2021 Dodge Durango Hellcat: Lotsa Fun!
Well, guys, if it’s named Hellcat, it must be fun, right?
This is big-arse SUV from Dodge. Make no mistake, it makes noise and takes up a lotta room. You do need to make sure you have a nice-sized place to park it. It makes an entrance –- and when you step out of it, there is nothing lite-beer or fancy pants about it. You are definitely the Alpha-Schnauzer of the group when you pull up (try not to ruin the sod when you do).
I enjoyed driving this truck (well, really, it is a truck). Plenty-o-room for all the guys. And coolers. And wieners. And tents (not that I camp, as in ‘real camping’). The Durango Hellcat can really do anything, or so it seems.
I mean, just look as this sexy, ready-for-action, ready-to-jump out of the forest beast.
710 horsepower. 610 pound-feet torque. 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and a quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds (careful on that one, Hoss). That’s the SRT model, the one that I tested. There are many from which to choose. All are fun. You will look good in all of them, yes sir.
The touchscreen / interface is 10.5 inches. Impressive, to say the least. What you don’t need to tell your passengers is that the touchscreen is angled about seven degrees toward you, the driver. This way you can see it better than they can to control air flow and other interior controls –- like the music. No more freaky music selections for strange new artists when all you really want to hear are the classics, like Erasure and Air Supply.
Trust me, your buddies will like this. I mean, not that you buy a car to impressive them, right? But this is a vehicle that you can take everywhere, including across state lines –- even if you live in Texas.
A word of caution: the engine is always humming a bit. Always. When you have that much power (we know the feeling, right, guys?) it cannot be contained. It’s always rarin’ to go. That means there is some noise. My advice? Always keep a window cracked. That way you can hear the state troopers when they approach. (Make sure your license and insurance are up-to-date, especially once your divorce is final.)
There is a third row of seats, but to be honest, we did not try to get any guys back there. Just seemed like too big a risk. You know how it goes. It always sounds like a good idea at the time, then somebody gets stuck and then you have to slip-n-slide and figure out how to get ‘em out and next thing you know the Nachos Supreme are on the new carpet.
There are always some things to know upfront, which could take a little helium out of your party. Starting price is well over $80K US. Combined mileage is… let’s just say it’s under 20 miles per gallon. Well under that.
But what the heck. Take a look. Go for broke, assuming you aren’t already broke.
The Hellcat was fun. I enjoyed it. So did my friends.
Careful in the drive-thru!
