Wouldn’t it be so nice to take a year “off”? And return refreshed and renewed to your life 12 months later?

That’s what the Durango got to do.

After a year’s hiatus, the Durango returns with a complete redesign – refreshed, renewed and ready to roll.

The Durango went in for a complete overhaul – starting with a whole new unibody architecture that gives it a more car-like ride. If you like driving the Jeep Cherokee, you’ll recognize the ride, it’s the same chassis.

A new 3.6-liter V6 engine provides 290 horsepower. That’s 80 hp more than the previous model’s 3.7-liter V6 engine.

The standard engine comes with a five-speed automatic transmission and mileage is comparable with rivals (like a Ford Explorer or a Honda Pilot) at 16 mpg city/23 mpg highway.

You can opt for a 5.7-liter V8 engine that would increase your hauling and towing capabilities, up to 7,400 pounds.

Full-time all-wheel drive is available on the V6 engine. An on-demand 4WD system, which is more capable for true rugged terrain, is only available on the V8 engine package.

I think the new Durango has a better-feeling ride than in previous years. For my purposes (hauling kids and stuff around on paved roads), it seemed like there was less rolling around on tight curves and the ride was smoother. Whether the unibody foundation will affect the Durango’s previously superlative off-roading ability, I’m not sure.

Inside the Durango was fantastic. The interior is stylish, makes sense and has high quality materials to withstand a lot of abuse from kids.

Chrysler’s latest batch of digital entertainment options (a 28GB hard drive, satellite radio and TV) should appeal to kids and tech-savvy parents.

There are two “basic” Durangos, the Express and the Heat. Both are about $30,000 and offer differing basic packages, depending on your needs. You can upgrade to the Crew, with more luxury extras for about $33,420 or the R/T with the V8 engine will start out at about $35,690. The Citadel model is $42,020.