Compare the2027 Dodge Durango VS 2027 GMC Yukon

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 Yukon 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 Yukon 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 Yukon.

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 Yukon uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Durango and the Yukon 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 GMC Yukon:

	Durango	Yukon
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	50	81
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches
HIC	194	213

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

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

There are over 43 percent more Dodge dealers than there are GMC dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Durango’s warranty.

The Dodge Durango’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Yukon’s engines use 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’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Dodge vehicles are better in initial quality than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Dodge above average in initial quality. With 19 more problems per 100 vehicles, GMC is rated below average.

The Durango’s standard 5.7 V8 produces 5 more horsepower (360 vs. 355) and 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (390 vs. 383) than the Yukon’s standard 5.3 V8. The Durango R/T 392’s standard 6.4 V8 produces 55 more horsepower (475 vs. 420) and 10 lbs.-ft. more torque (470 vs. 460) than the Yukon’s optional 6.2 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the Dodge Durango 5.7 V8 is faster than the GMC Yukon 5.3 V8:

	Durango	Yukon
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.2 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92.9 MPH	90.6 MPH

As tested in Car and Driver the Durango R/T 392 6.4 V8 is faster than the GMC Yukon 6.2:

	Durango	Yukon
Zero to 60 MPH	4.5 sec	6 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	12.2 sec	15.4 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.4 sec	6.4 sec
Quarter Mile	13.2 sec	14.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	104 MPH	97 MPH
Top Speed	155 MPH	155 MPH

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

			MPG
Durango
	AWD	5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
Yukon
	RWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
	AWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/19 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/18 hwy

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

	Durango	Yukon
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.5 inches

The Durango stops shorter than the Yukon:

	Durango	Yukon
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Durango’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Yukon (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 Yukon’s standard 60 series tires.

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 Yukon doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The Durango has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Yukon doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Durango R/T 392 handles at .85 G’s, while the Yukon Denali 4x4 pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Durango R/T 392 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.2 seconds quicker than the Yukon AT4 (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 30.6 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Durango GT has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Yukon Denali Ultimate (7.8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Durango to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Dodge Durango may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 550 pounds less than the GMC Yukon.

The Durango is 9.3 inches shorter than the Yukon, making the Durango easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Durango is 5.2 inches narrower than the Yukon, making the Durango easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

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 Yukon doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The Durango offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Yukon doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The front step up height for the Durango is 3.5 inches lower than the Yukon (19.7” vs. 23.2”). The Durango’s rear step up height is 3.8 inches lower than the Yukon’s (19.7” vs. 23.5”).

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 Yukon’s liftover is 37 inches.

Maximum trailer towing in the GMC Yukon is limited to 8400 pounds. The Durango offers up to a 8700 lbs. towing capacity.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Dodge Durango retains 50.72% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 46.67% resale value of the 2026 GMC Yukon after five years, which can save the Dodge’s owner up to $16867 in depreciation.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Durango is less expensive to operate than the Yukon because it costs $364 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Durango than the Yukon, including $215 less for a water pump, $582 less for a muffler, $142 less for fuel injection, $130 less for a fuel pump and $297 less for a timing belt/chain.