That Hemi in the Durango has had so many internal issues I don’t think I would want one. Brother works at a big Dodge dealer and I was amazed to hear about the many Hemis with less that 20000 miles and lifter problems, oil not getting to rear mains while idling, and rockers going bad. He says they were told all the problems is a big reason they dis continued the Hemis and just going with the new inline 6.
I own both of them. My wife drives the Explorer and drive the Durango. Both are fun to drive. I'm trying to find a good exhaust for the Explorer. The Durango has mid muffler delete with 2 chamber Flowmasters in place of the resonators. Sounds awesome.
I’ve owned both and unless you need the additional towing capability of the Durango then I’ll take the ST everyday. The Durango is dated at this point not to mention slow in comparison. I agree that the Durango “sounds” better but will get dropped off the line every time, particularly if you live at altitude. Not to mention the ease of tuning with a twin turbo V6. You’ll also save about a 1k per year in gas so there’s that.
It’s sad but at this point I would pay extra money to NOT have a touch screen and digital cluster and high tech infotainment. Give me knobs and buttons and no reliance on screens
Thank you Ben for pointing out the obvious. When you design vehicles that virtually all functions are controlled through a touch screen you have no redundancy in utility. A lack of tactile controls renders vehicles with all-encompassing touch screens very handicapped. The cost to repair damaged can sometimes be $10K or more. When will manufactures realize that not all consumers want to control basic functions with very distracting touch screens that often require delving into submenus to achieve the desired result. Durango - Yes
How about we talk about that 11.4 or .6 mpg shown on the dash of the Ford while he’s driving it around town????? I own a 22 Durango RT which I chose over the Explorer ST after test driving both. No BS, I get over 15 mpg in town and 23 on the highway ( 2 trips NY to Fl ) in eco mode, on the recommended medium grade fuel it has a range of about 565.8 miles from its 24.6 gallon tank. NOT a lot of “snack stops” happened. The ST recommends Premium 91+ fuel. Oh yeah and I get 7200 lbs tow rating. Let’s be real these two vehicles have similar traits but if you want to go fast in a Durango you get an SRT or a Hellcat. The RT is more for long trips and towing with a little fun thrown in. Where the ST on the other hand is the only performance Explorer.
Probably because it's limited driving around the dealership, extended idling ect. I've seen a lot of dealer vehicles with low mpg. I looked at a 5.7 trailhawk at a dealer which had a similarly low mpg as well. Used not new too. There is no question the Explorer ST gets better fuel economy than the 5.7. It gets better economy than the 3.6. My brother who owns a 3.6 GC WK2 and I have done the same loop while towing the same ~3k lbs. The ST did a few tenths better while in tow mode, not even eco, while having an insanely more amount of power in reserve. For me personally with the ST I am either stuck in traffic on the highway, city driving, or driving like I stole it and my mpg is 17.4 over almost 10k miles. Never drive in eco and i turn the start stop off. On the highway towing two stand up jet skis I have averaged 20mpg at an average speed of about 80mph over 100 miles repeatedly.
We own two ST's, my wife's from IL to TX averaged 25MPG going the speed limit entire time. I have taken mine from IL to FL and IL to NJ, best MPG was on the way to NJ, 26MPG. These figures are calculated at the pump and were close to what the computer displayed.
i am a ford guy but the Durango has things i would have on the explorer but overall i would keep the explorer, wish that ford keep the timberline for the 2025 model
Ford missed an opportunity not putting the new Nautilus hybrid powertrain in the 2025 Explorer. Hybrid only for police duty, and the Nautilus hybrid set I is better with over 30mpg.
I'd take that old, outdated Durango all day long. It is so much nicer inside and out, and it looks & sounds like a muscle car. The Explorer looks & sounds like a CRV. The HEMI V8 and the ZF8-Speed are far superior to Ford's junky V6 and clunky, jerky 10-speed powertrain.
