Dodge Journey 2009 Review
For a family van, this is even better, as every family is a journey of some kind, and every family trip becomes a journey.
So Chrysler has quite rightly made the name of the game with its latest passenger car, and there are plenty of other things to like about this American seven-seater.
For starters, the styling is a cross between an SUV and a van, with the typical Dodge chunky nose and beefy bodywork a bit like a bloated Holden Zafira. So it's not a giant spaceship, and it doesn't promise off-road capability that it can never deliver.
Dodge describes the Journey as a two-volume design built on part of the mechanical package of the midsize Sebring sedan. That means it's also handy with a 2.7-litre V6 petrol engine or a 2-litre turbodiesel.
There's good space and a loss of smart thinking due to folding and reclining seats that maximize cabin space and make it easy to access the little touches in comfort, entertainment and storage.
The price is also reasonable, and at $36,990 it's even below the class-leading Kia Carnival, as well as benchmarks like the Toyota Avensis and Tarago. Chrysler Group prefers to compare it to the Toyota Kluger, Holden Captiva and Ford Territory, showing the range of contenders for today's large blended families.
"This is a unique vehicle that will appeal to the multitude of consumers who want a low-cost, economical seven-seat car today, not tomorrow," says Chrysler CEO Jerry Jenkins.
He has strong hopes for sales of the Journey, which is nothing special, although it's a car that could easily become a cult hit like the PT Cruiser. It's not retro in style like PT's, but great enough to be able to go to school and meet the needs of families in 2009.
This is reflected in both the optional equipment list and the basic Journey design. The car comes with all sorts of nooks, cup holders, safety gear and everything, but the options list includes a $3250 MyGIG sound system with huge onboard storage and a $1500 rear video screen with headphones. and a rear parking camera for $400.
This is what every trip really needs.
Diesel is also a good idea for long trips with fuel economy in the 7L/100km range, although many people will prefer the 136kW that comes with a V6.
Either way, this is a vehicle that offers a different set of solutions to the same family transportation issues that are prevalent in Australia and around the world.
DRIVING:
On paper and in the driveway, the Journey looks like a smart choice.
It combines space, cost, safety and equipment, and looks more reliable than any traditional people carrier. So this should end up...
But, before I get too carried away, it does have some drawbacks.
The quality is not at Japanese level although it is an improvement over earlier Chrysler works, the tail is a bit tight for people and luggage space, but most importantly, it falls to the front.
When I first sat in Journey, I expected Forrest Gump to fall next to me.
It has nothing to do with Dodge's home country or Tom Hanks' obsession, it only has to do with the size and shape of the seats. They are more like a park bench.
The best thing I can say about the seats is that they don't get worse on a long trip. But they don't get better.
The Journey tester also came with a turbodiesel engine package, and despite excellent fuel economy, it never seemed completely happy. It is noisy at idle, takes a long time to start in the morning, and has poor communication between the engine and gearbox.
Often the engine takes too long to get into play and the transmission, although a clever design that can be manually controlled, can have a hard time finding the right gear.
But there are good things. And a lot of it.
There's plenty of room and plenty of flexibility in the case, there's huge storage, the optional MyGIG and the rear video screen are excellent, as is the rear camera. They should be on the shopping list for anyone considering travel.
It's also great to see the on-board computer register fuel consumption at less than 10 liters per 100 km in the city, and much better on the highway.
But you still have to compare Journey with its competitors, and then the choice becomes much more difficult.
It doesn't drive as well as the Ford Territory or Toyota Kluger, although the price is great, as is the location. While it's much fancier than the Kia Carnival, it's not as big or as cheap. And compared to the diesel Holden Captiva, it's not as good to drive.
But despite the questions created by its competitors, the Journey meets the needs of a family car and has the advantage of a diesel engine. As well as a stocky look that doesn't scream to passers-by in stores.
PRICE: $52,140 (Dodge Journey R/T CRD, tested, MyGIG, video, rear camera)
ENGINE: 2 liter turbodiesel
FOOD: 103kW / 4000ob
MOMENT: 310 Nm/1750-2500rpm
TRANSMISSION: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
