Get the free Car Buyer’s Cheat Sheet. 7 things to know before you sign anything. The numbers that matter, in plain English, on one page.
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Figures checked November 7, 2026
Start with the price you will actually pay
For a representative example, use a 2026 Dodge Durango GT, 3.6-liter V6, rear-wheel drive, at $38,495 starting MSRP before destination. That is the base United States trim for 2026: there is no United States SXT base trim this year, Canadian SXT listings are a different market. The V6 makes 295 horsepower with an 8-speed automatic, and all-wheel drive is optional on the GT. Destination is $1,995, and it is left out of the worked price and out of depreciation, so the price in the math below is the $38,495 before-destination figure. The V8 Durangos cost different amounts to buy and fuel, and their numbers are not blended into this V6 example. Replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering.
Here is the bottom line first: this page gives no single five-year total, because no current depreciation figure for the Durango can be settled. The four costs other than depreciation come to $37,182 over five years, or about $620 a month, and the published depreciation figures point to a total between $56,160 and $60,972, or about $936 to $1,016 a month. The loan payment alone is $775 a month. With 10% down ($3,850), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months, this example finances $38,240 and the loan costs about $8,282 in interest over five years. The payment is about 76% to 83% of the average month's true cost across that range, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.
Fuel: the V6 is the sensible buy here
The Durango GT V6 with rear-wheel drive is rated 20 mpg combined (18 city, 25 highway) by fueleconomy.gov. All-wheel drive V6 models are also rated 20 mpg combined, on a different city and highway split (17 city, 24 highway), so all-wheel drive does not change the five-year fuel line in this example. At 12,000 miles a year that is 600 gallons annually. At the AAA national average regular price of $4.29 a gallon on October 26, 2026, that is $2,574 a year, $12,870 over five years. The V8s are a different story: the 5.7-liter is rated 16 mpg combined, the 6.4-liter R/T is rated 15, and the Hellcat is rated 13. Gas prices move, so re-run this line at your local price. The method is in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years.
Depreciation: the biggest bucket, and the widest range on this batch
Depreciation is the value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. The iSeeCars figure used here before is shelved: it matches the 2025 study's overall average, and the 2026 iSeeCars study publishes no Durango figure. No single depreciation figure is used on this page, because the published figures disagree too widely to settle on one. Older iSeeCars comparison pages quote 49.3 percent lost, or about $18,978 of depreciation and a $19,517 resale value on a $38,495 purchase, and CarEdge puts five-year depreciation at 61.8 percent instead, or about $23,790 of depreciation and a $14,705 resale value, a $4,812 spread. On either figure depreciation is the largest single cost on this page. Across that range the five-year total runs $56,160 to $60,972, or about $936 to $1,016 a month. Those resale figures are model-level projections, not observed 2026 resale values, so treat them as planning assumptions, not forecasts. Run a second scenario with resale lower so the decision does not depend on an optimistic used market.
Insurance: the lower anchor, with the higher figure disclosed
Published full-coverage averages for the Durango differ: Insurify puts full coverage at $151 a month and Compare.com at $199 a month. This example uses $151 a month, or $9,060 over five years, following the same convention as the Sorento door, which uses the Insurify figure where sources disagree. The Compare.com figure would add $2,880 over five years. Hellcat insurance near $339 a month is a different universe and is not this example. These averages cover all model years, not the 2026 alone, so a brand-new 2026 may run higher than the $151 used here. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact trim with matching deductibles (the amount you pay out of pocket before insurance pays) and limits before treating any average as yours.
Durango maintenance costs: mid-pack for a full-size SUV
RepairPal puts the Durango annual repair and maintenance cost near $675 a year, and rates the model 3.5 out of 5 for reliability, 3rd of 14 full-size SUVs in its ranking. This example allows $675 a year, or $3,375 all-in, enough for routine service, a set of tires inside five years at 60,000 miles, and a cushion for the wear items that show up as the miles add up. That figure is an all-model-years average, not a 2026-specific figure, and an Edmunds widget shows $623 a year from an older slice, which is not used here.
