Dodge Aspen R T

With Chrysler's Aspen history, this new Dodge model carries the luxury banner

ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. — Beginning in 2007, the Chrysler-brand luxury clone of Dodge's Durango was the Aspen, a leather-swathed, perk packed, chrome bedecked behemoth that called out to the Tiffany crowd.

Alas, the doomed Aspen survived just three short years, an existence that included in 2009 the star-crossed Aspen hybrid — a vehicle, it's scarcely an exaggeration to say, that was around for about 20 minutes.

Now Dodge has an all-new Durango, but parent company Chrysler has no Aspen nameplate under which to wrap it in tony duds.

What to do? Answer: Wrap the Durango in tony duds. Duh.

Meet the 2011 Dodge Durango Citadel.

The plushest of the five-trim Durango line, which also includes Express, Heat, Crew and R/T editions, the Citadel can boast of more perks than a Bunn-O-Matic. Pick your engine (V-6 or V-8) and drive configuration (rear- or all-wheel drive) and, with the exception of rear-seat video and a trailering package, everything else is pretty much in there.

The list of standard Citadel stuff that's optional — or even unavailable — on other Durangos includes a sun roof, 20-inch chrome-clad wheels, Nappa leather trim, eight-way power front-passenger seat, radar cruise control, Forward Collision Warning System and voice-command navigation with real-time traffic updates.

Of course, that's just the Citadel's exclusive standards. Other standards, which may or may not be standard — or even available — on lesser Durangos, include a power liftgate, rear-cabin A/C, keyless start, back-up camera, rear-park assist, 28-gig audio hard drive with a 6,700-song capacity, Sirius satellite radio and Alpine premium sound with 506 watts of power.

This is one tony ride. It's also a very different ride from the Durango it replaces.

The folks at Dodge read the papers. They know what's happening. And in the SUV world, what's happening is car-based, unibody platforms.

So Durango, formerly a body-on-frame, truck-based full-size SUV, took the 2010 model year off to get its mind right. It returns in 2011 with a car-like, unibody structure. Nonetheless, it still boasts three-row seating, seven-passenger room and, with the available V-8, the ability to tow nearly four tons.

Perhaps the biggest mechanical news for Durango is the Pentastar V-6, which these days Chrysler Group puts into everything but the lunchroom chili. Through a standard five-speed automatic — that's standard with both Durango's V-6 and V-8, by the way — that six makes 290 hp, a whopping 80 more than did the old six. It's also EPA rated at 16 city/23 highway — none too shabby for a full-size SUV.

I have an M-Body...It's a Dodge/Plymouth Gran Fury - Mopar Forums

Mine is a 1981 Plymouth Gran Fury with a 318 and cold A/C...it's in storage right now...it will come out of storage in 3 months for new A/C lines and compressor...new master cylinder and brake booster...new carpet....headers from my Aspen and a dual exhaust kit from Summit Racing...it's going to get a little engine bling with a no lean burn air cleaner and some chrome valve covers...my 16 year old daughter is going to start driving it for her first car....it made it through the first daughter....It is my wife's grandmother's car from El Paso Texas...we kinda inherited it and it is what got me going on cars again..I will never sell it...Grandma crashed it and they put a Dodge front clip on it and the rear is still a Plymouth Okay by next weekend I need to get back to one storage so I did some cleaning and organizing...left side of wall there is a 440 on an engine stand...a A904 tranny...some tool boxes...my 318 out of my Dart...4 radiators...a generator for hurricanes...12 5 gallon gas cans....my hood off my Dart...two bikes and a pressure washer...two BFG tires and two A body leaf springs..and engine stand...more to come... Tonight I ran the vacuum pump on the system for an hour and then maintained a good vacuum on the guages for 15 minutes...I went ahead and charged the system up and with no leaks it is blowing cold are again...so much good that the suction line sweats all the way back to the compressor and the compressor cycled off once on low suction temp..... ...put some chrome bling on it last night...with the A/C complete I have the brakes next... Okay I got the front seat out with the help of the wifey...that carpet was really smelly... ...I pulled it out and was surprised to see a black looking sound deadener pads on the floor...once more I was surprised to see rust free virgin floors...thank god to that dry dustbowl El Paso Texas...pulled the old carpet out and layed the new two piece in place..will let it air out tonight and get the seat belt holes and front seat holes done tomorrow...front seat back in maybe...sorry about the dark night time photos...

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