Dodge Journey Crossover

albook

"My advice: jump directly to Toyota... Chrysler is in trouble becasue they manufacture unrealiable cars".

Sounds like someone's a little biased.Though I'll agree most Toytas are nicer than most Chrylers, the Pacifica is SO MUCH nicer than the Highlander. The Caravan and Town and Country are nicer than the Sienna, with more innovative features, like stow and go.

the Highlander is a sorry competitor for this market, as it lacks so many of the featrues of its competitors. automag editors regularly score rank the Chevy Malibu above the Camry in comparison tests. I strongly doubt the Tundra will ever outsell the Ram or Silerado or F-150, same with the Grand Caravan vs the Sienna. WAKE UP! Toyota isn't as high and mighty any more.

albook

This is what seems to be the overall thoughts of the Journey:

Styling: it's bland. Not ugly, not any more than okay looking.
Space: interior is a little tight. Third row is small for the long length.
Interior: improvement for Chrysler, good ergonomics, but still bland.
Performance: performs pretty nicely, plenty of power and pick up.
Competition: Unless you are getting a great deal, there's better out there for the money. Go for the Pilot or Veracruz. Or if you want a real third row, get a GMC Acadia.

snapcracklepop

I like both the exterior and interior styling on the Journey. The exterior is contemporary and sporty - I like the crosshair grill. And the interior has a lot of cool features with a ton of storage space which I feel is very important - I really like the looks of it.

albook

Sure the journey looks okay on the outside, but nothing great. And the interior isn't up to the standards of some of today's more popular CUV choices (Murano, Edge, Highlander).

snapcracklepop

The Journey has a youthful feel to it that I like. It is stylish with useful features and is spacious. Plus, it is less expensive with a better value IMO.

aladdinsane

Did you refer to the base SE version, with 4 cylinder powerplant?

I'm curious.

I dig the Journey too in some ways, but I would go with the SE. I know the machine is a heavyweight, and the 4 cylinder may be overtaxed, but I still prefer the simplicity of the base SE (speaking for myself).

It's a pity Chrysler did NOT furnish the six cylinder SXT with a Hybrid system. Perhaps in future, hopefully.

I also wish the SE came with a sunroof option too.

Oh well...

Peace!<-AladdinSane-<- :shades: --

crh47

My wife, 25 year old, says that a Pacifica looks worse than a minivan. She wouldn't even look at one. We went test driving the other day, drove the following
GMC Acadia
Honda Pilot
Mazda CX-9
Toyota Highlander (Sport and stupid expensive Hybrid)
Dodge Journey
We ordered a Journey. Why? 5-10 thousand less than any of the other above with may more features. We love the storage bins and integrated booster seats (We have 2 toddlers). I got the 19" wheels, My Gig Entertainment, roof rack, and much more for $23,000. Also, I'm 5'7" and I could fit in the third row easily... know my girls will be able to fit in them for years. The wife thought the Highlander,CX-9, and Pilot were ugly. The Acadia, she loved the looks, but it felt too big and the tranny kept searching for a gear unsuccessfull...very annoying. The Journey was perfect!!

qbrozen

With the options and price, am I correct in assuming this was a FWD 4-cyl? Did you find the 4-cyl powerful enough for the vehicle?

indianrefining

Think maybe I'll wait untill the 2010s come out and see if I might be able to get one with one of the new little Cummins diesels.

albook

Glad you are happy with your purchase, but for me to get a Journey Chrysler would have to throw some ridiculuos discounts on the tag. Actually, they probably will. But if I had a choice between this and the Highlander, I'd take the Highlander in a heartbeat (and I'm nowhere near a Toyota fan!). The Acadia in half a heartbeat. I can understand the big aspect, but I still say the Acadia is a much nicer vehicle. If price was a limiter, why didn't you look at the Acadia's cousin, the Outlook. It starts a little cheaper and since it's not selling quite as well as it's two upscale siblings, there are some attractive deals on it now.

albook

Honda just showed the new Pilot. I was wondering what are the oppinions of the Journey in comparison to the Pilot and other competition (Highlander, Veracruz). If given the choice, I'd rather have any of the others, as they have more space and utility, even the Pilot, which styling is a bit out there for me.

qbrozen

I really dislike the new Pilot design.

albook

I'm not a fan of the front end either, but I think it's nicer inside than the Journey.