The full five-year example
Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2026 Dodge Durango GT, V6, rear-wheel drive, $38,495 starting MSRP before destination, 10% down ($3,850), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 20 mpg, $4.29 per gallon regular, $151 per month insurance, $675 per year maintenance, and no single resale value: the published range is $14,705 to $19,517 after five years.
Depreciation: $18,978 to $23,790 ($38,495 minus a $19,517 to $14,705 resale)
Insurance: $9,060 ($151 x 60 months)
Fuel: $12,870 (12,000 / 20 x $4.29 x 5 years)
Maintenance: $3,375 ($675 x 5 years)
Tax, fees and interest: $11,877 ($2,695 sales tax, $900 fees, $8,282 loan interest)
That totals $56,160 to $60,972, or about $936 to $1,016 a month. Notice what that says about the $775 payment: on this vehicle the payment is not the whole story, it is about 76% to 83% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.
Formula
The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $38,495 price minus a resale value of $14,705 to $19,517 after five years, which is $18,978 to $23,790. Insurance is $151 a month times 60 months, which is $9,060. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 20 miles per gallon, times $4.29 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $12,870. Maintenance is $675 a year times 5 years, which is $3,375. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $38,495, which is $2,695, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $8,282 of loan interest, which is $11,877.
Added together, $18,978 to $23,790 plus $9,060 plus $12,870 plus $3,375 plus $11,877 equals $56,160 to $60,972, or about $936 to $1,016 a month. The amount financed is the $38,495 price plus $2,695 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $3,850 down payment, which is $38,240. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $38,240 is $775 a month, and the loan costs about $8,282 in interest over five years.
Thinking past year five
Three-row SUVs are often keepers, and that is where the economics can improve: the loan ends at year five, and the depreciation curve (how fast the value drops) flattens. The costs that arrive in years six through ten are the wear-and-repair years: a second tire set, suspension work, and the out-of-warranty items a repair cushion exists for. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly.
Shopping the Durango against other three-row SUVs? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side. Cross-shopping a Grand Cherokee too? See what a Jeep Grand Cherokee really costs over 5 years. Cross-shopping an Explorer too? See what a Ford Explorer really costs over 5 years. And if the value it loses is your biggest worry, the why cars lose value guide explains what drives it.
Calculation transparency
Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.
Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.29 a gallon (AAA national average, October 26, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.
Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.
Source links checked November 7, 2026. Figures: Dodge and Stellantis press release, 2026 Durango GT starting MSRP $38,495 before destination; published Durango five-year value loss, 49.3% to 61.8% (older iSeeCars comparison pages to CarEdge); EPA combined fuel economy, 20 mpg; Insurify Dodge Durango average monthly quote, $151; RepairPal Durango average annual repair cost, about $675.
Primary sources: Stellantis press release, Dodge Announces 2026 Dodge Durango Lineup (via PR Newswire); iSeeCars, Dodge Durango resale value; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; Insurify, Dodge car insurance costs; RepairPal, Dodge Durango reliability. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.
Definitions
Depreciation. The value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. On this page, no single figure is used: the $38,495 price minus a resale value of $14,705 to $19,517 after five years, which is $18,978 to $23,790.
Resale value. What the car is worth after five years in this example, $14,705 to $19,517 depending on the published figure used. A model-level projection, not an observed 2026 resale value.
APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%.
Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $3,850.
Destination charge. The fee to ship the car to the dealer. It is $1,995 on the Durango, left out of the worked price and out of depreciation; the price in the math is the $38,495 before-destination figure.
Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 20 for the GT V6 with rear-wheel drive, 18 in the city and 25 on the highway, by fueleconomy.gov.
Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car as well as damage to others. This example uses $151 a month.
Deductible. The amount you pay out of pocket before insurance pays.
Questions people actually ask
How much does it cost to own a Dodge Durango per month?
About $936 to $1,016 a month over five years, depending on which published depreciation figure is used, on a 2026 Durango GT. The four costs other than depreciation come to about $620 a month, and the loan payment alone is $775 a month.
