Journey

Vehicle: 2011 Dodge Journey R/T with Driver Convenience Group and Flexible Seating Group
Price as tested: CDN$33670

Performance: If there is one powertrain that is similar to Nissan’s hugely successful VQ, in terms of application, Chrysler’s latest Pentastar series certainly up with it. Just like Nissan which has been successfully used across its model range, Chrysler will use this powerplant across the entire range. Our latest Chrysler tester, the revised Journey, has joined the ranking.

What makes Chrysler so proud of their Pentastar V6? That’s because other than its usual DOHC 24-valve with variable valve timing. In Journey’s guise, it has 283 ponies and 260 lb/ft of torque mated with a smooth 6-speed manumatic. It ranks as one of the best V6s around town. When it comes to engine refinement, NVH and overall responsiveness; Pentastar takes no backseat to any of its Japanese and European counterparts. Most of all, its very compact underneath the bonnet. That means more space for mechanic to work underneath the hood, which means paying lesser labor along the way. The 6-speed Autostick has worked exceptionally well with Pentastar, as expected. The shifts are crisp while providing nice enough ratios. However, we prefer to leave it in “D” as its more suitable for Journey’s cruising character. The overall responsiveness through low-range is impressive, what its most impressive is how Pentastar works its way up middle and upper rev range when pushed to the max. It doesn’t have the noisy racket feel of Chrysler’s previous V6 engines. All have done while moving this 4239 lb of heavymetal effortlessly through the process.

Handling: Chrysler engineers have stiffened up Journey’s chassis during their latest revision. That means it feels stiffer and have much better bending rigidty. its equal to a better place for friends called suspension components to hangs their heads on top of the floorpan. The result is a people mover that is very capable through corners. Although you won’t have as much fun pressing Journey through twisties, as say our all-time favourite Mazda5, it does what its supposed to do extremely well. The steering provides decent feel and feedback, while returning enough precision through the process. There are terminal understeer and body rolls are more than acceptable. ESP has worked exceptionally well when pushed the Journey to the max. If you are going to consider the Journey R/T, make sure you take the optional AWD. As it stands, it works as a first line of defence before ESP steps in. It makes for a far more confidence-inspiring driving experience in our harsh Canadian winter.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Journey has proved to be equally capable when it comes to braking front. The stopping distance is short, while pedal always feels reassuring and providing nice feedback. Most of all, ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily is truly an added bonus.

Interior: As with most of these people movers, the 3rd row is either/or when it comes to passenger or luggage space. When its up, it has more than enough leg and headroom for 2 passengers. When its down, it provides plenty of luggage space for 5 passengers on a weekend getaway.

The 2nd row seat is equally spacious. In our R/T guise, it has seperate climate control for rear passengers for complete coziness.

Regardless of being in 1st or 2nd row, previous Journey has to suffered from cheesy plastic on door panels to dashboard. Chrysler has taken all the criticisms with all of their last generation of product. The new Journey has received an interior, which designed with much improved attention-to-details, right from the instrumentation gauges to auto climate control. The use of plastic and leather materials are finally up to class standard.

Conclusion: The Journey has proved to be a very successful people mover for Chrysler, as it combines with versatile interior with lots of feature amenities, if a bit lacking in refinement. The latest generation addressed those aplentry. It finally gets the interior that it has been crying out for, Pentastar V6 is sweet-as-a-nuts and continue to be feature-laden.

Sole competition:
Mazda5

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Dodge Journey R/T
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Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4.5/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Vehicle: 2009 Dodge Journey SXT AWD
Price as tested: CDN$27595

Performance: The Journey is powered by two different engines. In the base SE, its standard with the rough and noisy 2.4 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder world engine, which is a joint venture program between Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Hyundai. This 173 horses and 166 lb/ft of torque 4 banger is adequate for a crossover weighting in north of 3800 pounds. However, its the optional 3.5 liter V6, which is the High Output variety, according to Chrysler, that is the engine of choice. While 235hp and 232 lb/ft of torque are nothing spectacular consider the level of engine displacement, its the work ethics that really suitable to Journey’s status of life. With 232 lb/ft of torque arrives at 4 grand, its more than enough to motivate this 4229 lb pig of crossover. While the bottom end is more than enough, its the mid-range that is most impressive. With the maximum horsepower delivers at 6400rpm, it certainly has plenty to deliver even with 7 passengers on board. The throttle response is quick and smooth. Mated to this V6 is a 6-speed automatic with AutoStick. AutoStick to Chrysler is what manumatic means to the rest of the world. The shifts are smooth and coordinate, while the lower gears are low enough for peppy acceleration. That is certainly helps a whole lot with this heavy crossover during acceleration. On the top gears, it cruises comfortably especially the tall 6th gear. Unfortunately, if you are looking for something economical to run. You shouldn’t consider this powertrain at all. At the day of our testing, the test average of 13L/100km is thirsty. The fuel economy would only get worse with 7 passengers and their belongings on board.

Handling: Journey is based on the same platform as Avenger. While we were underwhelmed by Avenger’s dynamic abilities, we have a delightful surprise with the Journey. Even though the chassis isn’t of anything spectacular, it serves this crossover pretty damn well. Chrysler engineers have done a great job of balancing the ride and handling. It rides as good as any crossovers we have ever driven. Both the suspension and springs absorb bumps and roughness with ease. The AWD system works accordingly. The steering provides decent feedback and response, its even more surprising that it is damn precise. There are certain amount of body rolls and understeer. Its understandable that ESP is an instrusive type, as it really needs to step in accordingly in a crossover. There is safe understeer, as we all expect from a crossover, with safety and comfort in mind.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Journey has a commandable braking performance even with its heavyweight. The stopping distance is acceptable while pedal feels solid. This is a break from the usual numb braking feel norm once associates with Chrysler products.

Interior: When it comes the ergonomics, the Journey scores well. The stereo is smart enough to place above the climate control. There are plenty of storage spaces on the center console, underneath the front passenger seat and behind the 2nd row floors. Another bonus is the ease to get into the 3rd row seat, which can’t said about the same thing regarding Chrysler’s previous attempt on crossover, the flopped Pacifica. The Yes! Essential seating materials look durable even though its roughness is questionable. However, its firm enough to haul everyone comfortably on both long and short journeys.

Having said that, the disasterous use of rock-solid, cheap plastic materials remain thoroughout the cabin. Another drawback is the location of the shifter, which placed way too forward on the sloppy center console.

With the 3rd row seat in place, you don’t get much cargo space. With them fold down, it got 120 more liters of space for all the belongings. It also got a neat LED flashlight standard across the board.

Conclusion: Chrysler’s first attempt to crossover was an unsuccessful one. The Pacifica was underpowered, handles like a boat and not versatile enough. With the introduction of the Journey, Chrysler has learned the mistakes of the Pacifica by adding more power and give it better driving dynamics. When it comes to versatility, its unbeatable in its price range. The low admission price is an added bonus. The bottom line? Journey has to be considered as one of the best efforts from Chrysler today.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2009 Dodge Journey
=====================================
Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 5/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5