09 DODGE JOURNEY first drive

[regfootball]

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/bm/09journey.htm

Las Vegas, Nevada - My first reaction to the Dodge Journey was, "Not another pricey crossover utility vehicle!" - that is until I found out you can buy a Journey in Canada for $19,995 with air, an automatic transmission, four wheel disc brakes and electronic stability control, all included.

There simply isn't anything on the market quite like it at this price point. Another $1,175 adds a flexible seating package to make it a seven passenger vehicle.

they should sell like hot cakes in Canada for that price.

despite the interior

Edited February 18, 2008 by regfootball

[Intrepidation]

Good review, all of the reviews have been pretty good so far actually.

[Polish_Kris]

So we gotta Avenger chassis, which in turn is a Mitsubishi-design, powered by the 2.4 L Mitsubishi. Interesting.

For 20k$ CDN

[CMG]

$20,000?

I'm surprised by the price, maybe they will be decent sellers...

[CARBIZ]

The $20,000 question is: WHY THE HELL DOES GM NOT HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS FOR THE CANADIAN MARKET?

Oh, that's right, we have the HHR (doesn't sell), the Equinox (4 years old) and the Tahoe ($50k and doesn't sell.) They even took away the Optra wagon, not that it was selling well, but at least it was an option.

Unfortunately, Canada as an auto market, is rapidly falling into irrelevance in GM's eyes. It now sells more vehicles in China and Brazil. The trouble is, GM Canada ( a fully independent company, as aathbloke would contend - HA) should decouple itself from Detroit and ally itself with Vauxhall and Opel. The Uplander RWB is a thousand dollars cheaper than this Journey, but its sales have tanked.

People can only be fooled for so long. I would think the Journey will do alright in Canada, as long as people forget how badly they hated their Chrysler minivans.

[!!!TED!!!]

20 grand is misleading. The loaded up version at the autoshow had an "as shown" sticker of $29,000!

It is a pretty well thought out little crossover though.

[CARBIZ]

The HHR rapidly becomes $29k, too. Which would you rather have?

[Robert Hall]

The HHR rapidly becomes $29k, too. Which would you rather have?

I wonder how the interior volume and layout compares...the HHR seems pretty small inside.

[Polish_Kris]

The $20,000 question is: WHY THE HELL DOES GM NOT HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS FOR THE CANADIAN MARKET?

Oh, that's right, we have the HHR (doesn't sell), the Equinox (4 years old) and the Tahoe ($50k and doesn't sell.) They even took away the Optra wagon, not that it was selling well, but at least it was an option.

Unfortunately, Canada as an auto market, is rapidly falling into irrelevance in GM's eyes. It now sells more vehicles in China and Brazil. The trouble is, GM Canada ( a fully independent company, as aathbloke would contend - HA) should decouple itself from Detroit and ally itself with Vauxhall and Opel. The Uplander RWB is a thousand dollars cheaper than this Journey, but its sales have tanked.

People can only be fooled for so long. I would think the Journey will do alright in Canada, as long as people forget how badly they hated their Chrysler minivans.

I see the Montana/Uplander SWB all the time, from what I know they're still selling well (considering dealers are getting rid of them for 19K$)

20 grand is misleading. The loaded up version at the autoshow had an "as shown" sticker of $29,000!

It is a pretty well thought out little crossover though.

$20K for base model.

[Intrepidation]

$20k for a base model indeed, bu the base model comes with good amount of standard equipment.

...air, an automatic transmission, four wheel disc brakes and electronic stability control, all included.

...All versions of the Journey come with a four-wheel independent suspension with MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link system in the rear. Four wheel disc brakes with an anti-lock system (ABS), traction control, roll mitigation, electronic stability control and a tilt/telescopic steering column are standard on all models.

...The flexible seating package adds a 60/40 split, tilt and slide second row seat and three-zone air conditioning, in addition to a 50/50 split third-row seat.

Basically if you check off the flexible seating package, it's enough for most people who want a people with decent features mover but are on a budget. It only adds $1,175 to the bottom line.

[The O.C.]

$21,875 in U.S.$ with the Popular Equipment Group and Exterior Appearance Package......that's alot of car for the money! It'll be a dog with the 2.4L but seems a great value.....

$19,430 for a similarly-equipped HHR LS. The LS lacks alloy wheels but I think otherwise it's pretty similarly-equipped.

[Intrepidation]

HHR does even compete with this though. It's a size smaller, technically a wagon, and only seats five...probably not comfortably.

[CARBIZ]

It's the combination of 3rd row availability, interior volume, visibility, ride height, fuel mileage - these are all 'musts' for families on a budget. Polish, you are right: bang for the buck the Uplander is a helluva deal. A six cylinder, 3 rows, OnStar, 17" wheels, ABS, etc., etc. However, GM has been foisting these on us for 4 years now. All the cheap buyers have been taken. Getting a customer out of a 2001 Valu Van (now there was an atrocity!) into an Uplander base was easy, but now those people are going to be coming due and want something better. Not to mention the number of Venture people who were happy (yes, happy) with their Ventures but apalled at the lack of leg room in all 3 rows of the Uplander. What the hell happened? Why did the seats have to grow so 'fat?'

My point is, I was a huge fan of the Uplander - 3 years ago. GM cannot continue to sell on price/value forever, especially when Hyundai and Kia are finally figuring out how to build cars and trucks people won't be ashamed to be seen in. The Journey would have been a great replacement for the Tracker, and something that GM needs in Canada if it is going to remain in the game up here.

[cire]

I have to admit that the exterior design has grown on me. It's not exciting, but it is conservatively good looking.

I think it would be interesting if Dodge would offer a turbo 4 cylinder with 6 speed auto and manual trans in this vehicle in the future (maybe with a few tasteful exterior tweaks). Just wishful thinking, but it would be nice (sort of a conservative Mazda CX-7 competitor).

I have put my opinions about the interior on hold until I see one in person. I'm hoping it comes across as some sort of improvement over Chrysler's recent efforts.

[thedriver]

I sat in one at the auto show, and the interior materials are on par with the new Malibu that I also sat in.

[6t5frlane]

I like it a lot. Just in looks alone. Compared to say a Ford escape or Chev. Equinox it's light years ahead. Very Value driven and so long as it does not have a " Recall " problem like some other Chrysler stuff it should do well

[vonVeezelsnider]

20Gs Base? This is gonna KILL the Equinox.

[FAPTurbo]

I read this review in a paper at work. When I saw the 20K base price, I nearly choked on my food; I kept thinking it was a typo.

A decent looking people hauler for 20-21K in Canada is a bargoon, and it's a shame GM has nothing really similar. Props to Chrysler.

[pow]

The Journey is $10 cheaper in the US - starts at $19,895 - and that means for the first time, the Canadians will pay less than Americans for cars.

[FAPTurbo]

The Journey is $10 cheaper in the US - starts at $19,895 - and that means for the first time, the Canadians will pay less than Americans for cars.

Apparently, when the Journey is optioned out, Americans still get the better deal. So you guys don't have to feel too bad just yet.

[Intrepidation]

I got a chance to take a quick look at a black 3.5 SXT Journey today. The exterior is very, very sharp, best looking of the small/mid-side CUVs IMO...although the Edge is a close 2nd.

Sat in the interior...plastics are better than the Avenger, probably not class leading but everything was well put together and the armrests were soft. I didn't get much of a chance to poke around, but it certainly seemed livable. It didn't have a 3rd row, so I don't know what it's like back there, but the 2nd row was surprisingly roomy. I had plenty of leg room and I'm 6'1". There's tons of storage areas and cupholders, which I really like. They just got it in Saturday, only oen too. Hopefully it's there when I go to have my oil changed this week so I can look at it more.

