Compare the2024 Dodge DurangoVS 2024 Buick Enclave

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Dodge Durango are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Buick Enclave doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Dodge Durango 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 Enclave doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Durango 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 Enclave doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

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

	Durango	Enclave
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	295	333
Chest Compression	.8 inches	.9 inches
Neck Injury Risk	26%	35.2%
Leg Forces (l/r)	303/32 lbs.	258/133 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 is safer than the Buick Enclave:

	Durango	Enclave
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	46	69
Abdominal Force	111 lbs.	161 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	50	134
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	446 lbs.	716 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	194	251

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

Warranty

The Durango’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Enclave’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 22 percent more Dodge dealers than there are Buick dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Durango’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Durango has a standard 850-amp battery. The Enclave only offers a 730-amp battery.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are better in initial quality than Buick vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Buick is ranked fourth.

Engine

The Durango’s optional 5.7 V8 produces 50 more horsepower (360 vs. 310) and 124 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 266) than the Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Dodge Durango V8 is faster than the Buick Enclave:

	Durango	Enclave
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.9 MPH	84.5 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Durango gets better mileage than the Enclave:

			MPG
Durango
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
Enclave
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Durango V8’s fuel efficiency. The Enclave doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Durango has 5.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Enclave FWD’s standard fuel tank (24.6 vs. 19.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Durango has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Enclave AWD’s standard fuel tank (24.6 vs. 21.7 gallons).

The Durango has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Enclave. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Durango’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Enclave:

	Durango	Durango R/T Tow N Go	Enclave
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	15 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.8 inches	12.4 inches

The Durango stops much shorter than the Enclave:

	Durango	Enclave
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Durango has larger standard tires than the Enclave (265/60R18 vs. 255/65R18). The Durango R/T Tow N Go’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Enclave (295/45R20 vs. 255/65R18).

The Durango SXT’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Enclave’s standard 65 series tires. The Durango R/T Tow N Go’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Enclave’s optional 55 series tires.

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

The Durango offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Enclave; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Durango offers an optional automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Enclave doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Durango’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the Enclave’s (57% to 43%). This gives the Durango more stable handling and braking.

The Durango R/T 4x4 handles at .80 G’s, while the Enclave Avenir pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Durango R/T 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Enclave Avenir (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Durango has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Enclave (8.1 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Durango to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Durango is 4 inches shorter than the Enclave, making the Durango easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Durango GT 4x4 is quieter than the Enclave Essence (76 vs. 78 dB).

Passenger Space

The Durango has .3 inches more rear legroom and .2 inches more third row headroom than the Enclave.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Durango. The Enclave doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Durango’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (6200 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Buick Enclave is only 5000 pounds. The Durango 4x4 offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Durango V8 4WD can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Durango can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Enclave can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Durango uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Enclave doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Durango is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Enclave. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Durango’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Enclave does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Durango’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Enclave’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Durango’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Enclave’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Economic Advantages

The Durango will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Durango will retain 51.68% to 56.07% of its original price after five years, while the Enclave only retains 48.75% to 49.82%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Durango is less expensive to operate than the Enclave because it costs $291 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Durango than the Enclave, including $389 less for a water pump, $100 less for a muffler, $69 less for front brake pads, $192 less for fuel injection, $68 less for a fuel pump and $538 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Dodge Durango outsold the Buick Enclave by 76% during 2023.

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