Are you tired of the snow yet?
I guess that is a bit of a silly question seeing as we all love snow so much. And we all also love sweeping the snow off the vehicle every morning and when we get out of work at the end of the day. Then there is the scraping of the windows so we don't have to lean our heads right up against the window and squint to see where we are going. But after all this is done, you hop into your vehicle - it has been running for a few minutes now so the presumption is that it is a little warmer than when you started it - and grab the steering wheel before changing into gear and your hand sends a signal to your brain which causes your mouth to shout something garbelled like aahthisdamnthingisfreezing.
But blowing on your hands does nothing and sticking them between your crotch for some much needed frostbite reducing warmth only results in other drivers looking at you like they would someone who just jumped out of the bushes and flashed them.
Now, imagine turning on your vehicle, pushing a button on the dash and before you can say aahthisdamnthingisfreezingIshouldhavewarmedmyhandsinmycrotchfirst, the steering wheel is toasty warm.
This is what you have to look forward to on these pain-in-the-butt winter days with the new Dodge Durango. The heated steering wheel takes about four seconds before you can start to feel the heat, and at eight seconds you will not want to take your hands off the wheel for the rest of the drive. It is a wonderful option.
The Durango I drove was at the top of the heap with more options than you could shake a stick at, and the ride was silky smooth.
I have driven several vehicles since out little snowfalls on the weekend and each knocked me about like a mouse being swatted by a playful cat. Although this is not the norm for these vehicles, the ruts and bumps caused by the packed snow on the roads caused me to try to stand while driving over them.
However, when out in the Durango I had no such need as it soaked up everything the nasty road conditions could throw at it.
The Durango came in seven passenger mode with three rows of seats and provided the second row passengers with seat heaters, so if their hands were cold they could just shove them under their butts.
The all wheel drive in the Durango helps with traction and there is even a low range, all you need to do is turn a dial on the centre console.
There are also a ton of other options like tri-zone automatic climate control, heated and cooled front seats, DVD, satellite radio and navigation system as well as park assist and rear view camera for backing up so you don't run anyone over who may be bent over brushing snow off their pants.
But Dodge has gone a step further with some new technology it has added to the Durango, all in the name of safety, and not just that of the passengers in the vehicle.
On each of the outside, heated, rear-view mirrors has a little triangle on it for llind spot monitoring. According to Dodge, the system uses dual radar sensors to monitor driver blind spots, while giving notice of a merging car with light icons on the side view mirror as well as a chime.
There are also such things as Rear Cross-Path Detection, which has sensors that warn the
driver through a chime if any cross-traffic approaches the vehicle. This is very good when reversing and something is approaching from the side.
There are also rain-sensing wipers and rain brake support. The rain brake support helps dry the brake rotors on wet roads. An adaptive cruise control system automatically adjusts cruising speed to maintain a preset distance between your vehicle and the one in front.
and the new forward collision warning system uses radar sensors to detect when a vehicle may be coming too close, too fast to your vehicle, and it alerts the driver with a chime.
Now, admittedly all these options do take the price up past $50K, but you can get into a lower model for under $40K.
All these make the Durango a very safe vehicle and all the comfort options make it a nice place to be in any kind of weather.
And if you are the kind of person that prefers not to have others leer at you when you are having a case of the crotch-pocket driving, the heated steering wheel and the new Durango is the vehicle for you.
Dodge Durango
Vehicle type: 5-door SUV
Transmission: 5-speed manumatic
Engine: 5.7 litre V8
Horsepower: 360 @ N/A
Torque: 390 @ N/A
Mileage: 16.6 l/100 km 17 mpg City 10.1 l/100km 28 mpg Hwy
Price: $55,870