birdmandave

I purchased an SXT yesterday. Not sure if what I read here is based on facts or opinion. I am totally impressed with the handling, acceleration, and the storage is perfect. Fit golf clubs in the back without putting the second row seats down, and the storge box in the crago area is great for golf shoes, balls, and more. Not to mention you can keep ice cold drinks in the two cooler on the floor. I traded an 07 Ram with the Hemi engine. Even if I get three to four MPG more, I'll realize a significant reduction in fuel costs @ 3.70 p/gal. in FL. I would suggest before you post a negative comment, test drive one. I could have bought any crossover, suv, or whatever you call them, and the Journey by far offers more bang for the bucks.

qbrozen

just to help the board along, I'll ask ...

so what other vehicles did you test drive before buying the Journey? How do you think those other vehicles compared?

birdmandave

Tested a Ford Edge Limited. The ride was good. It also had the SYNC system which is cool. It had very limited cargo room versus the Journey. Would have to keep the back seats down to fit golf clubs.I like the looks of the Edge,but if you want the moon roof, you give up the roof racks, The racks add a nice appearance. The Edge was about 6K higher. The Journey is already showing 19+ MPG with a mixture of city and long back road driving. I woulld have checked out a Murano, but once I heard Premium, I didn't even make it to the dealer.

crh47

You are not correct. this was a FWD SXT w/ 3.5 under the hood. As for all the "I'd rather have an Acadia/Highlander/Pilot replies, we drove all of the above, and picked the Journey.

albook

Good for you. Glad it fits your needs.

jayadalla

I test drove a Journey yesterday. My thoughts - comfortable to sit in, drives like a car, plenty of space, should you need it. At my local dealership there was one parked next to a new grand caravan. The Journey is almost the exact same length, so if you don't want a van, but want the space - this might be a good choice. The other thing I noticed was the price. Very competitive. You could pay (at least in my area) $6-7k more for a Highlander similarly equipped.

Some of the odd things I noticed - odd center console for radio, HVAC, back-up camera, etc. It seemed, too, that the controls for the rear heating and cooling were up front. Maybe that's not the case. I didn't investigate it quite as well as I should have. I'm also not wild about the two-toned leather seats. We keep our cars for a very long time, and it could become a "shag carpet" moment at the time of sale.

smithed

Please keep us posted on how it is doing. The features I've seen they've put in make this look like a very usable vehicle for a family.

aladdinsane

Has anyone seen an ONLINE road test written for the SE version of the Journey?
It seems only the SXT and RT versions get all the attention, but I would find it quite interesting to see a road test of the base SE model...speaking for myself.

Please inform...

Many thanx-

Peace!<-AladdinSane-<- :shades:

crh47

We picked ours up Saturday. Below is the exact model w/ options.
Inferno Pearl Red SXT FWD
Sunroof, built in booster seats in 2nd row, 3rd row seating, tow prep, 19" wheels, My Gig / backup camera, roof rack
all these are part of packages that I can't think of right now. We are loving it!! I'm kind of jealous that my wife gets to drive it every day. The MyGig is awesome. We've already downloaded our favorite cds, so now we just play them from the jukebox. The ride is so smooth you can't feel bumps or shifts. Built in boosters work great for my 2 year old...no more lagging boosters from car to car.
Everybody is asking us what kind of car it is...I think we've got the first one in our area.

I'll try to post updates, but so far, it is perfect for our needs.

albook

"The Journey is almost the exact same length"

Not exactly, actually there is quite a BIG difference. The two are almost a foot apart in length. But space inside pales in comparison to other competitors of the same size (Pilot/Highlander).

albook

Lots of options. I'm guessing 28-30g?

crh47

Nope. Try $23,500.

Also an update. Took the first road trip...logged about 600 miles of mixed city and hwy, including one night downtown Nashville. Averaged 24 mpg. Very impressive. This is a great road trip vehicle. Just set the cruise and go.

albook

23,5? Good for you, bad for Chrysler. It's obvious Chrysler isn't making a big profit on these Journey's as from day 1 they have had huge incentives and rebates.

