Compare the2023 Dodge Durango SRTVS 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Recommendations

Safety

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The Dodge Durango SRT has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Durango SRT has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Durango SRT uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Escalade-V uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Durango SRT and the Escalade-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available crash mitigating brakes and lane departure warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Dodge Durango SRT is safer than the Cadillac Escalade-V:

	Durango SRT	Escalade-V
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	26%	47%
Neck Stress	156 lbs.	272 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	303/32 lbs.	333/811 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Dodge Durango SRT is safer than the Cadillac Escalade-V:

	Durango SRT	Escalade-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	111 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	50	88
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	194	239
Hip Force	714 lbs.	764 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

There are over 4 times as many Dodge dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Durango SRT’s warranty.

Reliability

The Dodge Durango SRT’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Escalade-V’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 8th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge above average in long-term dependability. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Cadillac is rated lower.

Engine

The Durango SRT Hellcat’s standard 6.2 supercharged V8 produces 28 more horsepower (710 vs. 682) than the Escalade-V’s 6.2 supercharged V8.

As tested in Car and Driver the Dodge Durango SRT is faster than the Cadillac Escalade-V:

	Durango SRT V8	Durango SRT Hellcat	Escalade-V
Zero to 60 MPH	4.1 sec	3.6 sec	4.3 sec
Top Speed	155 MPH	180 MPH	125 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Durango SRT gets better mileage than the Escalade-V:

			MPG
Durango SRT
	AWD	6.4 OHV V8	13 city/19 hwy
		6.2 supercharged V8	12 city/17 hwy
Escalade-V
	AWD	6.2 supercharged V8	11 city/16 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Durango SRT’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade-V:

	Durango SRT 392	Durango SRT Hellcat	Escalade-V
Front Rotors	15 inches	15.7 inches	13.5 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.8 inches	13.6 inches

The Durango SRT stops much shorter than the Escalade-V:

	Durango SRT	Escalade-V
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Durango SRT has larger tires than the Escalade-V (295/45R20 vs. 275/50R22).

The Durango SRT’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade-V’s standard 50 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the Durango SRT can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Durango SRT 392 handles at .88 G’s, while the Escalade-V pulls only .69 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Dodge Durango SRT may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 850 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade-V.

The Durango SRT 392 is 11.1 inches shorter than the Escalade-V, making the Durango SRT easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Durango SRT’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Escalade-V uses body-on-frame design instead.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Durango SRT 392 is quieter than the Escalade-V (82 vs. 85 dB).

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Durango SRT easier. The Durango SRT’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.4 inches, while the Escalade-V’s liftover is 37 inches.

Payload and Towing

The Durango SRT’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escalade-V’s (8700 vs. 7000 pounds).

The Durango SRT has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Escalade-V (1410 vs. 1140 lbs.).

The Durango SRT has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Escalade-V (1590 vs. 1330 lbs.).

Recommendations

The Dodge Durango outsold the Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV by 38% during 2022.