2012 Dodge Journey

Vehicle Overview

Dodge heavily revised its Journey crossover for the 2011 model year. Changes included a restyled front end, an all-new interior and a new V-6 engine option. Available in five- or seven-seat configurations, the Journey is also offered with front- or all-wheel drive. Competitors include the Ford Edge, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Nissan Murano.

New for 2012
With the addition of an American Value Package, the Journey’s base price is $3,250 lower than last year. The Uconnect Touch 8.4 multimedia system with navigation gains voice-recognition technology, song-tagging capability and an eco-routing feature.

Exterior
With its crosshair grille, lower bumper styling and flared fenders, the Dodge Journey has an aggressive-looking front end. The R/T trim level has a monochromatic exterior appearance and 19-inch aluminum wheels. Other exterior features include:

• Standard 16-inch steel wheels; 17- or 19-inch aluminum rims optional
• Standard power heated side mirrors
• Dual exhaust tips with optional V-6
• Optional roof rails
• Optional LED taillights
• Optional front fog lights
• Optional power sunroof

Interior
Higher-quality materials were added to the Journey’s dashboard last year. All Journey trim levels have a touch-screen stereo, but the optional Uconnect Touch 8.4 system features a large 8.4-inch touch-screen interface for functions like air conditioning and audio, and it can incorporate a Garmin-based navigation system. The R/T model boasts black leather seats with red stitching. Other interior features include:

• Standard fabric-covered seats; leather-trimmed seats optional
• Optional heated front seats
• Standard manual air conditioning; automatic air conditioning optional
• Standard tilt/telescoping steering wheel with audio controls
• Standard second-row floor bins
• Standard illuminated cupholders
• Standard CD stereo with 4.3-inch touch-screen, MP3 jack and USB port
• Optional Infinity premium audio
• Optional built-in second-row booster seats
• Optional rechargeable flashlight
• Optional storage inside front-passenger seat

Under the Hood
The Journey’s base engine is a 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder that works with a four-speed automatic transmission. A 283-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 is available, and it teams with a six-speed automatic. Mechanical features include:

• Four-cylinder model is front-drive only; V-6 versions can have front- or all-wheel drive
• Both engines use regular gas
• Maximum Towing capacity is 1,000 pounds for four-cylinder, 2,500 pounds for V-6

Safety
Safety features include:

• Standard antilock brakes
• Standard side-impact airbags for the front seats
• Standard side curtain airbags
• Standard driver’s knee airbag
• Standard stability system with electronic roll mitigation and trailer-sway control
• Standard front active head restraints
• Optional rear parking sensors
• Optional backup camera