Dodge Launches Free Maintenance Program for Priciest Durango and Journey Models

Dodge has announced a new three-year/36,000-mile free maintenance program for two model-year 2011 vehicles. It's only included on the top-of-the-line 2011 Dodge Durango Citadel, which starts at $42,645, and the Dodge Journey Lux, which costs a minimum of $33,490.

The "No-cost Maintenance Plus" program means owners won't pay for oil changes or any scheduled or recommended vehicle maintenance during the coverage period. Additionally, the plan covers the first $100 of any roadside assistance fees, and provides trip interruption protection should the vehicle break down more than 100 miles from the owner's home. If the failure was caused by something covered under the vehicle warranty, owners can receive up to $1000 to cover the cost of food, hotels, or car rentals due to the delay.

Other manufacturers offering free maintenance programs with new vehicles include Cadillac, BMW, Jaguar, Lincoln, Toyota and Scion, Volvo, and Volkswagen.

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2011 Dodge Grand Caravan – First Drive Review

Don't let the mild face lift fool you: the Grand Caravan is massively improved for 2011.

By now you probably now that the Dodge and Chrysler product lines have been thoroughly overhauled for 2011. Nearly every model receives at least a face lift and considerable chassis revisions, while the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Durango get bumper-to-bumper redesigns.

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2011 Dodge Durango

Elegant and relevant: Dodge leaps back into the thick of the SUV game.

We'll cut to the chase: This new Dodge Durango is the brand's best vehicle not called Charger. After a two-year hiatus, the Durango is back, with a unibody design based on the same underpinnings that spawned Jeep's stellar 2011 Grand Cherokee, which came in tops in its first comparo. As handsome as the last one was brash, the 2011 Durango offers rear- or all-wheel drive, standard seven-butt seating (the Jeep is shorter and seats only five), a swank soft-touch and chrome-trimmed interior, and assembly quality that rivals anything in the segment. While the new Durango is heavy—weights are quoted at 4750–5100 pounds with the V-6 and 5200–5350 pounds with the Hemi V-8—Dodge is nonetheless positioning it as a performance-oriented alternative to the current segment offerings, a claim backed up by the retention of rear-wheel drive and the resurrection of the Durango R/T, which nabs a standard Hemi V-8, unique exhaust tuning, sportier styling, and a lowered, tuned suspension.

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