[Dragon]

I like the look of it but there doesn't seem to a manual transmission so I'm out.

[The O.C.]

I sat in one at the auto show, and the interior materials are on par with the new Malibu that I also sat in.

I agree. It's definitely an improvement over the Caliber/Avenger interiors that we've had to suffer with over the last few years.....

[The O.C.]

HHR does even compete with this though. It's a size smaller, technically a wagon, and only seats five...probably not comfortably.

Prolly.....but I could see potential HHR/PT types maybe looking at this "base" Journey due to it's value-proposition....and the fact it's alot roomier alternative...?? (However, HHRs have huge rebates on them now out here so that would mitigate it a bit.....don't know what Dodge is going to do on the Journey yet.)

[pow]

Prolly.....but I could see potential HHR/PT types maybe looking at this "base" Journey due to it's value-proposition....and the fact it's alot roomier alternative...?? (However, HHRs have huge rebates on them now out here so that would mitigate it a bit.....don't know what Dodge is going to do on the Journey yet.)

I could imagine CR-V and RAV4 types looking at the four-cylinder versions. Like the Equinox, it offers more room than the typical, comparably-priced small cute-ute.

[regfootball]

certainly the journey is trying to be more affordable than some of the more expensive crossovers out there. i might have to just give it a look, despite the fact that its dash is wanting.

[Intrepidation]

certainly the journey is trying to be more affordable than some of the more expensive crossovers out there. i might have to just give it a look, despite the fact that its dash is wanting.

The design looks better in person.

[6t5frlane]

Motorweek just did a story on it. Pretty much a Thumbs up. Kudos to Dodge

[regfootball]

dont stop

believing

[regfootball]

scoped out some new Journeys at the dealer by my house this afternoon.

nice looking exterior. parked next to a pacifica, its a tish larger and hard to initially pick them out from each other. but its a nice shape, even though the front is a bit bland.

They had models from about 21k to about 29k. The 4 cylinder at 21k is a heckuva bargain for a vehicle that large and functional. In fact, in a lot of ways, the Journey makes the Equinox seem kind of useless.

I couldn't sit in it, however, the impression of what i saw about the interior was that the plastics lack, the dash is not a great design. the second row seats look too low (even lower than the lambdas) and the cargo area floor is way too high which makes it less commodious. Width and leg room seem to be nicely sized.

In fact, overall, the size of this vehicle is probably the crossover segment sweet spot, cargo area excluded.

But I don't think any of that will stop the thing from selling big, mainly due to price. Dodge has added a good vehicle to its stable.

Edited February 25, 2008 by regfootball

[Intrepidation]

Dodge has had a knack for hitting the sweet in-between spot of segments. I got to sit in the 2nd row of a 5-seater and my knees had plenty of room (I'm 6'1") The seats themselves seemed fine, I don't know what they'd be like after a few hours of sitting there but seemed comfortable upon initial impression

[CMG]

I don't mind the looks of the Journey. Not bad looking for what it is....

[Polish_Kris]

The Journey is $10 cheaper in the US - starts at $19,895 - and that means for the first time, the Canadians will pay less than Americans for cars.

Our $ is at par now.

[Polish_Kris]

Polish, you are right: bang for the buck the Uplander is a helluva deal.

I prefer the Montana version, a made-for-Canada exclusivity, I like the Short-Wheel-Base one, or as I like to call them, the "stubby" models.

[vonVeezelsnider]

I rather prefer the Montana SV6 as well... EWB in Silver with the 3.9L wouldn't be bad...

[Ravenfreak13]

I saw this car on a lot today and it looks awesome! So fresh and new and I love the interior!

[ltdaniels]

a little journey update.. some more reviews are coming in.. this guy from the chicago sun-times loved it. the big thing he's keys on are the features.. there's apparently a ton of useful ones. he also liked the v6 ("sportier feel than one might suspect")..

