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2016 R/T (aspires to be a White Citadel)

24K views 63 replies 26 participants last post by  amarogna 
#1 ·
Ordered Dec 8th and took delivery today.

2016 R/T White, Tech Pkg, Tow Package and Sunroof. Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Sport utility vehicle



Factory 2015 Citadel Rims on order
Dodge Chrome Mirror Caps, awaiting install
Door Sill Guards, awaiting install
Citadel Roof Rack on order
Citadel Chrome Grille - will order once we figure out how to remove and re-install


Initial review in a 15 miles of driving tonight...

1) no immeadiate noticeable sound difference going from 2015 NON Beats to 2016 Beats
2) Sport Button on dash has noticeable shift pattern differences, turned it off quickly however wanting to baby the car for the first few hundred miles or so.
3) Better fuel economy realtime gauge over the 2015, which seemed to bounce around too much to follow.
4) Ability to turn off paddle shifters which i will never do but my wife (somehow) always mistakenly hits them...???? and likes the ability to disable the paddle shifter feature.
5) R/T doesn't seem to ride stiffer than Citadel.

More pictures to follow as we attempt to convert our R/T into a Citadel...
 
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#4 ·
2016 Durango's offer the Hemi ONLY in the R/T...
 
#6 ·
Long story...but it was a Dodge Buy Back and full replacement. Didn't cost us anything extra except the hassle of it... We actually looked for 2015 Citadel and believe it or not there were none around the country set up with our fundamentals, Citadel, bench rear seat and V8.
 
#7 ·
Guess you won't be needing those RT rims anymore. Are you considering selling them? Keep me posted.
 
#10 ·
Definitely, once we get the new rims installed we will be posting the R/T rims for sale...
 
#9 ·
Good Choice
I am sure the ride isn't much different now between models as I believe we have noticed that the 14-16 R/T actually sit an inch higher than the 11-13's and they do ride less firm.
My guess is they are getting away from multiple spring/shock configurations
STEVE
 
#12 ·
Be careful with the roof rack. Requires drilling into the roof since you dont have the factory welded mounts. A lot of places wont touch that install for fear of leaks.
 
#13 ·
Dealer is doing it but my understanding was that there is no difference in the roof of the R/T and the others that come with the roof rack. The manufacturer simply drills the holes as well.???
 
#14 ·
At the Plant the roof for a citadel has pre punched holes. Same exact shape just a different roof panel with holes in it
STEVE
 
#18 ·
Beats was not available on the early 2015 Durango's.
 
#24 ·
View attachment 27188
Dodge Chrome Mirror Caps, awaiting install
Door Sill Guards, awaiting install
Citadel Chrome Grille - will order once we figure out how to remove and re-install
Good Luck!! I would really like to know where you get the grille and how that goes. I talked to the parts desk when purchasing my Ltd and he said the mounting points are different on the Citadel grille (very common question he gets asked). Are you going to do chrome door handle covers? If so, please post which ones you get and how they fit...I have read some have a slight gap at the body.
 
#28 ·
Curious about the grill swap also. I've also heard the grills may not be aligned the same, but when I search mopar parts sites, a lot of them say it will fit any 2014 model. Some of them don't say what the finish is either, they just have diagram pictures. I'll stay tuned, and please let us know how it goes!
 
#26 ·
Gotta love that it's 2 years out of date. There's a I269 was completed around that time. If that Nav doesn't know about it it'll forever be trying to route me a much longer way.

PS - Yes, I do know how to get home. :D I like to set it as a destination for distance/time updates when we're traveling.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Ordered Dec 8th and took delivery today.

2016 R/T White, Tech Pkg, Tow Package and Sunroof. View attachment 27188


Factory 2015 Citadel Rims on order
Dodge Chrome Mirror Caps, awaiting install
Door Sill Guards, awaiting install
Citadel Roof Rack on order
Citadel Chrome Grille - will order once we figure out how to remove and re-install


Initial review in a 15 miles of driving tonight...

