2011 T&C Ranked Highest in Minivan, 2011 Challenger top spot in mid-size sporty segment

We love road trips and anytime we can get out of the office, get behind the wheel and hit the highways and byways of our beautiful country is a bonus. Recently my wife and I had the opportunity to put a 2011 Dodge Journey Mainstreet through its paces. We packed our bags and grabbed our 12-year old cat Elizabeth and headed from our home base in Detroit to the scenic Appalachian Mountains to visit Kin Folk. We logged over 1600 miles on the Journey during our four day romp through the majestic hills and valleys of Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. Our weekend road trip had us heading south through Ohio and Kentucky and eventually into the mountains. We had all the creature comforts of home as the all-new refined interior was nicely equipped and made our nine-hour driving stints very pleasurable and relaxing. Even though there were only the two of us and a cat, some of us pack for our moods and always bring more clothes and stuff than we really need. Were glad the Journeys generous cabin space provided ample room for all our gear. The numerous storage bins came in handy for our munchies and sodas consumed during the trip. We dropped the third row seats and made a pet sanctuary for Elizabeth to stretch out her paws. She claimed this part of the interior a

Penske Racing and Dodge dominated Sundays STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. Kurt Busch started from the pole and led 152 of the 267 laps in the No. 22 AAA Dodge Charger, but it was Penske teammate Brad Keselowski with the right fuel strategy that propelled the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team to victory lane. Busch finished ninth after a late stop for a splash of fuel. For the second consecutive week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race came down to fuel mileage. Unlike last week at Charlotte when Keselowski saw his chance of victory vanish when, running fourth on a restart for a green-white-checkered finish, he was caught up in a mishap. There was no mishap this time around. Keselowski took the lead on lap 259 when Busch yielded the point and headed to pit road for fuel. Keselowski coasted to a 2.8-second victory. The final green-flag pit sequence came between laps 200 and 216. Busch made his stop for tires and fuel on lap 205. Keselowski made his top five laps later. That gave the driver of the Blue Deuce enough fuel to make it to the finish. There were 16 cars on the lead lap at the checkered flag. While Keselowski and Busch were getting it done on the track, the pit crews were equally impressive on pit road.

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: What an upgrade this 2011 Dodge Durango is. From its overly curvy, awkward predecessor to this bold, in-your face henchman of an SUV, the new Durango delivers. It's luxurious, powerful and imposing. The only drawback is that the gas mileage is not great. But remember, you're driving a Hemi-powered fortress. The updated Durango now feels like a utility-vehicle version of the Ram. That's a good thing. The pickup is one of the best-driving in its class, and this Durango now shares that dynamic. The V8 power is exactly what one wants in a vehicle this large. The 360 horses come on smooth, and this five-speed automatic is effective and efficient. Dial up more than 5,000 rpm, and this ute blasts off. Power from launches is impressive yet civilized, and the Hemi growls and purrs depending on what it's being called upon to do. The steering is light, similar to that of the Ram, but adds satisfying feedback into maneuvers. The chassis is all-conquering, and I annihilated a pothole on the expressway without even blanching. This trench was the kind of obstacle that would have ripped the bottom off a smaller car. The Durango was unflinching. The styling is beefy and taut. I like the way the sheetmetal fits yet still has some attitude. Whereas the old version was almost cartoonish, this one is well-tailored and sharp. The headlights are perfect, and the wheels are simply huge. Inside is a smart black and caramel layout, and the white-and-red-accented gauges present well. You sink into these seats, and there's a commanding road view. The Citadel package marks the summit for the Dodge Durango. I'd take one for our long-term fleet in seconds. I like this muscle ute even more than I like our long-term Infiniti QX56, which is a tank in its own right. But the Dodge is pretty much just as blinged-out, looks better to my eye and costs $24,030 less than our long-term Infiniti. That's high-protein food for thought. EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART: I would agree with Greg on liking this better than our long-term Infiniti QX56. Actually, I was stunned at just how good this new Durango really is. Think of this as a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a third row. I actually had two different people come up and ask me about the vehicle, what it was, etc. Both commented that it looked so good that they were surprised it was a Durango. That's a good thing, because the old Durango was, well, let's just say it didn't have anywhere near the refinement this one has. I loaded this up with seven passengers for a trip to Michigan State University for my daughter's graduation, and a trip after to dinner. Even those in the way-back seats had nothing to complain about. I like the black and caramel two-tone treatment, and the seats are very comfortable. The Hemi underhood is strong and made no complaints as we loaded the thing up. The Chevrolet Suburban/Tahoe is probably still the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to full-size sport-utes. But there is nothing wrong with this new Durango. It is so much better than the vehicle it replaces it probably should have had a new name. It is that good. EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: Add me to the chorus singing the all-new 2011 Dodge Durango's praises. I think Dodge should have just dropped the link to past vehicles and used that Citadel moniker as the vehicle's new brand name. It's that different, and good, compared with the old Durango. The old truck was barely competitive, while this one offers a ton of Hemi grunt, sharp styling, a superb interior, and top-notch ride and handling for a 5,400-pound, four-wheel-drive beast. As much as the Grand Cherokee, with which this shares its platform, is a great vehicle, the Durango's three rows and Hemi power might put it a step above the Jeep. And looking at Roger's observed fuel-economy numbers, posting nearly 20 mpg is certainly livable. I like this truck--a lot. 2011 Dodge Durango Citadel Base Price: $44,645 As-Tested Price: $48,530 Drivetrain: 5.7-liter V8; AWD, five-speed automatic Output: 360 hp @ 5,150 rpm, 390 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm Curb Weight: 5,397 lb Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 15/18.7 mpg Options: 5.7-liter Hemi V8, dual rear exhaust with bright tips, two-speed on-demand transfer case, heavy-duty engine cooling and 220-amp alternator ($1,895); customer preferred package 25j including rear DVD entertainment, video entertainment system, satellite radio and TV ($1,695); inferno red crystal pearl coat exterior paint ($295) Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110524/CARREVIEWS/110529911#ixzz1NwBFw6Dh