LOOKS
It’s easy for a crossover SUV to blend in these days, because there are just so many of them from all the different manufacturers. Being different is not always that easy. The Durango does an impressive job, though, in its efforts to do so.

Between its bold grille and muscular looks, the Durango is not going to be confused with some of its more watered-down competitors.

It’s a large vehicle, the biggest in the Dodge fleet, and Dodge offers an impressive array of color and styling options to make it stand out both inside and out, including the Blacktop package that adorned my test vehicle.

As with all SUVS, the key is to have flexibility in setup. You get that with the Durango, where both the second and third rows fold down to provide storage space in back.
Be aware though, that if cargo capacity is your main concern, several other SUVS have the Durango beaten in terms of overall storage capacity.

My test vehicle had seating for six due to the optional inclusion of very comfy captain’s chairs in the center row; but the standard feature is three-person seating in center row, boosting your seat count to seven.

It’s also worth mentioning that the interior of the Durango is among the more comfortable and well-designed you’ll find in this category, and it feels very high-class; in large part due to the quality of materials used throughout the vehicle.

ENGINE, HORSEPOWER
My Durango tester featured the larger of two engines offered on the Durango, a 5.7-liter, V8 HEMI that produces 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. This engine is standard on the R/T model, and optional on the Limited and Citadel models.

Other trim levels of the Durango will get a 3.6-liter V6 engine that boasts 290 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.

You’ll feel the horses moving in this thing too, as the Durango is a powerful machine. Both getting up to speed and accelerating as needed while in motion, it performs as well as most of the SUVs it is competing against.
Overall, I was very impressed with my time driving the Durango and the general smoothness of the ride as compared to other vehicles I’ve tested in the class.

Handling wasn’t overly impressive in this ride, but that’s rarely the case with vehicles this large. It wasn’t a chore to maneuver the Durango, even if it wasn’t nimble.

The transmission is interesting too, as there really isn’t even a shifter -- which took a little while to get used to. Instead, there is a knob that controls the eight-speed automatic transmission.

One performance area where the Durango tops its competition. The numbers are impressive: 6,200 pounds for the V6, and 7,400 pounds for the V8.

TECHNOLOGY
The tech interface in the Durango I tested was the high-quality UConnect 8.4 system, which has the largest touchscreen you’ll find in an SUV at 8.4 inches. It’s very responsive to voice commands (understands well what you say), and the touch response is also quick if you’re using the screen. Lower trim levels get a smaller 5-inch screen.

Steering wheel controls on the Durango are well-designed and easy to master to the point where you can keep your eyes on the road while using them. Also, the info screen on the dashboard is large and customizable, one of the better designs you’ll find in this area.

Other tech features on the Durango for 2015 include USB port, SD card slot and AUX/audio jack. There is an iPod/iPhone connection via the front USB port.

Seats can store memory of your position; and you get other options including Keyless Enter and Go (the vehicle senses your key as you approach).

For those with kids, the rear entertainment (DVD) option is a winner too. With two screens folding down behind the front seats, a better storage spot for them than up high in driver’s viewline like many other cars, this system will prove helpful during long rides with the kids. The screens are 9 inches and DVDs can be Blu-Ray quality.

SAFETY
There is an impressive amount of standard safety features on the Durango, including: Active head restraints, electronic stability control, four-passenger seat belt alert, a full complement of airbags, child seat LATCH system and a tire pressure monitoring system.

Government crash test ratings are also impressive on the Durango, which garnered four and five star marks.

On the R/T trim level, which I tested, you can also choose some other helpful safety options, such as Forward Collision Warning, which provides audio and visual warnings of a collision and provides active braking to help you slow down (to a complete stop if time allows).

Another option on the R/T model is radar-based blind-spot monitoring and crosspath detection, which comes in handy when you’re trying to change lanes or back up and there’s an unexpected visitor. Also, the R/T model features the option of adding Adaptive Cruise Control, which helps set a distance between you and car ahead of you, even if traffic flow changes or others enter the lane.

These are all strong options in the safety arena, and should be offered on more trim levels.

MPG
This is not a high point of the Durango, as the numbers disappoint.
Official numbers for mpg are 14 city/22 highway and 16 combined; but I couldn’t even reach those numbers during my time in the Durango -- averaging closer to 13 mpg.
With fuel economy on the mind of many buyers these days, this is perhaps the biggest weak spot of the Durango.

If you go with the V6 engine and rear-wheel drive, fuel economy jumps to 18 city/25 highway (17/24 with AWD).

PRICE
Base starts at $30,495 for the SXT model, and there are five different trim levels (SXT, SXT Plus, Limited, R/T and Citadel).
My test vehicle, an R/T model with the Blacktop package and all-wheel-drive, starts at $42,195 and had climbed to $48,170 once all packages were added. So there is a wide variety in the pricing depending how many features you want to include on your Durango.

BOTTOM LINE
The Durango is perfect for folks seeking a large, powerful, attractive people-mover with strong towing capacity. It’s not perfect -- and won’t attract those seeking the highest mpg option -- but it definitely offers something different that many of its more generic competitors in the crossover SUV segment.

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Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu.