Small changes pay big dividends for Dodge Journey

BY JOHN STEIN ToDrive Automotive Editor August 12, 2011 8:17PM

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2011 DODGE JOURNEY CREW

ENGINE: 283-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6

TRANSMISSION: six-speed AutoStick

DRIVETRAIN: all-wheel drive

FUEL ECONOMY: 16 city/24 highway

BASE PRICE: $29,990

AS TESTED: not available

WEBSITE: dodge.com

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Updated: August 30, 2011 12:10PM



The Dodge Journey has been a success for its relatively short three-year lifespan. The crossover delivers nice room and carlike handling for a competitive price. Rental fleets love it. So what’s the really big news for Journey?

By all accounts, Chrysler’s really big story this year has been Fiat, though not cars but business. The all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee was a rock-star debut that got a complete overhaul and glowing reviews from every corner.

The new Journey was polished up with a new chassis, more horsepower and interior upgrades worthy of high praise. The rental fleets are going to really love this one.

And so will most American families.

The Journey was never a stunning looker compared to others in this class, and the 2011 version with its slight makeover does little to change the middle-of-the-road exterior. However, the new front and rear bumper styling does deliver a more aggressive look. Though standard rims are 17-inch with five-spoke style, I tested a Crew model with 19-inch rims that really added some flair to the exterior.

The Journey Express is aggressively priced at a base $22,995. The $24,995 Journey Mainstreet adds a beefier engine and transmission, dual exhaust tips, body-color mirrors, cargo area accessories and Sirius satellite radio. Next is $28,995 for the R/T and $29,990 for the Crew, which offer remote start, premium audio with a hard drive, automatic climate control and 19-inch rims. The Lux version adds heated leather seats, a premium instrument cluster and chrome-clad wheels for $33,490.

Inside the new Journey you will find Chrysler’s investment pays off big time. Gone are the cheap-feel hard plastic surfaces, sea of monotone gray on the dash and the most basic instrumentation. I appreciated the softer-feeling surfaces and the dual-tone dash instrumentation.

The Journey delivers the desired elevated seating position that makes crossovers so attractive to consumers. With plenty of head and legroom in the front and second row, Journey also offers standard sub-floor bins in the second row and a bit of space for the kids in the three-row format.

Sightlines are decent for drivers, but Journey’s high waistline makes it a bit awkward at first drive.

Two engines are available for 2011. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 173 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Only the base Express has this combo; if you can afford to make the $2,000 leap up, consider it for power alone. The rest of the Journey lineup features Chrysler’s new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, delivering 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque and mated to a six-speed AutoStick “manumatic.” All-wheel drive is an option for all but the front-wheel-drive-only Express.

Journey’s reworked chassis is a real bright spot for the new 2011 version. The Journey offers new enjoyment with the introduction of revised rear-suspension geometry; larger, retuned shocks; new spring rates; and enhanced steering components.

As far as drive characteristics go, I was pretty happy with the improvement over the previous model Journey. My tester was the top-line Crew, which featured huge 225/55-19 all-season tires. This much rubber on the pavement helps with handling and provides good feel for the road, with credit also going to the electronic all-wheel-drive and stability-control systems.

Overall, Chrysler has been busy revamping its lineup with great success. Though the Journey is only freshened up, the freshening really pays big results in the cabin and under the hood.

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