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Dodge Durango vs. Chevy Suburban: Roadkills Cheap 44 Challenge

The pandemic is still raging, and Roadkill isnt taking a break. But what are David Freiburger and guest host Steve Dulcich to do when they have to social distance, cant stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, or even drive in the same car? Go camping, of course! Since they have to be in separate vehicles anyway, why not have a shootout to up the fun and adventure quotient while theyre at it? Welcome to the Roadkill $2,500 44 shootout! Will Freiburgers go-anywhere 94 Suburban triumph over Dulcichs beloved 99 Durango? Related: Sign up to the MotorTrend App today for $2 to stream 100+ episodes of Roadkill , Roadkill Garage , Roadkills Junkyard Gold , Engine Masters and Faster With Finnegan . Plus, enjoy 8,000+ episodes ofmorehitcarshows! Freiburger and Dulcich trekked out to the Central California region east of Bakersfield near the Mojave Desert to put their cheap 4x4s to the test. They explored Bonanza Gulch, the Burro Schmidt Tunnel, Jawbone Canyon OHV Area, abandoned pumice mines, old mining cabins free for anyone to use, and everything in between. While their vehicles arent serious off-roaders, there were plenty of sandy washes, whooped-out trails, and dusty hill climbs to pit the cheap 4x4s against each other and determine a victor. --> Freiburgers 1994 Chevrolet Surburban 2500 44 Freiburger has serious off-road genes; he was the editor for Petersen s 4-Wheel & Off-Road before working for HOT ROD and has been a jeeper just as long as hes been into muscle cars. While he doesnt fully love the independent front suspension in his 94 Suburban 44hes a solid-axle man when it comes to serious off-tarmac adventuringhe does think the Chevy Suburban is the best all-around, do-everything vehicle. Plus, this 2500 model has serious beef: a 454 big-block , 4L80 overdrive transmission, and a 14-bolt rear end. Freiburger says the Suburban is the perfect adventure vehicle because if you need to sleep in it, theyre huge and youve got acres of room to get comfortable. Then theres the barn doors on the back, vastly superior to a tail or liftgate, in his opinion. You can close them from inside the cargo area with ease, its much easier to get the cherry picker into the back to pull the new junkyard engine youve been hauling around, and when it comes time to toast nature with a cold brew , you can stand fully upright on the back of the cargo area and take in all the glory around you! Freiburger will concede that Dulcich might have an edge with the smaller and lighter Durango. Dulcichs 1999 Dodge Durango 5.9L V8 4WD Steve Dulcich loves the Dodge Durango. Hes had at least on e in his personal fleet since 2003 and has put enough miles on all his cumulative Durangos to go to the moon and back (that may be a slight exaggeration, the math works out to over 28,000 miles a year). In Dulcichs opinion, the Dodge Durango is the greatest SUV ever made. This first-gen model mimics his favorite Mopar muscle cars, as well, with its 5.9L Magnum V8, torsion bar independent front suspension and 9-1/4 rear end. It will even clear a 32-inch tire without a suspension lift. Where Freiburger dislikes independent front suspension for off-roading, Dulcich thinks its great, soaking up all the bumps and ruts like they arent even there. Compared to the Suburban, the Durango is light, nimble , and quick. It helps that the Durango is more than 2 feet shorter than the Suburban. Dulcich says its like a trophy truck that you can sleep in! But he does have a pretty uncomfortable first night in the Durango. Thats not the truck s fault, thoughhis air mattress had a leak. Competing for Pink Slips! As the trip goes on, the guys get even more competitive, to the point where a serious wager is made: a winner-take-all off-road obstacle course of doomfor pink slips! Will Freiburger get to take his Suburban home , or will Dulcich claim victory and keep the Suburban for himself (hes already got a Durango at home)? These mall-crawling and grocery-getting 4x4s may not be the types of Roadkill vehicles youre used totheyre too clean, too new, and too reliablebut they are proof that you can go out and buy something cheap to have a blast in. The post Dodge Durango vs. Chevy Suburban: Roadkills Cheap 44 Challenge appeared first on Hot Rod Network .

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/roadkill-cheap-4x4-challenge/

 

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