Tell me I'm completely insane for even considering this........

[Grayson]

Kia Carnival > Dodge Durango 392

Jeep is a better choice but I wouldn't want to drive a Wrangler 392 everyday. Have patience and wait for the Raptor.

 

[CINISI]

Contact these good folks to order a 392 Wrangler at $10k below MSRP. The wait will be just as long

Kyle Whalon
Retail Order Team
Chapman Ford, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, & Ram of Horsham, PA
http://www.chapmannewcars.com/
215-674-3600
Cell: 267-483-9747

Theyre 10% off MSRP but don’t know their fees.

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

If you’re cross shopping something with the Raptor, why not a TRX?

 

[bruin1md]

If you’re cross shopping something with the Raptor, why not a TRX?

Raptor hits the sweet spot for me size wise. I don't want wider, taller, and worse gas mileage with worse handling. What wowed me about my buddy's Gen 2 raptor was the way it handled. It felt like Ford racing team paired my old Shelby GT350 with a F150.
I was offered a 37" package by my dealer and turned it down and hooked a member of this forum up, despite how much more sought after the 37 is-- for the sole reason that when I read the reviews of the 37, the one thing that stood out was the added weight of the wheels .......it didn't feel quite as spry as the 35. So I opted to wait longer for my 35 build.
When I think of the TRX, I think of an oversized muscle truck with an amazing supercharged V8.
The Raptor by comparison looks and feels like a true sports truck.

FYI: I have another buddy up here with a TRX, but haven't driven it yet.

 

[SurfRaptor]

As a mod on a Jeep forum and a Jeep driver for the past 14 years…..don’t buy anything Chrysler. But the wrangler over the Durango all day.

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

Raptor hits the sweet spot for me size wise. I don't want wider, taller, and worse gas mileage with worse handling. What wowed me about my buddy's Gen 2 raptor was the way it handled. It felt like Ford racing team paired my old Shelby GT350 with a F150.
I was offered a 37" package by my dealer and turned it down and hooked a member of this forum up, despite how much more sought after the 37 is-- for the sole reason that when I read the reviews of the 37, the one thing that stood out was the added weight of the wheels .......it didn't feel quite as spry as the 35. So I opted to wait longer for my 35 build.
When I think of the TRX, I think of an oversized muscle truck with an amazing supercharged V8.
The Raptor by comparison looks and feels like a true sports truck.

FYI: I have another buddy up here with a TRX, but haven't driven it yet.

All fair points. I’d suggest driving the TRX to see how you really feel. You might like it, might hate it.

 

[New R3P7ER]

Sounds to me you like the idea of a raptor but have no intention of taking advantage of its capabilities. Some folks here act like that’s a terrible thing but it’s no different than someone shopping for a high end sports car and never taking it to the track. Nothing wrong with that either. Raptors have their own brand image, much like Ferrari’s or Porsche’s. Raptor represents ultimate high speed capability off road, whether you use it as such or not. If I can sum it very simply, you may like the exhaust note of the Durango more, you may even find it more comfortable and usable. A raptor is a terrible tool for most rocky trails, it’s just too wide. At the end of the day you could compare a raptor to any truck you want and you could find a million benefits to the other options.

But, it will never be a raptor.

Well said

 

[bruin1md]

As a mod on a Jeep forum and a Jeep driver for the past 14 years…..don’t buy anything Chrysler. But the wrangler over the Durango all day.

You're the right person to ask this question to:
Why has Dodge's reliability gone up quite a bit (per JD Power) over the last few years while Jeep's remains so low?
No one I"ve asked has been able to provide an answer to this mystery, but this in part is another reason I considered the Durango SRT over the Rubicon 392 (in addition to my needs, ride quality, etc)

 

[Syberspace]

At the risk of getting blasted, here goes...........

