Rather than your typical rolling start or dig race, the folks at Edmunds use a quirky format. Think of it as a two-vehicle showdown to there and back, a format that includes a dig start, hard braking, a 180-degree turn, and a roll back to the start/finish line.
On this occasion, Edmunds pitted two large SUVs against each other. As far as the finer details are concerned, the sport utility vehicles in the featured video couldn’t be more different from one another. The Audi RS Q8 embodies the Volkswagen Group’s might and European sophistication, whereas the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is the sledgehammer approach to high performance.
Quite a bit pricier, the RS Q8 packs a twin-turbo V8 developed by Audi and Porsche for MLB (think Lamborghini Urus) and MSB (think Bentley Continental GT) applications. The 4.0-liter unit develops 657 ponies and 627 pound-feet (850 Nm) in the Urus Performante and Urus S, yet VW couldn’t give the RS Q8 the same kind of output. As a result, said engine is tuned to produce 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm).
Tipping the scales at 5,487 pounds (2,489 kilograms), the Audi further sweetens the deal with massive brakes, electronically controlled adaptive air suspension, and the 8HP90 eight-speed auto from ZF. The slightly porkier Durango also rocks an eight-speed auto, namely the 8HP95.
Both trannies are much obliged to take 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) of torque. Boasting a Hellcat supercharged V8 with 6.2 liters of displacement on deck, the Durango makes a ridiculous 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet (875 Nm) at full chatter. While not as powerful or torquey as the Challenger SRT Demon 170, this fellow is one of the punchiest SUVs in production right now.
Photo: Edmunds on YouTube
Weighing in at 5,567 pounds (2,525 kilograms), the biggest problem of the Durango SRT Hellcat comes in the guise of antiquated underpinnings. Codenamed WD, the third-gen Durango rolled out in 2010 for the 2011 model year with various bits and pieces inherited or based on the 166-series Mercedes ML and 166-series Mercedes GL.
Twinned with the fourth-gen Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Durango is the very opposite of a thriller in the twisties. Even though it features Brembo-supplied brakes, the Durango SRT Hellcat also struggles under braking. Edmunds’ latest U-drag race clearly shows how much the gentle giant struggles in the hard braking zone and 180-degree turn, giving the win to the far more expensive Audi RS Q8.
Priced as tested at $93,335 and $123,995 (including the destination freight charge), said indirect competitors need in the ballpark of 4.0 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour). They clock about 12.0 clicks in the quarter mile, yet the Audi is one tenth quicker in both scenarios.
The RS Q8 pulls more Gs in the hairpin, and the Audi utterly demolishes the Durango SRT Hellcat back to the start/finish line. Their best overall times over no fewer than three races? 36.1 seconds at 124.1 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour) for the Dodge versus 35.5 seconds at 123.6 miles per hour (199 kilometers per hour) for the Audi.
Although cruder in execution, the Durango SRT Hellcat definitely makes the better sound. It will be sad to see the Hellcat engine go the way of the dodo after the 2024 model year in favor of a twin-turbo I6 and all-electric powertrains. But then again, FCA US LLC has to improve its fleet average fuel economy to satisfy the NHTSA’s increasingly draconic CAFE requirements. As a brief refresher, we’re in for a fleet average of 49 miles per gallon (4.8 liters per 100 kilometers) by 2026.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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