Editor's note: This Car Seat Check was written in November 2016 about the 2017 Dodge Durango. Little of substance has changed with this year's model. To see what's new for 2018, click here, or check out a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.
Big and burly, the Dodge Durango is a bit of an SUV throwback, but it delivers when it comes to hauling kids and towing a boat or camper. When properly equipped, the Durango can tow up to 7,400 pounds. The Durango also delivers when it comes to child-safety seats, making installation easy for our various car seats. We tested the 2017 Durango GT with seven seats.
How many car seats fit in the second row? Two
How many car seats fit in the third row? Two
Solid
- Latch, grade B: The Durango has two sets of lower Latch anchors in the outboard second-row seats. The anchors are exposed and easy to use. Three top tether anchors sit toward the bottom of the second-row seatbacks; they're not well-marked so they lost a grade, but they are easy to find. Parents should make sure not to confuse them with nearby cargo hooks, which cannot be used as top tether anchors.
- Infant, grade A: This seat installed easily and fit well in the second row. There was no need to move the front passenger seat forward to accommodate it.
- Rear-facing convertible, grade A: Again, this seat was easy to install and fit well. Our 5-foot, 6-inch front passenger still had ample legroom.
- Forward-facing convertible, grade A: The seat installed easily in the second row and fit well.
- Booster, grade A: Our high-back booster seat fit well in the Durango's second row. The seat belt buckles — except in the second-row middle seat — are on stable bases, making them easier for little ones to use independently.
- Third-row access, grade A: The second-row seats fold and tumble forward to create a wide path to the third row.
- Third-row forward-facing convertible, grade B: Since there is no Latch system in the third row, we used the seat belt to install the convertible. The third row's top tether anchors are partially covered by an upholstery flap on the seatbacks, so they lost a grade.
- Third-row booster, grade A: Our high-back booster seat also fit well in the Durango's third row, and here, too, the seat belt buckles are on stable bases.
So-So
- None
Skip It
- None
Grading Scale
Solid indicates an A grade for optimum ease of use and fit. So-So indicates B or C grades for one to two ease-of-use or fit issues. Skip It indicates D or F grades.
A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn't impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row.
B: One room, fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing third row when available.
C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. Difficult to access third row when available.
D: Insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.
F: Does not fit or is unsafe.
About Cars.com's Car Seat Checks
Editors Jennifer Geiger, Jennifer Newman and Matt Schmitz are certified child safety seat installation technicians.
For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30 infant-safety seat, a Britax Marathon convertible seat and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
We also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row's middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. Learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks.
Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
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