I like WK2 GCs and almost bought a 5.7 Trailhawk. But bought a ST as I had no desire to even look at a Durango and would not buy a GCL with the 3.6 which was in my price range. The hemi does have a bit better response right off the bottom but the 3 liter ecoboost and 10 speed trans is a really solid combo. Great powertrain and I enjoy my powertrains. Amount I save in gas over a hemi goes to fuel my corvette and 6 jet skis. I get better fuel economy than the 3.6 and way more power / torque / performance than the 5.7. My overall mpg is 17.4 and I either am stuck in traffic or driving it like I stole it. 58k and zero major problems on the ST. I'm not a Ford guy just buy the best product. The 3L / 10 speed is a great combo and I would definitely buy another explorer with it again. I'm not a fan of the 2025 refresh exterior wise, and I hope for the next Gen they have physical controls for hvac. Beyond that I'm done with Jeep. They really lost the market not having any good engines anymore. Why the heck isn't the hurricane in it? And don't get me started on the 4xe... Durango is so old it's almost irrelevant now. There was word that a replacement 3 row Dodge with the stealth name would be coming, but with Dodge and Jeep losing their Hemis customers will look elsewhere unless they start putting the hurricane in their suvs.
I am very very biased but the Durango certainly looks nicer to me. The power/performance advantage of the ST is remarkable as the R/T is a bit sluggish with all of that weight and being down on power compared to the ST (especially at high elevation like I believe Ben is located. the R/T is going to feel slow AF). If it's an R/T Tow and Go package I think I would lean towards the Durango but otherwise the ST is the winner here to me. Once you go up a trim (SRT Durango) then the Durango is my pick every time. Edit: oof forgot about that dial shifter. yeah I am out on the ST full stop. 😂 I can't live with that.
I don't know for sure about the Explorer but Sync has voice commands for many of the functions like setting the temperature, audio, etc... It's much better when driving down the highway to say "set temperature to 70 degrees" than fiddling with the dang touch screen. We had a 2015 Explorer ST, which I hated because it had the exhaust smell in the cabin issue that the dealer could not fix. Other than that it was pretty nice.
You have valid reviews but you're most biased when reviewing ford's, a strong dislike demeanor. It's cool, but noticeable. I wished they gave Americans what we want tbh!
I’m taking the ford all day. More up to date, modern design inside and out - & a more efficient engine that makes more power. The Durango is junk, It needed an update about 3 years ago. The V8 makes less power and it’s been left behind by the competition. It’s ancient.
I am a Mopar guy , and V8 always adds to enjoyment for enthusiast drivers.
That Hemi in the Durango has had so many internal issues I don’t think I would want one. Brother works at a big Dodge dealer and I was amazed to hear about the many Hemis with less that 20000 miles and lifter problems, oil not getting to rear mains while idling, and rockers going bad. He says they were told all the problems is a big reason they dis continued the Hemis and just going with the new inline 6.
I love V8 in any vehicle
with 14 miles per gallon city you'll get a Weight Watchers membership with the Durango for all the snack stops 😂
N/A V-8 has the potential to last longer. Forced induction gets a little more wear and tear.
In my opinion of V8 will last longer than a turbo six cylinder
The exhaust certainly will... 👀
Notif it’s a Dodge pile of junk
Those engines are built for turbos I’m pretty sure the turbo would fail before the engine would
Hard to tell. I've seen 3.5 Eco boost with over 200k on. BAD Michigan roads. But in generally I agree
3 Litte for me
I own both of them. My wife drives the Explorer and drive the Durango. Both are fun to drive. I'm trying to find a good exhaust for the Explorer. The Durango has mid muffler delete with 2 chamber Flowmasters in place of the resonators. Sounds awesome.
I’ve owned both and unless you need the additional towing capability of the Durango then I’ll take the ST everyday. The Durango is dated at this point not to mention slow in comparison. I agree that the Durango “sounds” better but will get dropped off the line every time, particularly if you live at altitude. Not to mention the ease of tuning with a twin turbo V6. You’ll also save about a 1k per year in gas so there’s that.
