2025 Dodge Durango RT Review: Refusing to Let the Hemi Die

Celebrating 20 Years of Dodge Durango

The Dodge Durango is currently the only full-size, three-row SUV under the Stellantis brand umbrella that isn’t a Jeep. The dawn of 2025 also signifies a milestone for the Durango as it celebrates 20 years in production.

Thanks to continuous backlash from the automotive community over Stellantis’ less than wise decision to kill off its best-selling engine, the Hemi V8, the 2025 Dodge Durango is the only model offering the famed 5.7L and supercharged 6.2L variant of the Hemi V8. You can’t even buy a new Ram 1500 with a V8 anymore.

UPDATE: Ram announced in June 2025 the 5.7L Hemi V8 is returning to the 2026 Ram 1500 lineup.

So how is Dodge honoring the Durango as it single-handedly carries the brand’s eight-cylinder reputation on its roof rack? By killing it off next year to be replaced with a new SUV called the Dodge Stealth.

That name may strike a chord with some of you who remember the Dodge Stealth nameplate as a rebadged Mitsubishi 3000GT sports car from the early to mid 1990s.

Is the Hemi Making a Comeback? Probably.

However, this news is objected to change since the last couple of months have been turbulent for Stellantis with headlines filled with enough drama to rival a Spanish soap opera.

In December of 2024, Stellantis’ CEO Carlos Tavares resigned after heading the company for four years. That same month the former CEO of Dodge and Ram trucks, Tim Kuniski, announced he would be coming out of retirement (seven months after leaving), to lead the Ram Truck brand for 2025.

Kuniski is known for champion for the Hemi V8, and his return has already started the rumor mill of the engine being checked out of hospice care and put back in action. Kuniski pushed back the REV, Ram’s first all-electric pickup truck, to 2026 to focus on the 647 horsepower, plug-in hybrid Ramcharger set to debut in the latter half of 2025.

UPDATE: Announced in July 2025, Tim Kuniski will continue as CEO of Ram Trucks and oversee all Stellantis American brands (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram). In addition to leading Stellantis North America’s marketing and retail strategies.

Because the Durango is meant to be the brand’s bread and butter for the near future there’s a strong possibility Dodge will keep the Durango name into 2026 for expected all-new SUV.

Until then, we are left with this 2025 Durango equipped with a 20^th Anniversary Premium package that promotes the SUV’s sporty capacity to being a practical, high-performing, family vehicle.

A Family SUV with Some Muscle

There’s one word that could describe Dodge’s design language over the last decade, assertive. All their vehicles look born with a chip on their wheel arch looking for a reason to show aggression and the Durango is no exception.

This family SUV features bulbous fenders and hood vents giving it the appearance of a body builder one bicep flex away from ripping their T-shirt. Its frontend carries a dark, arched eyebrow grille with square, angled LED headlamps on both sides and a wide, shark mouth bumper with giant air intakes.

The 20^th anniversary Dodge Durango premium edition comes fitted with satin black “HEMI” graphics on the hood contrasting nicely with the model shown Destroyer Grey ($395) and 20-inch forged Brass Monkey wheels.

In addition, a “345” badge can be found stamped on the front fender like the caliber size engraved on the barrel of a Smith and Wesson revolver. The 345 moniker is a reference to the engine’s size, 345 cubic inches.

Special Edition Interior

Inside, the interior of the special edition Durango R/T comes fitted with SRT Performance bucket seats with suede inserts and the 345 logos in gold along with gold stitching around the leather wrapped steering wheel and center console. New for 2025 is the 10.1-inch touch screen providing a crisper view of the infotainment options and digital rear-view camera.

This special edition includes the optional 2^nd row captain’s chairs which limits the seating to six passengers instead of seven. The third-row seats eat up a significant amount of cargo space leaving room for maybe two carry-on bags placed standing up. However, if you leave two passengers at the bus stop you can fold the third-row seats flat and take advantage of its 1,350-pound max payload capacity.

Its factory sound deadening does a great job of leaving the roar of the outside world at the door to better enjoy the music of eight cylinders playing a symphony of gasoline fueled explosions rumbling through the exhaust.

5.7L Hemi V8 Power

The heartbeat of this SUV is the 5.7L Hemi V8 producing a more than capable 360 horsepower. In the 2025 model year lineup, this is one of three available engines for the Dodge Durango’s ten trim levels.

The entry GT and GT Plus feature the 295 hp 3.6L V6, followed by the 5.7L V8 for R/T variants, ending with the furiously powerful supercharged 6.2L V8 producing 710 hp in three limited edition SRT Hellcat Durangos. All variants use the same 8-speed automatic transmission with standard all-wheel drive expect for the entry level GT which is offered as an option.

The 5.7L Hemi may not be as powerful as the supercharged 6.2L V8 but its strong enough to tempt and tickle a mischievous smile across your face. It’s got the athletic heart of a quarter-mile sprinting muscle car in the body of a seven seat SUV with a top speed of 145 mph and max towing capacity of 7,400 pounds.

Dodge Tow N Go Package

You can increase the towing capacity to 8,700 pounds if you check the box for the Tow N Go package ($5,990), which I highly recommend because of the hardware included.

This package include safety features like a Tow drive mode, a trailer brake controller, on-demand 4WD and automated headlight leveling for situations where towing a heavy trailer can sometimes push the rear down and elevate the front of the SUV.

Moreover, the Tow N Go package includes sports tuned steering, a high-performance suspension, 160 mph speedometer and a performance exhaust system that increases the V8 decibels in Sport and Track mode.

Dodge Durango Driving Impression

On the road, you can feel the sport tuned suspension and steering working hard to keep the Durango’s hefty 7,100-pound curb weight in check. I was surprised how attentive it was to my steering and throttle inputs when I threw it into a turn at 65 mph while also being as docile as a dairy cow cruising through congested city streets.

The only major downside with a V8 Durango is the fuel economy, particularly in the city where it averages 14 mpg but is a little more frugal on the highway where it can average 22 mpg. In the real world, I was able to squeeze 350 miles from its 24.6-gallon gas tank before needing to stop for a refuel.

Pricing

The starting price for a 2025 Durango (according to Dodge’s official website) is a few bucks under $42,000 for the entry level GT with rear-wheel drive and 6,200 pounds of towing capacity. The R/T variants start at $55,000 and $66,000 for a 20^th anniversary edition. Those wanting more power will need more money because the SRT Hellcat editions start at over $110,000.

What you can take away from the Durango is that it encapsulates the righteous desire to have our cake and eat it too. Something our nation has been consumed by ever sense they marketed the phrase manifest destiny.

This is a vehicle that can tow a weekend’s worth of toys while hauling a family that will perform like car with far fewer seats and doors.