2021 Chevrolet Tahoe vs. 2020 Dodge Durango SRT

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Tahoe are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Tahoe has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Tahoe Z71/Premier 4WD/High Country 4WD’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Tahoe (except LS) offers an optional 360 degree parking monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango SRT only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Tahoe and the Durango SRT have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all-wheel drive, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Tahoe’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Durango SRT’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 22 percent more Chevrolet dealers than there are Dodge dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Tahoe’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Tahoe has larger alternators than the Durango SRT:

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Tahoe has a standard 800-amp battery (900 Diesel). The Durango SRT’s 700-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 8th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 63 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 28th.

On the EPA test cycle the Tahoe gets better fuel mileage than the Durango SRT:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Tahoe’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Durango SRT doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Tahoe uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Tahoe High Country for maximum performance). The Durango SRT requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Tahoe, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Durango SRT.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tahoe offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Durango SRT’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Chevrolet Tahoe’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Dodge Durango SRT only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Tahoe has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Tahoe has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Durango SRT; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tahoe’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Durango SRT (120.9 inches vs. 119.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Tahoe is 4.6 inches wider in the front and 4.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Durango SRT.

For better maneuverability, the ’s turning circle is 41 feet tighter than the Durango SRT’s ( feet vs. 41 feet).

The front grille of the Tahoe uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Tahoe offers optional seating for 9 passengers; the Durango SRT can only carry 7.

The Tahoe has 28 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Durango SRT (168.3 vs. 140.3).

The Tahoe has 2.4 inches more front headroom, 4.2 inches more front legroom, 3.4 inches more rear legroom, .4 inches more third row headroom and 1.4 inches more third row legroom than the Durango SRT.

The Tahoe’s cargo area provides more volume than the Durango SRT.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Tahoe’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Tahoe 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Tahoe can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Durango SRT can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Tahoe (except LS/LT/RST/Z71) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed and other key instrumentation readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Tahoe’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Durango SRT’s parking brake has to released manually.

The Tahoe’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Durango SRT’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Tahoe LT/RST/Z71/Premier/High Country has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Tahoe is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Durango SRT doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Chevrolet Tahoe outsold the Dodge Durango by 50% during 2019.