How much does a Dodge Durango depreciate in 5 years?
No single figure is used on this page. The published figures disagree: older iSeeCars comparison pages quote 49.3% lost, or about $18,978 on a $38,495 purchase, and CarEdge puts five-year depreciation at 61.8%, or about $23,790, so run a second scenario with resale lower.
What gas mileage does a Dodge Durango get?
The 2026 Durango GT V6 is rated 20 mpg combined (18 city, 25 highway) with rear-wheel drive, and all-wheel drive V6 models are also rated 20 mpg combined. The V8s are rated lower: 16 mpg combined for the 5.7-liter, 15 for the 6.4-liter R/T, and 13 for the Hellcat.
How much is insurance for a Dodge Durango?
Published full-coverage averages put it near $151 a month from Insurify and $199 a month from Compare.com, and this example uses $151 a month, or $9,060 over five years. The Compare.com figure would add $2,880 over five years, so get a quote on the exact trim before treating any average as yours.
Is a Dodge Durango expensive to maintain?
It is mid-pack for a full-size SUV. RepairPal puts it near $675 a year for repairs and maintenance, rating it 3.5 out of 5 for reliability, 3rd of 14 full-size SUVs; this example allows $675 a year, or $3,375 over five years.
Related: other three-row SUVs in the same lane: Honda Pilot, about $1,064 a month, Toyota Highlander, about $1,027 a month, Toyota Grand Highlander, about $906 a month, Chevrolet Traverse, about $962 a month, Hyundai Palisade, about $1,009 a month, Kia Telluride, about $1,118 a month, Chevrolet Tahoe, about $1,512 a month.
Related: minivans in the same lane: Honda Odyssey, about $969 a month and Toyota Sienna, about $946 a month. deciding between them: do you really need a 3-row SUV, mid-size vs full-size 3-row SUV cost, minivan vs 3-row SUV cost, can a family car fit $400 or $600 a month, family cars under $400 a month.
Enter the purchase price, insurance quote, your real annual mileage, local fuel price, tire allowance and conservative resale value in the calculator. Then change only the inputs that differ to test a higher trim, all-wheel drive, or a longer ownership horizon.
Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.
Honest gaps and conflicts on this page: the $38,495 example price is the 2026 GT starting MSRP before destination from the Dodge and Stellantis press release, Dodge Announces 2026 Dodge Durango Lineup, June 2025; Autoblog and CarsFrenzy list $38,995, a $500 conflict. Destination is $1,995 and is not in the $900 fees, and depreciation here is computed on the $38,495 before-destination figure. The 7% sales tax is the site standard example assumption, not any state actual rate. The confirmed 2026 lineup: GT V6 $38,495, GT Plus V6 $44,890, GT HEMI V8 $42,990, R/T 392 Launch Edition $49,995, SRT Hellcat $79,995, Hellcat Jailbreak $80,990. V8 models were briefly restricted in CARB states early in the model year, then restored nationwide. A refresh is indicated for 2027, and the current generation dates to 2011. Depreciation sources disagree more here than on any other model in this batch (older iSeeCars comparison pages 49.3% loss, CarEdge 61.8%); the iSeeCars figure used here before is shelved as stated above, and no single figure is used in the worked example: the range is shown above. One listing source, CarGurus, shows 21 mpg combined for the V6, contradicted by fueleconomy.gov at 20, and this page uses 20. Insurance averages cover all model years, no 2026-specific breakout was verified, and Compare.com at $199 a month would add $2,880. RepairPal $675 a year is an all-model-years average, not a 2026-specific figure, and an Edmunds widget shows $623 from an older slice. The $4.29 regular price is an October 26, 2026 national snapshot and moves with the market. This example covers only the gas GT V6 with rear-wheel drive; all-wheel drive, the V8 trims, and the Hellcat cost different amounts to buy, insure and fuel. The Durango sold 81,168 in the United States in 2025, its best year since 2005, up 37%.