2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs 2025 Dodge Durango

The 2025 Dodge Durango was a bold statement in the SUV market, offering a wide price range from about $43,000 for a base GT with a V6 engine and rear-wheel drive to nearly $100,000 for the SRT Hellcat with a supercharged V8 engine and all-wheel drive. The SRT Hellcat Premium, especially with the Silver Bullet special edition package, was a standout with its Triple Nickel paint, satin black hood, unique wheels, dark badges, and black exhaust tips. These enhancements added a more aggressive visual appeal, catering to buyers seeking a more expressive look. Inside, the SRT Hellcat maintained a subdued yet premium feel with dark red Nappa leather seats, a suede headliner, and forged carbon fiber trim, though some plastic surfaces detracted from the overall luxury at its high price point.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 retained its distinctive retro-inspired design, reminiscent of the 1986-1991 Lancia Delta, with a modern twist. The mid-cycle refresh kept the styling largely unchanged, with minor revisions to the lower front fascia and the addition of the XRT trim, which featured red tow hooks and black plastic bumper cladding with a digital camouflage pattern. The Ioniq 5 XRT also introduced exclusive colors like Ultimate Red and Cosmic Blue Pearl, while the overall color palette expanded with new matte options. The interior remained minimalistic and modern, with minor updates to the center console for improved functionality. The XRT trim added a rugged touch with its dark interior and all-weather floor mats, maintaining the Ioniq 5's reputation for a spacious and uncluttered cabin.

The 2025 Dodge Durango offered a streamlined lineup with three powertrain options. The GT model featured a 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6, the R/T had a 360-hp 5.7-liter V8, and the SRT Hellcat boasted a 710-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8. All models used an eight-speed automatic transmission, with the GT offering standard rear-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive, while the R/T and SRT Hellcat came with standard all-wheel drive. The SRT Hellcat's engine delivered 645 pound-feet of torque, accelerating to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 180 mph and a towing capacity of 8,700 pounds. Despite its power, the Durango SRT Hellcat struggled with fuel economy, rated at 12/17/13 mpg city/highway/combined. The SUV's performance was enhanced by a full-time AWD system, electronic limited-slip rear differential, and competition-tuned adaptive damping suspension, making it feel track-ready despite its size.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT introduced a Terrain Mode button on the steering wheel, offering Snow, Mud, and Sand modes that adjusted throttle mapping, wheel slip, power distribution, and regenerative braking. The XRT handled off-road conditions well, with all-wheel drive as standard. The Ioniq 5's battery capacity increased for 2025, extending the range to 318 miles in single-motor, rear-wheel drive configuration, while the XRT's range was 259 miles. Power output varied with the powertrain, with rear-wheel drive models producing 168 to 225 horsepower and all-wheel drive models delivering 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque. The Ioniq 5's instant torque provided a fun driving experience, despite its weight.

The 2025 Dodge Durango excelled in form and function, offering a spacious and comfortable interior with thoughtful features. The SRT Hellcat Premium model included heated and ventilated front seats with Nappa leather, though the performance seats lacked secure support during spirited driving. The second-row captain's chairs were heated and provided good leg support, with adequate legroom for taller passengers. The third-row seat was accessible through a generous pass-through and offered enough room for adults. Cargo space was ample, with 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 43.3 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a maximum of 85.1 cubic feet. The power liftgate was conveniently located for easy access.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 addressed previous complaints by adding a rear windshield wiper and updating the center console with fore-and-aft cupholders. Heated front seats were standard, with the SEL trim adding a heated steering wheel. The Limited trim offered front seat ventilation and driver's seat memory. Interior dimensions remained unchanged, with generous head and legroom. Cargo space measured 26.3 cubic feet with the rear seats up, expanding to 58.5 cubic feet with them folded, plus an additional .85 cubic feet in the frunk. The Ioniq 5 transitioned to the North American Charging System, allowing access to Tesla's Supercharger network, and included a CCS adapter for public and fast charging.

The 2025 Dodge Durango featured a Uconnect 5 infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a native navigation system. It included SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, Dodge Connect, and SiriusXM Guardian subscription services, along with a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. The system supported dual-phone Bluetooth pairing, Alexa compatibility, and wireless smartphone charging. The SRT Hellcat came with an Alpine premium sound system, but the test vehicle had a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The SRT Hellcat also included SRT Performance Pages for tracking performance metrics.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 retained its pair of 12.3-inch screens for the infotainment system and digital instrument cluster, with improved functionality and faster processing speeds. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard. The Bose Premium Audio system was available on the XRT and Limited trims, while the SE and SEL trims had a six-speaker system. All trims featured standard navigation, dynamic voice recognition, and Bluetooth connectivity for two devices. The Ioniq 5 included a head-up display on the Limited trim and a wireless charging pad starting at the SEL trim level.

The 2025 Dodge Durango's safety features were limited, reflecting its older engineering. Standard features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Upgrades included adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and front parking sensors. The Durango earned a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with a three-star rollover resistance rating for AWD models. The IIHS had not assessed the Durango in its newer evaluations, and its performance in the small overlap frontal-impact test was concerning.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 maintained its high safety standards, earning a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA. New standard safety features included an enhanced driver attention system, reverse and forward parking-distance warning, and a surround-view monitor on the XRT and Limited trims. Highway Driving Assist 1 and 2 were available, with HDA 2 offering lane-changing capability and machine learning. The Ioniq 5 SE now only offered blind-spot collision warning, without interventional capability.