Still, congrats on your purchase. That mileage is pretty good, too for the 3.5.

crh47

Guess I should be completely honest about the price. When the Journey first came out, I called the dealership (2 hours away) to ask about it. Long story short, the "newbie" salesman that worked the phone promised me way too much for my trade and 0% financing, whic Chysler doesn't even offer on the Journey. I took off work the next day to go pick it up. They didn't even have one with a 3rd row. Everything he told me was a lie. Needless to say, I was upset. To make it right, the manager ordered me one for his costs, minus dealer holdback, doc fees, everything. In the end, it was worth it. We got what we wanted at a great price.

albook

Nice manager. Some aren't that generous. Did the sticker say about 28?

crh47

You know, I never even looked at the sticker. However, Build n Price puts it at closer to $28,500.

albook

Wow. 5g off. And it's been out 3-4 months!

albook

If the media is telling the truth, the Dodge Nitro is on the chopping block. That should give the Journey space to move around, as they were basiacally in the same size market (but the Nitro is a real SUV).

albook

The Journey lost to four other midsize CUVs in Car and Driver's June issue. I just think Dodge is lucky other models like the Veracruz Highlander and the new Pilot weren't included. 8th place looks a lot worse than 5th.

crh47

Yeah, I read that C & D. Nobody wants to give Dodge a chance. The biggest complaint was "hard leather seats." The 3rd place Ford Edge had the same complaint, but it didn't seem to be that big of deal. Consumers are making their own decisions...they can't keep them in stock.

albook

Consumers are making their own decisions...they can't keep them in stock.

Really? Because Chrysler is offering HUGE incentives on the Journey- and they were almost from day one. The Edge didn't even tget tham that early. I know thesse two aren't direct competitors, but I consider success to be the GMC Acadia. I've never seen any big discounts on the Acadia- heck, they rarely advertise the price in the paper. And it's over a year old!

au1994

What are the incentives in your area? Where I live there is only $1k on the Journey. Not exactly huge in my book.

68p51

Where I live they are selling for sticker minus the $1,000 rebate with most being sold before they get here. I've been waiting for a month for an unsold one so I can take a test drive.

crh47

In a forum for Journey owners that I frequent, there are people that have been waiting for months for theirs. It was recently named #1 crossover in Canada, despite the fact that Canadians don't get the rebate, gas card, or the lifetime powertrain warranty.

autowrite

I am Canadian. What forum are your talking about? Did this forum name it #1 in Canada? How could it be named #1 when it has not had a year's experience behind it?

Vehicles owned:
2002 Honda Odyssey EX (current)
1992 Ford Taurus L 4 door 300 cu in long-stroke
1982 Ford E150 Customized by Triple-E travel Van 351 cu ins V8
1979 Mercury Zephyr 6 cylinder 4-door sedan
1972 Datsun 510 4-door automatic
1967 Plymount Valiant 2-door sedan large-v6
1965 Morris 1100
1963 Austin 850 mini

prendy

HI!
I AM A NEW MEMBER BUT,I'VE READ ALOT OF YOU REPLIES,ABOUT NOT JUST THE JOURNEY,BUT ALOT OF OTHER VEHICLES,AND YOU JUST SEEM TO ENJOY,IN YOUR OWN WORDS BASHING EVERYTHING,I HAVE HAD ALOT OF NEW AND USED CARS IN MY LIFETIME,AS I ASSUME YOU HAVE ,AND HAVE TEST DRIVEN PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF VEHICLES IN MY LIFETIME,I DO ALOT OF HOMEWORK AND INVESTIGATING BEFORE I BUY ANY NEW CAR,AND THE DODGE JOURNEY I MUST SAY WAS A PLEASANT SURPRISE TO ME ,ESPECIALLY FOR THE MONEY,(SORRY I AM NOT A MILLIONAIRE LIKE YOU ARE,AGAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS MONEY IS NOT A ISSUE,WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING VEHICLES, BUT I DROVE A ACADIA,VERY NICE BUT ALOT MORE EXPENSIVE THEN MY NOW NEW 3.5 JOUNEY WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IN IT,FOR 26,000.AS WAS THE EDGE AND HONDA CRV. ALOT MORE FOR THE SAME EQUIPEMENT SO ALL I CAN SAY IS BEFORE YOU KNOCK THE PRODUCT YOU SHOULD @LEAST TRY ONE OUT . AS I SEE FROM THE FORUM,ALOT OF NEW OWNERS INDEED REALLY LOVE THE ROOM AND RIDE OF THEIR JOURNIES,AND THE GAS MILAGE IS RIGHT AROUND THE CRV AND EDGE,AGAIN YOU SAID THE MILEAGE SHOULD BE IN THE OTHER CROSSOVERS AREAS ,WELL DO SOME FIRST HAND CHECKING,AND YOU WILL FIND THAT THE 4 CYLINDER IS BETTER THAN ALL CROSSOVERS,AND THE SIX IS RIGHT ABOUT THE ASAME AS OTHERS IN ITS CLASS.

