Family Road Trips Done Right: Durango Power and Space for SoCal Summers

August 1st, 2026 by
At a glance: The Dodge Durango is one of the most road-trip-ready three-row SUVs for Inland Empire families because it pairs genuine seating for the whole crew with V8 power and serious towing muscle. Dodge rates it at a best-in-class available towing capacity of up to 8,700 pounds properly equipped, which means you can haul kids, coolers, camping gear, and a trailer from Claremont to the coast or the mountains without running out of room or grunt. Browse the new Dodge Durango inventory at Knight Claremont Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and take one for a test drive this summer.

Why the Durango Is Built for SoCal Summer Travel

Summer in Southern California means options, and lots of driving to reach them. A morning at the beach in Newport, an afternoon hike above Wrightwood, a weekend at the lake, or the long push to the desert and back. Each of those trips asks something different from your vehicle, and the Durango is one of the few three-row SUVs that answers all of them.

Start with the everyday reality of a family trip out of the Inland Empire. You are loading people, bags, snacks, a stroller or a paddleboard, and everyone wants their own space. The Durango was designed around that job rather than squeezing a third row into a compact footprint. Real shoulder room, real cargo space behind the third row, and a cabin that does not feel cramped after two hours on the 210.

Room for the Whole Crew

The Durango seats up to seven occupants across three rows, with the configuration depending on how you spec the second row. Choose a bench for maximum head count, or captain’s chairs when you want easier walk-through access to the back and a little more comfort on longer hauls.

What matters on a road trip is flexibility, and the Durango delivers it:

  • Fold-flat seating that turns the back rows into a long, usable cargo floor for coolers, camp chairs, and luggage.
  • A third row adults can actually use, which is not something you can say about every SUV that advertises three rows.
  • Multiple charge points and available rear-seat comfort features, so the kids stay happy and everyone’s devices stay alive.
Want to compare trims and see how the layouts differ? The Dodge lineup page and the research center are good places to start before you visit, and our team can walk you through the differences in person.

The 2026 Engines: The HEMI Is Back Across the Lineup

This is the biggest change to the Durango for 2026, and it matters for towing.

Dodge brought the HEMI back across the range. The lineup now runs:

  • 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 — 295 horsepower and 260 lb-ft. The standard engine, and a genuinely capable one for a family SUV.
  • 5.7-liter HEMI V8 — 360 horsepower and 390 lb-ft. This is the towing engine for most families.
  • 6.4-liter HEMI V8 — now available in the R/T 392, producing 475 maximum horsepower.
  • Supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 — 710 horsepower in the SRT Hellcat, for buyers who want the extreme end of the range.
All pair with an eight-speed automatic, with all-wheel drive available. There is also a new America250 Edition offered across several GT and GT Plus trims if you want a distinct appearance package without stepping up to an SRT.

For a family road trip, the practical read is simple: the V6 covers most driving comfortably, and the 5.7-liter HEMI is the one to ask about if you tow.

Durango Towing Capacity: Bring the Trailer

Here is where the Durango separates itself from the crowd. If your summer plans include a boat, a pair of jet skis, a small camper, or a utility trailer full of gear, this moves to the top of your list.

Dodge rates the Durango at a best-in-class available towing capacity of up to 8,700 pounds. Nothing else in the three-row segment comes close, and it is the reason so many Inland Empire families end up in one.

The important part is understanding how you get there, because the headline figure is not the base truck:

  • Up to 8,700 pounds requires a HEMI V8 equipped with the Tow ‘n Go package. If you are planning around a specific trailer, this is the combination to spec.
  • 7,200 pounds with the 5.7-liter HEMI without that package.
  • 6,200 pounds with the standard 3.6-liter V6.
All three cover real family towing. A pair of jet skis or a small utility trailer sits comfortably within V6 territory. A larger boat or a camper is a HEMI conversation, and if you are near the top of the range, spec the Tow ‘n Go package rather than assuming the brochure number applies to the truck on the lot.

Two more things worth knowing before you hitch up:

  • Low-end torque is what makes towing feel controlled rather than strained, which is why the V8 matters more on a grade than the horsepower figure suggests. If you have ever pulled a trailer up the Cajon Pass, you know the difference.
  • Available all-wheel drive adds confidence when a summer thunderstorm rolls through the mountains, or when you are backing onto a loose boat ramp.
Because the right setup depends on what you tow and how often, it pays to talk specifics. Contact our sales team, tell them what you plan to haul and roughly what it weighs, and they will point you to the Durango configuration that matches rather than the one that sounds impressive.

Power That Makes the Drive Better, Not Just Faster

A long SoCal summer drive is a lot of merging, climbing, and passing, often with a full load and the air conditioning working hard.

The V8 options deliver the kind of confident acceleration that makes freeway merges and mountain grades feel easy, while the standard V6 balances everyday drivability with the muscle a family SUV needs. Worth being straightforward about the tradeoff: the V8 configurations return lower fuel economy than the V6, which is the price of the capability. If you rarely tow, the V6 is probably the smarter buy.

That power also translates into a composed, planted ride. Loaded with people and gear, the Durango stays stable and quiet, which is exactly what you want when the trip home runs three hours longer than the map promised.

Tech and Comfort That Keep Everyone Happy

Road trips live or die on the little things. The available Uconnect system keeps navigation, music, and hands-free calling within easy reach, and available features like tri-zone climate control let the back rows set their own temperature so nobody spends the drive arguing about the AC. You can read more about how the system works on our Uconnect overview.

Storage is thoughtful too, with cupholders, door bins, and center-console space sized for the water bottles, sunscreen, and phone chargers that pile up on a summer trip. It is a cabin that respects the reality of traveling with a family.

Ready for the Trip Before You Leave the Driveway

A great road trip starts with a vehicle you trust. Before you head out, get the essentials checked: tires, brakes, cooling system, and air conditioning, especially heading into triple-digit desert heat.

Two of those deserve extra attention if you tow. Brakes work considerably harder with a trailer behind you, since every stop asks them to slow the trailer as well as the SUV. And the cooling system is under the most strain in exactly the conditions a summer trip creates: a long climb, a full load, and high ambient temperatures.

Our technicians handle all of it, and you can schedule service online in a couple of minutes. If your Durango is already in the family, our service department can get it summer-ready fast.

And if you are still shopping, exploring your options is easy. Take a look at the full new vehicle lineup, or if you want to plan the financial side of ownership, our finance center can help you get organized before you visit.

Take the Durango on Your Next SoCal Adventure

The Durango earns its spot in the driveway of Inland Empire families because it does the whole job: seats everyone comfortably, swallows the gear, and tows the toys, all with the power to make the drive genuinely enjoyable. This summer, that adds up to more places you can go and more people you can bring.

See it for yourself. Browse the new Dodge Durango inventory at Knight Claremont Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and schedule your test drive today.

We are at 620 Auto Center Drive, Claremont, California 91711, just off the Indian Hills exit on the 10 freeway. Call (909) 729-4679. We are open seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

If you are towing something specific, bring the weight with you and we will match a trim, engine, and package to it properly.

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