Review 2012 Dodge Journey

I confess, my first experience with the Dodge Journey did not impress. It was 2009, and The Garages videographer, Scott Simmons had a rental Dodge Journey that would serve as transport for the 2009 IMPA Test Days held in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Riding in the back seat with Founding Editor Gary Grant riding shotgun, the Journey screamed rental car with an interior of inexcusable quality. I still recall Scott negotiating an off-ramp at 25mph, the Journeys tires squealing in protest while the three of us were in utter hysterics at just how awful the Journey was.

But that was 2009, the darkest days of Dodge and Chrysler. The Dodge Journey received some much needed revisions in 2011, so it was finally time for The Garage to once again revisit the Journey. Would the Journey still be nothing more than a warmed over rental car special, or has Dodge transformed the Journey into a legit player in the hotly contested crossover market? Read on to find out.

From the outside, the Journey looks essentially the same as it has since it was originally introduced as a 2009 model. A new grill and front fascia are basically all that differentiates the Journey from the original. Which isnt exactly a bad thing, as the Journey is not a bad looking crossover. It is not cutting edge or dripping with class. Id call it just about right, with nary an offensive line to be found. That said, our test car, finished in Storm Grey Pearl off-set with rather plain looking 17 alloys did a fine job of getting lost in a parking lot.

After my first trip in a Dodge Journey I was appalled at how cheap the interior was. Thankfully, Dodge got the memo that it sucked and finally made good with the 2011 resh. This time around, it looks like Dodge actually paid attention to detail with the Journeys interior. Quality of materials and fit and finish are vastly improved. Soft touch surfaces abound, as opposed to the rock hard plastics of the past. Apart from decent materials, the Journey was also quite roomy and comfortable to boot.

Base Journeys are equipped with a 2.4L four cylinder rated at 173hp, coupled to a rather archaic 4-speed automatic. I would strongly urge anyone shopping for a Journey to go for the optional 3.6L V-6, good for 283hp and hooked up to a six-speed automatic. We have sampled this new V-6 in other Chrysler products and we remain impressed with its power and inement. While four cylinder Journeys are only available with front-wheel drive, V-6 models have the option of all-wheel drive. Our test car was a front-wheel drive V-6, with EPA fuel economy figures of 17/25MPG city/highway.

Dodge has a habit of offering a dizzying amount of trim levels, and the Journey is no exception. Our test car was the mid-level SXT. We appreciated the dual-zone temperature control, but it seemed strange Dodge couldnt offer auto climate control. Other standard features included a six-speaker stereo with XM satellite radio, and touch-screen audio interface. Our test car added the Popular Equipment Group, which included a trip computer, power drivers seat, alarm, LED interior lighting, and UConnect Bluetooth technology. Including delivery charges, our Dodge Journey SXT rang in at a very respectable $26,785USD.

If you had asked me back in 2009 what Dodge should do with the Journey, I would have answered the car should be scrapped. Yet somehow Dodge was able to salvage a decent crossover from this horrible mess of a vehicle. With a fantastic new V-6 and a class-leading interior, Dodge has managed to transform the Journey from a joke to a legitimate player in the highly contested crossover market.

Related posts:

1. A New Journey for Dodge
2. This week in The Garage: 2009 Dodge Journey R/T
3. Review: 2011 Dodge Caliber
4. Review: 2011 Dodge Avenger
5. Review: 2012 Kia Sorento