SO BE HAPPY WITH YOUR PACIFICA AND STOP BASHING ALL OF THE JOURNEY OWNERS OPINIONS UNTIL YOU EITHER BUY ONE, OR RENT ONE FOR A FEW DAYS, I THINK YOU WILL BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED
PRENDY

crh47

www.dodgejourneyforum.com
No, the forum did not name it #1. It is posted by a Canadian in a thread.

albook

First off, lets remove the caps.

I have never, nor have I ever said that I own a Pacifica. Ever. Also, when did I say money is not an issue? Did you make this up? I'm sure you do a lot of research before buying a vehicle. But I do lots of research even on vehicles I have no intention of buying.

And yes, I do have a little experience with the Journey. Though I've never driven one, I have sat in them at dealerships and Autoshows- all models ranging from the base to the topped out models (RT I believe). This is my oppinion, but from my experience (and the automedia seems to agree) the Journey falls short of its competitors. The third row is small and cramped. The seats are hard. I do feel the Acadia is a much nicer, better effort, but you can't really compare the two as they are in different size categories. I am really comparing to the Highlander and Pilot and Veracruz. And I also know that though the V6 probably provides adequate power, it can't be nearly as peppy as the ones in the Veracruz and Highlander- both of which have nicer third rows and much more cargo space. You say the 4-cyl is better than all CUVs, but this is nothing but your oppinion. The Journey sounds like a good choice if you are on a tighter budget and don't want to spend a lot, but if you can spend more, I'd deffinitely suggest something else.

So before you jump to conclusions about what I do and do not know, give me a chance to explain. And do worry, I won't be buying a Journey.

albook

It was a black topline model with the chrome rims.The styling looks a little wagonish, but it has grown on me a bit,

albook

16.2k for an SE. Isn't the SE sticker 19.9? Saw another one today and the syling continues to grow on me.

crh47

Admittely, the base SE looks terrrible to me with small 15 or 16 inch wheels. However, with the 19s and roof rails, it's a totally different vehicle. Also, I'm not a fan of the "chrome clad" wheel covers. The 19" aluminums look great!

albook

But if they take that much off the bottom line model, they probably take a little more off the topline model. And weren't you the one who got so much off yours for a dealer dispute?

However, I do agree the loaded R/Ts in black with the 19's look nice.

albook

I recently read that the Avenger is suposed to get a more powerful/ efficient V-6 (although I can't remember where). Does anyone know if this is true for the Journey. This whould probably be good, as from what I know, the Journey isn't the most athletic of the bunch. And fuel economy isn't impressive for something of this size, either.

ggk86

We purchased a Journey a little less than a month ago. I have been fairly happy with it - of course everyone would like better gas mileage but then I could have bought a compact car. I actually wanted the RAV4 which now has a 3rd row option but my hubby thought it was a "girlie" car. Of course it is my car ( and I am a girl) but I went with the Journey after being treated like crap at the Toyota Meat Market (I mean dealership).
We got the mid range line and added leather seats. Probably wish we had looked at the top line since the diff. in payment would probably have not been that much.
This weekend travelling all interstate, we got up to 26 mpg. It is remarkable how much slowing down just a little will help !! Did not feel as stiff and sore after 6 hour drive as we did sitting in our old 1996 Pathfinder (almost 200,000 miles).
Pretty much keep the third row seat folded down but nice to know it is there for family and kids' friends. The storage has just a little less height than the pathfinder but we also have the luggage rack if needed. Plenty of room for groceries or cooler and luggage (for 4), beach chairs, boogie board for last weeks trip. :shades:

clouter

Any comments good or bad regarding Dodge Journey's 6 speed transmission?

09_journey

Anyone out there know of any known problems with the new Dodge Journey? I have one that I bought recently, ordered it brand new, has right at 2K miles and is having problems with electrical and transmission (might be one in the same). Is going into the shop for the second time on Monday.

09_journey

I loved my dodge journey until about 2 wks ago... good power and the transmission never seemed to strain even when trying to merge into traffic or pass. I was VERY impressed with the power it had for a v-6.... I bought it just recently, ordered it brand new, has right at 2K miles and is having problems with electrical (my-gig, lights, wipers, A/C fan etc. sporadically do not work and you have to restart the car to get them to come back on) Also... transmission is slipping, after engaging into gear it takes a long pause before it moves.Often if you are just stopped at a light it "bunny hopss" forwawrd when you step on the gas to pull away as if was not in drive. It is going into the shop for the second time on Monday.