Given the 3 bumps in my build date (now pushed out another 2 months to April), I started thinking whether this was a sign to perhaps not a get raptor. Accordingly, I started thinking about other options.
As I posted way back, I've always been intrigued by the 392 Hemi V8, and as such, cross shopped a Rubicon 392. Then I drove a Rubicon with the turbo diesel and decided quickly that there was no way I could live with this on long drives. I also have loved the Raptor from afar for years, but never seriously considered getting one until moving up here to the mountains and driving my buddy's gen 2.

When I drove his, I really liked it-- A LOT, minus the turbo lag in normal mode, and figured based on what I read about the Gen3, I'm going to like it even more. I live in a rural community at 6500 ft, and won't be doing hard core rock crawling, and likely won't be pushing the Raptor in the desert either, but am intrigued about doing some stupid stuff occasionally down in the desert w/o hopefully doing any serious damage.

I can't have a second 'fun' sports car right now, so having one vehicle that does it all is important.
So, the other vehicle I'm considering is.............

.......A Dodge Durango SRT 392.

Before anyone laughs too hard, the reasons are as follows:
-- Durango gives me a very good DD --similar to the Raptor. Not sure which would be more comfortable for long drives to Utah and CA, which I will do every couple of months, along with twice a month drives down to Phoenix.
--Durango would scratch the 392 itch, and from what I'm hearing, this engine may be retired soon b/c of emissions laws. I have no idea if this is true, but if it is, then it makes sense to own one for a couple of years and then get the Raptor later, as it's not going anywhere.
-- Off roading: I haven't done nearly as much as I thought I would in my current ride: 4runner TRD pro. Therefore, I'm not sure it's a big loss here. The Durango can get me to the light trails I need to get to for hiking. The big minus is no fun in the desert, but again, I wasn't going to push my Raptor too hard down there.

In terms of cons..........
--The Durango interior << Raptor. I much prefer the Raptor interior in terms of tech/design, and space, and on long drives, will probably enjoy driving the Raptor more with the new suspension set up in the 3rd gen. Durango will be a stiffer ride for sure, but probably fine in 'auto mode'. I can't find a SRT Durango anywhere around me, so there isn't a chance to compare the two.
--If I change my mind about off roading, I'm screwed.

In terms of fun factor:
--Not sure about this one. I love the way the Raptor handles on road, but that exhaust note isn't going to put a smile on my face the way the 392 will.

Unknowns:
--I'm not sure if the AWD platform with AS tires on the Durango (295/45/20) or the auto/part time 4wd system in the Raptor is going to be better for our winters when it does snow and the roads ice over. This is only relevant for 3, maybe 4 months out of the year.


--Bottom line is that I now KNOW I want a Raptor one day, after having driven one. I completely get the love people here have for them. I'm just proposing an alternative for maybe 2 years before I sell it and get a Raptor once this economy cools and the supply chain issues resolve.
--yes, I'll still have to order the Durango and there may be delays there too............no guarantees.
--Price wise: it's close to a wash. Durango built out is more expensive than the Raptor at MSRP by a few thousand, but I'll get about 5% off MSRP on the Durango.


Tell me I'm nuts for even considering this alternative.

You sound a lot like me! I did have a Durango SRT... traded it for a 2020 Gen2. Loved the Durango. Very fun to drive, handled great for it's size, could tow my race trailer easily (7500#) and sounded awesome. It had the utility I mostly needed... but it wasn't a truck. After 6 months, I traded it on my loaded 2020 Gen2. I am a truck guy... and have done the SUV back and forth dance a couple of times, but always miss a truck in the end.
Do what makes you happy... the SRT may look like a soccer mom suv, but it's no joke. It did a lot of things very well.

 

[GordoJay]

You're the right person to ask this question to:
Why has Dodge's reliability gone up quite a bit (per JD Power) over the last few years while Jeep's remains so low?
No one I"ve asked has been able to provide an answer to this mystery, but this in part is another reason I considered the Durango SRT over the Rubicon 392 (in addition to my needs, ride quality, etc)

I'm not the right person, but I have a theory. And theories are like opinions, so stop reading now if you expect this to smell good ... you have been warned. LOL

Jeep has a long history of ugly, unstable, and unreliable. You don't just pee on your own history, do you?