of 60k easy miles....I really would like to keep the Durango, or get another (for the style), but I cannot take the risk a second time. Screw me once, shame on you. Screw me twice, shame on me. I'm going for the BMW, even though it looks like a tall car....I know that it will give me what I pay for. The plastic interior of the Durango is a (bad) joke and an insult to the buyer, IMO.

I am torn. I love the truck but I (and many, many others) have obviously been ripped off by poor quality....

Your chances of getting a good quality vehicle for your $$ should be better than the 50/50 that the Durango represents!!!

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Nissan, BMW. Not well, mechanically.

1. Style (beautiful in both design and functionality)
2. Power (is as powerful as it looks, and engine is easily modified)
3. Mobility (if it can tow over 3 1/2 tons, imagine the hills it'll climb!)
4. Ride (not a squishy car chassis - a real truck SUV)
5. Versatility (that third row seat couldn't have been better designed)

None so far. I don't consider gas mileage a weakness since it is an SUV.

I've been wanting a Durango since I first saw one - love at first sight. The R/T (Road and Track) model is the way to go. The exhaust sounds great, the tuned shocks and heavier sway bar give a great ride (remember - it's a true SUV - built on a TRUCK chassis), and the two-tone leather interior is awesome. The R/T also has 17 X 9 inch wheels and performance tires which look and perform great. The full time electronic transfer case is great (AWD), no locking hubs or fighting with a shift lever. Even better is the fact that the computer will not let you shift incorrectly (at too high a speed, for example), it will flash an LED until you meet the required conditions. The 5.9L Magnum V8 is astonishing. It will jerk all 4860 pounds around like a rag doll (this is a good thing :-) I tried to spin the tires on a slick wet road from a dead stop going uphill, it took off just like it was on dry pavement - can't beat all-wheel drive.

The driver and passenger, as well as the rear occupants, can all have their own independent temperature settings, although this is kind of like having a smoking and non-smoking area in a one-room restaurant. The tow package is great, even if you don't plan on towing (it tows over 3 1/2 tons!), as it provides a heavy duty 160 Amp alternator, transmission cooler, powersteering cooler, 750 Amp battery, heavy duty radiator, and class IV hitch with all the wiring and adapters - all for only $465!

Like I said, I fell in love with this truck from day one and for obvious reasons (different=good). If you don't mind being stared at this is a great SUV!

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First SUV. Now I see what the SUV craze is all about. I'll never buy another car (except for the wife - she wants a PT Cruiser).

The 5.2 is a great engine the durango is fast for a 4,800lb suv. The looks!

The inside plastic is very cheap and scratches very easily.

I am very happy with the durango has only went back to the dealer 5 times in 3 years and for 4 of those times has been for a small things and only one time was for leaking coolant and had the battery replaced once already at only 30,000 miles. I think the durango i the best suv on the market it is faster then a 95-00 explore and the 95-01 blazers even though it weighs from 800-1,000lb's more then both of them. I test drove both of them they were very small compared to the durango and I personal think the blazer is ugly and the exploer looks alright.

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None

power, seating, cargo space, towing ablitity, stereo, dealer was very easy to negotiate a very low price with

quality of interior, none others noticed so far

I LOVE this car. It's one of the best looking SUV's on the market. It has awesome power (tows a big boat with ease), nice handling, great stereo system, and 3rd row seating. The interior could be better. It's kinda ugly. The upholstrey that we got is grey with like a rainbow speckled pattern. I wish we would have gotten leather but we had a budget.

It's a very dependable vehicle too. We've had it since 98 and haven't had one problem yet. (well except for the minor fender-bender) Haven't noticed any problems with the brakes yet either. Overall this vehicle is awesome.

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Exploders-enough said, Tahoes-nice but struggled towing our boat when we borrowed our friends, 4 runners

agrissive look and style .power and agility .room for 7 peoples

chopy ride .bad mpg. seats are not copfortable. bad gground clearance. cheap tires

I have this truck for 10 months .no major problem with it it is the most powerfull suv in it class .and it is the most beautifull suv in the market .the price is good too .3rd seat is a plus .it runs any speed u wnat to run it uphils downhils and mountain excelent u turn .speed and agility .the truck doors will not lock when the head lights or on .it is a big plus .i wish it had day time running lights .this is my dream suv

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better then ford explores and cheve blazer