I'll have a V8
I still prefer the design language of the Durango, front and rear. The rear LED lightbar on the Dodge is timeless.
It’s sad but at this point I would pay extra money to NOT have a touch screen and digital cluster and high tech infotainment. Give me knobs and buttons and no reliance on screens
Thank you Ben for pointing out the obvious. When you design vehicles that virtually all functions are controlled through a touch screen you have no redundancy in utility. A lack of tactile controls renders vehicles with all-encompassing touch screens very handicapped. The cost to repair damaged can sometimes be $10K or more. When will manufactures realize that not all consumers want to control basic functions with very distracting touch screens that often require delving into submenus to achieve the desired result. Durango - Yes
Nothing in America sounds better than a HEMI
i doubt i will ever buy a vehicle with a tablet sticking out of tthe dash like a sore thumb
Yea I manipulate all of the stuff on my current car from memory/feel. Menus and screens are the stupidest thing ever 😂
Yes, it's always better 😂
I’ll take the Ford Thank You
How about we talk about that 11.4 or .6 mpg shown on the dash of the Ford while he’s driving it around town????? I own a 22 Durango RT which I chose over the Explorer ST after test driving both. No BS, I get over 15 mpg in town and 23 on the highway ( 2 trips NY to Fl ) in eco mode, on the recommended medium grade fuel it has a range of about 565.8 miles from its 24.6 gallon tank. NOT a lot of “snack stops” happened. The ST recommends Premium 91+ fuel. Oh yeah and I get 7200 lbs tow rating. Let’s be real these two vehicles have similar traits but if you want to go fast in a Durango you get an SRT or a Hellcat. The RT is more for long trips and towing with a little fun thrown in. Where the ST on the other hand is the only performance Explorer.
Thats because tthe 4cyl explorer is faster and gets better mileage than the dodge .
Probably because it's limited driving around the dealership, extended idling ect. I've seen a lot of dealer vehicles with low mpg. I looked at a 5.7 trailhawk at a dealer which had a similarly low mpg as well. Used not new too. There is no question the Explorer ST gets better fuel economy than the 5.7. It gets better economy than the 3.6. My brother who owns a 3.6 GC WK2 and I have done the same loop while towing the same ~3k lbs. The ST did a few tenths better while in tow mode, not even eco, while having an insanely more amount of power in reserve.
For me personally with the ST I am either stuck in traffic on the highway, city driving, or driving like I stole it and my mpg is 17.4 over almost 10k miles. Never drive in eco and i turn the start stop off. On the highway towing two stand up jet skis I have averaged 20mpg at an average speed of about 80mph over 100 miles repeatedly.
We own two ST's, my wife's from IL to TX averaged 25MPG going the speed limit entire time. I have taken mine from IL to FL and IL to NJ, best MPG was on the way to NJ, 26MPG. These figures are calculated at the pump and were close to what the computer displayed.
I own an ST but I prefer the V8 power plant over a V6. The twin turbo V6 is a blast to drive but nothing beats a V8
i am a ford guy but the Durango has things i would have on the explorer but overall i would keep the explorer, wish that ford keep the timberline for the 2025 model
I think they will bring it back for the 2026 model year. It’s a win in my book if they offer it with the 3.0
Ford missed an opportunity not putting the new Nautilus hybrid powertrain in the 2025 Explorer. Hybrid only for police duty, and the Nautilus hybrid set I is better with over 30mpg.
The startup on the Durango sounded a little off
The Durango's side steps are aftermarket.
I'd take that old, outdated Durango all day long. It is so much nicer inside and out, and it looks & sounds like a muscle car. The Explorer looks & sounds like a CRV. The HEMI V8 and the ZF8-Speed are far superior to Ford's junky V6 and clunky, jerky 10-speed powertrain.
Nicer than the ford? 😂 it’s ancient now.
