By Mike Hanley
Cars.com National April 29, 2008Vehicle Overview
The Dodge Journey is an all-new crossover that's available in five- and seven-seat versions. Available with four-cylinder or V-6 power, the Journey can have either front- or all-wheel drive. It hits dealerships in the first quarter of 2008 and faces a number of competitors, including the Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe, Subaru Tribeca and Toyota Highlander.
Crossovers are becoming an increasingly popular segment of the market, and the Journey gets Dodge into this game. It comes with a number of standard safety features and is available with amenities you may have seen in other Dodge models, such as a Chill Zone beverage cooler in the dashboard, YES Essentials stain-resistant seats and a MyGIG music system.
Exterior
The Journey is recognizable as a Dodge thanks to its crosshair grille bordered by rectangular wraparound headlights. Large front and rear fender flares accent wheels as large as 19 inches in diameter. The Journey measures 192.4 inches long overall, 72.2 inches wide and 69.9 inches tall with the available roof rack. The liftgate has a small spoiler.
Interior
The Journey has standard seating for five and optional seating for seven with the two-person third-row seat. Whereas Dodge's Grand Caravan minivan can have Stow 'n Go or Swivel 'n Go seating, the Journey offers a new Flip 'n Stow system, which is essentially a storage bin under the front passenger seat cushion that's revealed by tilting forward that cushion. There are also separate bins under the floor in the second row.
The second-row seat can slide forward and backward, and integrated child booster seats are available. The second row can fold flat into the floor for more cargo room, and Dodge's Tip 'n Slide feature allows the second row to slide forward and out of the way so it's easier to get into and out of the third row. Cloth seats are standard, and YES Essentials fabric and leather are optional.
Available features include a navigation system, backup camera, rechargeable flashlight, remote-start system, Bluetooth-based cell phone connectivity and a backseat entertainment system.
Under the Hood
The base engine is a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that produces an estimated 173 horsepower. Two V-6s — a 186-hp (estimated), 2.7-liter V-6 and a 235-hp (estimated), 3.5-liter V-6 — are available. The four-cylinder and 2.7-liter V-6 drive a four-speed automatic transmission, while the 3.5-liter V-6 uses a six-speed automatic. The Journey comes standard with front-wheel drive, but models with the 3.5-liter V-6 can have all-wheel drive.
Safety
All-disc antilock brakes, side-impact airbags for the front seats, three-row side curtain airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system and an electronic stability system are standard.
Additional Reviews
Cars.com Expert Reviews
| David Thomas | Cars.com National | April 24, 2008 |
| Mike Hanley | Cars.com National | April 29, 2008 |
Affiliate Reviews
| G. Chambers Williams III | Star-Telegram.com | July 1, 2009 |
| Warren Brown | washingtonpost.com | June 15, 2008 |
| G. Chambers Williams III | Star-Telegram.com | June 14, 2008 |
| Bob Golfen | AZCentral.com | May 19, 2008 |
| Kristin Varela | Mother Proof | April 3, 2008 |
| Jim Mateja | chicagotribune.com | March 2, 2008 |
| Scott Burgess | The Detroit Newspapers | February 6, 2008 |
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