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Driving the 2019 Dodge Durango Pursuit | Bells and whistles, lights and sirens

Recently, we went to the FCA proving grounds in Chelsea, Mich., to test out the company's 2019 model-year lineup. There are a lot of cars to choose from, and only a limited time to drive them, so since we couldn't drive the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye (that drive is coming soon, though) naturally we gravitated to the flashiest, noisiest one: the 2019 Dodge Durango Pursuit police vehicle. This is the first time the Durango is being offered as a cop car, and there are a number of features that make it fit for service. All Durango Pursuit models feature all-wheel drive, and it's available with two different engines. The standard motor is the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, providing 293 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The tester we got to drive, though, was equipped with the 5.7-liter hemi V8, good for 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. It also has a load-leveling performance suspension, which really helped out when we tossed it around the handling course. It has 8.1 inches of ground clearance, which means it can get to scenes off the beaten path. As much as we loved driving it, we had the most fun just playing with the lights and sirens of the Durango Pursuit. Standing outside the vehicle, the sirens and horn are incredibly loud, enough to make bystanders jump in fright. Dodge did a good job with the sound deadening, though, and the sustained wail wasn't bothersome when chasing imaginary suspects around the test track. One feature we didn't get to test out, but important to police duty, was the special Uconnect system in the Durango Pursuit. More than just an infotainment system, the seven-inch display is equipped to integrate various law enforcement systems. Another cool detail about the car, its tri-zone climate system is ideal for K9 units, with the ability to set separate HVAC settings for the dogs in the back of the car. Check out the video above, and stay tuned for more videos to come from our time spent at FCA's Chelsea proving grounds. Related Video: Dodge Crossover SUV Police/Emergency Special and Limited Editions Videos FCA

Watch a Dodge Challenger Demon break 200 mph

We all know that the Dodge Challenger Demon is a monster in short bursts. Its 840 horsepower and drag-ready tires allow it to hit 60 mph in a claimed 2.3 seconds on the way to a sub-10-second quarter-mile time. But it turns out that the Demon doesn't run out of grunt after the quarter-mile. This was proven by a group that took one to the runway where space shuttles landed, Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds in Florida. There they hit a top speed of 203 mph. Dodge doesn't give a top speed for the Demon, but for a bit of comparison, the 707-horsepower Hellcat Widebody has a top speed of 199 mph. Watching the video, it's interesting how calm things appear to be in the cabin. There doesn't appear to be much vibration, and the car was clearly staying steady in a straight line, since the driver hardly moved the wheel. And before you know it, the 2.3-mile run is over. The run's not official unless a record-keeping body is witnessing it, and there will surely be Demons out there trying to beat this run, but it's sure fun to watch in the meantime. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.