[MyerShift]

I find the Journey to be surprisingly attractive in light of Chrysler's recent design efforts, but I really don't care for the interior styling but if the materials are better than the Avenger's (Sebring's are slightly better than its sibling) then it ought to sell well.

[regfootball]

i am not sure how the one journalist can say the interior works. the plastic is bad and the design is bad. yet, the whole package survives nonetheless.

[Intrepidation]

i am not sure how the one journalist can say the interior works. the plastic is bad and the design is bad. yet, the whole package survives nonetheless.

Because it's very functional. Kind of like how the Aztek appealed to people because of it's functionality...except the exterior of the Journey is at least pleasing to the eye.

[CMG]

i am not sure how the one journalist can say the interior works. the plastic is bad and the design is bad. yet, the whole package survives nonetheless.

So when you say, as I quote- from above....

I couldn't sit in it

:AH-HA_wink:

I love it. Are you making your astute comments from through the window of a vehicle and wondering how a journalist who actually drove the vehicle can come up with a different conclusion?

LOL

You're just too funny reg.

[The O.C.]

So when you say, as I quote- from above....

:AH-HA_wink:

I love it. Are you making your astute comments from through the window of a vehicle and wondering how a journalist who actually drove the vehicle can come up with a different conclusion?

LOL

You're just too funny reg.

Well I've BEEN inside one.....and the materials are far better than recent typical Chrysler efforts.......

And I for one like the style and design of the dashboard and console......

[CARBIZ]

Over all, I like this vehicle. The one I sat in had a nice lay out inside, but the grey plastics were underwhelming. I wish the automotive world would get away from grey. I am sick of grey. Even in the Malibu, the grey interior is boring. The two-tone cocoa-cashmere and the ebony make the car look far more 'expensive.'

Detroit should bring back COLOR. It would go along way to differentiating themselves from the boring imports. I don't think the plastics in the Dodge are all that bad, it is just the grey color makes them look cheap.

[ltdaniels]

detroit free press liked it. gave it 3/4 stars.. has pictures of it in blue, which i liked a lot. looks like there a lot of room in the back

[NeonLX]

I was holding my breath waiting for the Journey to hit the streets, hoping I wouldn't regret landing on the Malibu Maxx before the Journey was out...but I'm breathing easy now. For what it is, the Journey is pretty nice, and the pricing is good too. But for me, it doesn't take the place of the discontinued SWB minivans. Not as much load space, especially in the vertical dimension, and it's even bigger than the last of the SWB minis (which were about 15" longer, 6" wider and 1000-lbs. heavier than the original minivans). The Journey weighs in about 500-lbs. less than the porky new minivans, however, so that's a plus (though at 3700-3800 lbs, it's no lightweight).

BTW, I'm loving the Maxx--great power, nice ride, good comfort and fuel economy is decent as well.

--former owner of six different Mopar minivans down through the years.

Edited March 26, 2008 by NeonLX

[pow]

The Journey now comes with a $1000 rebate, the first for an '09 car, and that lowers the starting price to $18,895.

Imagine how far an extra $1000 would have gone for a better interior...

[ocnblu]

I find this vehicle attractive in and out, and with the third seat optional, it fits between the Edge and the Lambdas nicely. I hope it does well in the market. The $1k introductory incentive seems like a good way to help middle Americans feel better about making a big purchase like this. Well done, Dodge, imo.

[BrewSwillis]

The Journey now comes with a $1000 rebate, the first for an '09 car, and that lowers the starting price to $18,895.

Imagine how far an extra $1000 would have gone for a better interior...

I'm gonna go ahead and guess (without looking it up) that the $1000 "rebate" is only for using Chrysler Financial??

Chrysler does this with pretty much every new model. They will make up more money in the long run, if you use Chrysler Financial for your loan. I have to point this out every time someone tries to use this as an example of a new Chrysler vehicle instantly failing.