2009 Dodge Journey Review

Specifications

By now, you’ve no doubt heard the sad news. Chrysler’s Pacifica is officially on the chopping block, and it’s only a matter of time before the crossover is permanently discontinued. The Pacifica was conceived during a time when Chrysler was bullish about its future thanks to fresh investment money from the Daimler side of its previous partnership, and by and large the crossover was ahead of its time. Sprinter, Crossfire and 300 aside, which all delved deeply into Daimler’s parts bins, the Pacifica nevertheless made use of a number of Mercedes-Benz components, but that wasn’t the only way in which it was more advanced than some of its rivals. Chrysler also happened to catch one of the biggest trends in the auto industry well before it was on anyone’s radar. The Pacifica, in five or six passenger guise (they never made it available with seven seats) was two sliding doors short of being a minivan, too comfortable and stable through the corners to be an SUV and too tall to be a station wagon. In essence, it had the makings of the perfect family car, but it didn’t catch on in the way that Chrysler hoped it would.

The Pacifica might not have been in every driveway of every suburban home (due in part to Chrysler’s high initial asking price), but it was hardly a failure. However, as you know, when it comes to making cars, if at first you don’t succeed, try again. This time, Chrysler’s approach is much more in tune with what buyers want, and what buyers are willing to spend.

And just what do buyers want? They want features and toys to make their lives and those of their children easier. They also want something that’s more like a car and less like a truck or a van, and finally, they want something that they’ll easily be able to afford. Chrysler figured that its youthful Dodge brand was best suited for a vehicle like this, and given the Caravan’s dominance in the minivan segment, a category that many families are migrating away from, it only makes sense to have a cool looking crossover across the showroom floor. Instead of giving it an overtly aggressive name, as most Dodge products have, it’s been titled something a little more family friendly – Journey.

The Journey serves up typical Dodge traits in a new, practical package. Its front end features the brand’s trademark crosshair grille and strong, rectangular headlamps, while the body is decorated with flared wheel arches and chromed details. Keeping with Dodge’s sportier image, the top of the line R/T model can be had with 19-inch wheels. But look at the rest of the Journey and you’ll find that it’s, well, kind of ordinary.

One of the ways that the Journey has been kept affordable is that it is yet another variation of Chrysler group’s front wheel drive architecture, which it co-developed with Mitsubishi. The Journey is most closely related to the Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring, but rides on a wheelbase that is 4.9 inches longer than that of the two sedans. It is also related to the Dodge Caliber and Jeep Patriot and Compass twins. The Journey will be available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the same permanent system offered in the Avenger and Sebring, giving buyers that extra bit of traction and the additional feeling of security.

The interior styling is a little livelier than the exterior, and features a prominent new center console that unusually places the stereo controls below the HVAC controls. From a traditional context, whoever was responsible for this would’ve had the book thrown at them, as this sort of thing just isn’t done. But truth be told, it makes sense. When you’re out driving along, most drivers tend to rest their hands on the shift knob, which in this case is right next to the stereo, one of the items often accessed while driving. On the flip side of the coin, this layout also benefits those who drive with both hands on the wheel; the redundant behind the steering wheel controls provide fingertip access, while the raised height of the HVAC controls makes them easier to adjust while driving. A win-win situation, it seems.

Another win-win is the Journey’s interior quality, with the new crossover taking over where the Pacifica, which benefits from Chrysler group’s best interior, left off. The Dodge product doesn’t offer the same luxury car appearance as the Chrysler, but according to our exec editor Trevor Hofmann, who took the time to poke around inside one on display at the IAA in Frankfurt last September, the plastics and other materials are all much better than any other Dodge car, truck or minivan, pointing the Journey in the right direction to compete with both domestic and imported crossovers.

Like the innovative dash design, you’ve got to commend Chrysler’s engineers for thinking outside of the box when creating some of the Journey’s seating and storage systems. The man behind the Caravan’s Stow ‘n Go seating system ought to win the Nobel Prize, as the flat-folding floor system has changed the minivan industry and kept Chrysler’s vans leaders in their segment despite having only been warmed over during most of the past decade before their recent overhaul. While the Journey doesn’t feature anything quite like the Grand Caravan, it does have a few tricks up its sleeve. For starters, the front passenger’s lower seat cushion flips up revealing a storage compartment for something like a purse or an iPod, or even a laptop computer. Behind those seats, the Journey also features two in-floor bins, just like the ones in the Grand Caravan, but they weren’t designed to hold seats, but rather chilled beverages. The lined, waterproof bins are big enough to store a 12-pack of soda with ice, so those with growing families needing to move up from their Calibers won’t have to go without their ChillZone.

The Journey will be offered in two different forms, a standard five-seater or, thanks to an available third row with 50/50 split seatbacks, a seven seater; those rear seats are for children or occasional adult use only. Access to the final row of seats is done through a clever seating mechanism called Tip ‘n Slide, which appears to be similar in operation to what GM features on their Lambda-platform crossovers. As for the cargo bay, it features a tri-level load floor, and when the third row of seats is upright a cargo well is created for extra space, much like the Dodge Grand Caravan.

When it comes to buying a Pacifica versus the Journey, new owners aren’t going to miss out on many premium amenities, other than HID headlamps and the more upscale look inherent to any Chrysler product inside and out. Family is this vehicle’s priorities, and therefore it incorporates built-in child booster seats for the second row, a flip down convex conversation mirror, and something called a “child presentation feature” for first-row access to children in the second row, which reportedly helps make taking care of little ones all that much easier. Other features that the Journey is available with include the MyGig infotainment system and music hard drive, a back-up camera, a rear-seat entertainment system, 115-volt household outlet, and stain and odor-resistant YES Essentials cloth seats (leather is an option). Like the Avenger and the Caliber, the ChillZone drink cooler isn’t just incorporated into the rear seat, but rather comes standard up front too, as do illuminated cupholders and a removable, rechargeable LED flashlight.

The Journey will be available with three different engines in North America, a 173-hp 2.4-liter I-4 “World Engine”, a 2.7-liter Flex-Fuel V6 that makes 186 horsepower, and a 235-hp 3.5-liter V6. All engines come with automatic transmissions as standard, with the latter V6 featuring six forward speeds. We, however, miss out on what is arguably the most exciting technical feature of the Journey, only offered in Europe. This, of course, is its diesel engine option as well as Chrysler’s new twin-clutch transmission, which will see its first application. Considering the success Chrysler’s Jeep division has had with its Liberty diesel and newer Grand Cherokee diesel, it seems odd not to offer the fuel miserly option here in North America. The company no doubt has its reasons, especially considering it would be looking at all opportunities to make the Journey a success.

Sales success in mind, it will be a little while before the Dodge Journey is introduced to dealerships in North America as there are still stockpiles of Pacificas on dealer lots. The first models won’t be around until this coming September 2008, so if your minivan or family-hauler’s lease is going to expire next year, the Journey might be a good solution. After all, who knows families better than the brand that invented the magic wagon?

Specifications (Journey):