Compare the2027 Dodge Durango VS 2027 Ford Expedition

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 Expedition 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 Expedition doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Durango. But it costs extra on the Expedition.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Durango 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 Expedition uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Durango and the Expedition 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, 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 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 Ford Expedition:

	Durango	Expedition
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	50	61
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	47 G’s

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

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Durango’s reliability 15 points higher than the Expedition.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge above average in initial quality. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

The Durango R/T 392’s standard 6.4 V8 produces 35 more horsepower (475 vs. 440) than the Expedition’s optional 3.5 turbo V6.

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

The Durango has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Expedition (24.6 vs. 23.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Durango w/Tow N Go’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Expedition:

	Durango w/Tow N Go	Expedition
Front Rotors	15 inches	13.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.2 inches

The Durango stops much shorter than the Expedition:

	Durango	Expedition
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	138 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	155 feet	156 feet	Consumer Reports

For better traction, the Durango’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Expedition (295/45R20 vs. 285/40R24).

The Durango’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Expedition’s standard 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Durango has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Expedition.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires optional 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 Expedition doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

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

The Durango R/T 392 handles at .80 G’s, while the Expedition Tremor 4x4 pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Durango R/T 392 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Expedition Platinum 4x4 (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

The Durango is 9.1 inches shorter than the Expedition, making the Durango easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Durango’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 Expedition doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Durango easier. The Durango’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.4 inches, while the Expedition’s liftover is 34.7 inches.

The Durango’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Expedition’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

The Durango’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Expedition’s (7200 vs. 6000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Expedition 4x4 is only 9600 pounds. The Durango offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

The Durango has a higher standard payload capacity than the Expedition (1400 vs. 1344 lbs.).

The Durango has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Expedition (1450 vs. 1344 lbs.).

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 Expedition does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Durango’s standard Keyless Enter-N-Go allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. Push Button Start standard on the Expedition only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

The Durango’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Expedition’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

When the Durango with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Expedition’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Durango has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Expedition.

The Dodge Durango has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the overhead console. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Ford charges extra for Homelink® on the Expedition.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Dodge Durango has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Expedition and isn’t available on the Expedition Active.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Dodge Durango retains 50.72% of its original value after 5 years, significantly more than the 43.05% resale value of the 2026 Ford Expedition after five years, which can save the Dodge’s owner up to $13685 in depreciation.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Durango is less expensive to operate than the Expedition because it costs $182 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Durango than the Expedition, including $111 less for a power steering pump.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Durango third among upper midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Expedition isn’t in the top three in its category.