Compare the2024 Dodge DurangoVS 2024 Chevrolet Tahoe

The Dodge Durango has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tahoe doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Durango has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Tahoe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Durango has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Tahoe’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Durango has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Tahoe.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Durango uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Tahoe uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Durango and the Tahoe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems and front and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Dodge Durango is safer than the Chevrolet Tahoe:

	Durango	Tahoe
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	47%
Neck Stress	156 lbs.	272 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	303/32 lbs.	333/811 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Dodge Durango is safer than the Chevrolet Tahoe:

	Durango	Tahoe
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	111 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	50	88
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	194	239
Hip Force	714 lbs.	764 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Durango’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Tahoe’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Durango has a standard 850-amp battery. The Tahoe only offers a standard 730-amp battery.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Durango’s reliability 20 points higher than the Tahoe.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are better in initial quality than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked fifth.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge above average in long-term dependability. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chevrolet is rated lower.

As tested in Motor Trend the Dodge Durango V8 is faster than the Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3 V8:

	Durango	Tahoe
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.9 MPH	90.1 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the Durango gets better mileage than the Tahoe:

			MPG
Durango
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
Tahoe
	RWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/20 hwy
	AWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Dodge Durango uses regular unleaded gasoline (mid-grade octane recommended with the 5.7 V8 engine for maximum performance). The Tahoe with the 6.2 V8 engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 31.4 cents more per gallon.

The Durango has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Tahoe. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Dodge Durango higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Chevrolet Tahoe (3 to 6). This means the Durango produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Tahoe every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Durango’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Tahoe:

	Durango	Tahoe
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.5 inches

The Durango stops much shorter than the Tahoe:

	Durango	Tahoe
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Durango R/T Tow N Go’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tahoe (295/45R20 vs. 275/50R22).

The Durango SXT’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tahoe’s standard 65 series tires. The Durango R/T Tow N Go’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Tahoe’s optional 50 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the Durango can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Tahoe doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The Durango has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Tahoe doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Durango GT 4x4 handles at .76 G’s, while the Tahoe Z71 4x4 pulls only .63 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Durango R/T 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the Tahoe LT 4x4 (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 29.4 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Durango has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Tahoe (8.1 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Durango to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Dodge Durango may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 700 pounds less than the Chevrolet Tahoe.

The Durango is 9.9 inches shorter than the Tahoe, making the Durango easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Durango is 5.2 inches narrower than the Tahoe, making the Durango easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

Unibody construction lowers the Durango’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Tahoe doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Durango easier. The Durango’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.4 inches, while the Tahoe’s liftover is 37 inches.

Maximum trailer towing in the Chevrolet Tahoe is limited to 8400 pounds. The Durango 4x4 offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Durango has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Tahoe.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Durango is less expensive to operate than the Tahoe because it costs $364 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Durango than the Tahoe, including $215 less for a water pump, $582 less for a muffler, $142 less for fuel injection, $130 less for a fuel pump and $297 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Dodge Durango will be $12178 to $14178 less than for the Chevrolet Tahoe.