I like WK2 GCs and almost bought a 5.7 Trailhawk. But bought a ST as I had no desire to even look at a Durango and would not buy a GCL with the 3.6 which was in my price range. The hemi does have a bit better response right off the bottom but the 3 liter ecoboost and 10 speed trans is a really solid combo. Great powertrain and I enjoy my powertrains. Amount I save in gas over a hemi goes to fuel my corvette and 6 jet skis. I get better fuel economy than the 3.6 and way more power / torque / performance than the 5.7. My overall mpg is 17.4 and I either am stuck in traffic or driving it like I stole it. 58k and zero major problems on the ST.
I'm not a Ford guy just buy the best product. The 3L / 10 speed is a great combo and I would definitely buy another explorer with it again. I'm not a fan of the 2025 refresh exterior wise, and I hope for the next Gen they have physical controls for hvac. Beyond that I'm done with Jeep. They really lost the market not having any good engines anymore. Why the heck isn't the hurricane in it? And don't get me started on the 4xe... Durango is so old it's almost irrelevant now. There was word that a replacement 3 row Dodge with the stealth name would be coming, but with Dodge and Jeep losing their Hemis customers will look elsewhere unless they start putting the hurricane in their suvs.
Dang it where did you get that bilstein bag 😂 I’ve looked and looked
Event with bilstein
@@BenHardyCars 😭
8:58 I thought he was about to talk about the grinding we just heard during that acceleration.....not the engine sound....wtf was that?
That was the hemi exhaust burp
Oh my God I am glad I have a 23 Explorer ST THAT front end is God awful
Couldn't agree more. I have a 23 st line, and the front end is way better.
but your interior in the 23 and older is GOD AWFUL, especially that screen
I am very very biased but the Durango certainly looks nicer to me. The power/performance advantage of the ST is remarkable as the R/T is a bit sluggish with all of that weight and being down on power compared to the ST (especially at high elevation like I believe Ben is located. the R/T is going to feel slow AF). If it's an R/T Tow and Go package I think I would lean towards the Durango but otherwise the ST is the winner here to me. Once you go up a trim (SRT Durango) then the Durango is my pick every time.
Edit: oof forgot about that dial shifter. yeah I am out on the ST full stop. 😂 I can't live with that.
I'll take the mexican Durango
The hart say durang but the mind say frod
They should put the Coyote engine on the 2025 Ford Explorer
I don't know for sure about the Explorer but Sync has voice commands for many of the functions like setting the temperature, audio, etc...
It's much better when driving down the highway to say "set temperature to 70 degrees" than fiddling with the dang touch screen.
We had a 2015 Explorer ST, which I hated because it had the exhaust smell in the cabin issue that the dealer could not fix. Other than that it was pretty nice.
Actually, ford is getting rid of SYNC and is giving it a new, refreshed, look titled "Ford Digital Experience" lol
Awesome video keep up with a great work and be safe out there.
Give me the Hemi!!!
You have valid reviews but you're most biased when reviewing ford's, a strong dislike demeanor. It's cool, but noticeable. I wished they gave Americans what we want tbh!
I’m taking the ford all day. More up to date, modern design inside and out - & a more efficient engine that makes more power.
The Durango is junk, It needed an update about 3 years ago. The V8 makes less power and it’s been left behind by the competition. It’s ancient.
lol, both are total shit. For $65k but a Lexus, Acura, or top spec CX-90 and get a FAR superior vehicle to both.
@@TheDiameter I like the CX90. Wouldn't buy an Acura or Lexus personally.
I'll take the Eco boost
Why?
HHHHH.Dodge as same design more than 14 years 😂😂
Not a single Dodge truck has a dial shifter. Ram trucks have dial shifters. If you're going to do a video state facts
Currently. My 2016 Durango has a lame dial.
These are both kamala wine mom cars so neither 😂 plus car loan interest rates are insane so no new cars or loans.
For someone who confidently insults both you should have deep enough pockets to not cry about rates 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