1) no immeadiate noticeable sound difference going from 2015 NON Beats to 2016 Beats
2) Sport Button on dash has noticeable shift pattern differences, turned it off quickly however wanting to baby the car for the first few hundred miles or so.
3) Better fuel economy realtime gauge over the 2015, which seemed to bounce around too much to follow.
4) Ability to turn off paddle shifters which i will never do but my wife (somehow) always mistakenly hits them...???? and likes the ability to disable the paddle shifter feature.
5) R/T doesn't seem to ride stiffer than Citadel.

More pictures to follow as we attempt to convert our R/T into a Citadel...
Step 1 - Replaced the Mirrors Caps today with the Chrome versions. See my For Sale Post if interested in the White Mirror Caps.

Citadel Rims are next.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Sport utility vehicle
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Grille
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Automotive tire
 
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#30 ·
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#34 ·
I won't do the door handle covers but we may replace the Door handles down the road...
 
#41 ·
This is coming along Great
Great Progress pics as well
STEVE
 
#43 ·
Thanks Man...

Maybe the body color molding looks better however the black plastic is probably better for long term durability... We are even considering getting the 2015 Citadel Chrome Trim Side Rockers with Black lower section rather than the Body Color lower section for that reason. Hopefully this will finalize our R/T to Citadel transformation but I do still have Door Handles in the back of my mind.

Can you post a few picts of your ride? I want to see the Citadel with Black rims...
 
#48 ·
Ordered Dec 8th and took delivery today.

2016 R/T White, Tech Pkg, Tow Package and Sunroof. View attachment 27188


Factory 2015 Citadel Rims on order
Dodge Chrome Mirror Caps, awaiting install
Door Sill Guards, awaiting install
Citadel Roof Rack on order
Citadel Chrome Grille - will order once we figure out how to remove and re-install


Initial review in a 15 miles of driving tonight...

1) no immeadiate noticeable sound difference going from 2015 NON Beats to 2016 Beats
2) Sport Button on dash has noticeable shift pattern differences, turned it off quickly however wanting to baby the car for the first few hundred miles or so.
3) Better fuel economy realtime gauge over the 2015, which seemed to bounce around too much to follow.
4) Ability to turn off paddle shifters which i will never do but my wife (somehow) always mistakenly hits them...???? and likes the ability to disable the paddle shifter feature.
5) R/T doesn't seem to ride stiffer than Citadel.

More pictures to follow as we attempt to convert our R/T into a Citadel...
Awesome... Planning on doing the same because I want the red interior and the sport suspension... Btw, was the roof racks super pricey? This truck looks good without them but way better with in my opinion. Who's installing yours?
 
#49 · (Edited)
Not sure i notice any difference in the ride with the "Sport Suspension" however it noticeable sits lower. Roof racks are cheap $300 or so but we are paying a kings ransom to have the dealer install them. Didn't want to take the chance of a leak or something weird without the backing of the dealer.
 
#50 ·
I've got a 2015 Citadel and a 2014 R/T and I will say that I notice the difference when I drive them back to back The R/T is stiffer and handles tighter due to the lower ride height as mentioned and the rear sway bar which it shares with the SRT Cherokee. Steering is also weighted different. There is definitely more assist in the Citadel than the R/T. I do wish that we had the option to get a body-colored roof rack from the factory on the R/T though...
 
#51 ·
This is one of the great things about the electric steering in the 2016 models: the ability to select Sport, Normal or Comfort. I have Sport set all the time but if you want a Citadel-style steering feel it's just a button press away. I wish the steering preference could be linked to the key fob. Seems like a silly oversight on Dodge's part.

The continued lack of a roof rack option is a bummer though.
 
#57 · (Edited)
Dealer FINALLY got us scheduled and installed the Stock Durango Roof Rack. Looks perfect, they did a great job.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive tire Alloy wheel
Automotive exterior Vehicle Car Roof rack Automotive carrying rack
Vehicle Automotive exterior Car Automotive luggage rack Roof rack
 
#62 · (Edited)
Not quite... Added the Chrome Citadel Door Handles to all four doors yesterday. Not an easy a project, rears doors are a breeze but the fronts are a pain.

The Door Handles although, subtle, really adds shine... Wife and I are happy!!!

Last item will be the 2016 Rocker panels which are white on the bottom and have a Chrome Strip on the top edge.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Alloy wheel Automotive tire
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Tire Automotive tire
Vehicle Engine Car Auto part City car
 
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