Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Dodge Journey

I had the tough task of reviewing Dodge’s new crossover, the 2009 Journey. Why was it so hard? Well, for one, this thing crosses over a lot of segments for a single vehicle. Due to its low introductory price and available third row, it can compete with everything from a Chevy Equinox to a Toyota Highlander. There was a lot to like about the Journey, but I also had quite a few gripes, too. Check out the full review with video to find out more about Dodge’s all-new Journey.

2009 Dodge Journey Expert Review

Best Cash-Back Finds: 4.25.08

Cars.com launched its new, comprehensive rebate and incentives page earlier this month, but just having the raw figures isn’t always enough. Often there are some real gems getting a significant amount of money off that aren’t heavily advertised or thought about. This time out we’ve found some interesting deals on a pair of luxury nameplates, a brand-new model and a fuel-sipping compact. 

2009 Dodge Journey
MSRP: $19,360
Cash back: $1,000
Percent off MSRP: 5.2%    
Expires: 4/30
5-Year Ownership Costs

The new Dodge Journey was just released, and Dodge is hoping that by offering a small incentive, $1,000, folks will be more inclined to give it a shot. That’s because the Journey competes with the popular Ford Edge and Hyundai Santa Fe when equipped with two rows of seats, or the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander when equipped with the optional third row. Still, the Journey’s starting MSRP is significantly less than the competition, even before the $1,000 cash back.

Dodge's Largest Web Campaign Launches New Journey

Dodge is allocating nearly a third of its advertising dollars for the new Dodge Journey compact SUV to the interwebs. Starting today, web surfers will be bombarded with advertisements spouting the new tagline “If you can dream it, do it.” Sounds like someone is mixing MLK and Michael Jordan metaphors, but we’ve heard much worse.

The idea is that the Journey is so functional it can do just about anything. We’re not sure how much different the Journey is compared to others in its segment, but perhaps homepage takeovers of AOL (today), Yahoo! (Friday) and MSN (Saturday) will tell us.

The rest of the advertising pie is heading to traditional media, like TV and print, along with hands-on efforts across the country, including three NASCAR races. The Journey went on sale quietly last month and sold nearly as well as the full-size Durango. And that was before a major ad blitz.

More Dodge Journey News (KickingTires)

All-New Dodge Journey Gets Cash-Back Offer

Releasing incentives on a brand-new model could be considered an admission of market failure. No automaker wants to do it, but sometimes it makes sense to help spur sales. A quick glance at Dodge's incentives page reveals the ugly truth: It's kicked off the 2009 incentive season with $1,000 cash back on the Journey, its first three-row crossover.

This is usually the time when we'd mock an automaker for producing a dud, thus forcing itself to roll out incentives on a 2009 model in March 2008, but perhaps some of the blame belongs to the down economy. We’ve seen cash back on brand-new models before, but it never makes the automaker look good.

Dodge Incentives (Cars.com)
Dodge Journey Rockets to First in Incentives (Jalopnik)

Dodge Journey Priced Under $20,000

Dodge’s all-new three-row crossover will go on sale in the first quarter of 2008 in a segment that is getting more and more competitive. Price will be one factor in buyers’ minds and Dodge hopes its base price of $19,360 will be an attractive point of entry.

That prices is for the base SE trim which comes with a 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine while SXT and R/T models come equipped with either a 2.7 liter engine or a 3.5 liter V-6 engine with a six-speed automatic transmission. All models come with stability control, four-wheel disc brakes, ABS and side airbags standard.

Full pricing below.

Up Close With the 2009 Dodge Journey

• I know from photos that the Dodge Journey looks pretty good, but for any new car — especially a Chrysler (including Dodge and Jeep) product — the interior quality is an important consideration. This is a new model and another chance for Dodge to step it up, and my first impression is blah. Overall, the materials don't knock me out.
  
  Oddly enough, the dash top is soft to the touch, but it doesn't look great. More often we see surfaces that look pretty good but don't pass the touch test. Most puzzling is the LCD screen, which appears at the bottom of the center control panel. This one appeared to be audio only and not a navigation system, but I'm not sure it matters. This is awfully low for a driver who's supposed to be watching the road. — Joe Wiesenfelder, 4:02 p.m.

Related
More on the 2007 LA Auto Show
2009 Dodge Journey

More Dodge Journey Photos, Info

Over the weekend we posted our first look at Dodge’s all-new crossover, called the Journey. While we were down on the name and the apparently sub-par interior, that doesn’t mean it’s not the right type of vehicle for the Dodge lineup. We’ve updated our photo gallery below with new images of the Journey in R/T trim with roof racks and the traditional red paintjob that Dodge always uses for new models. We’re also listing the available engine types and their respective fuel economy.

2007 Frankfurt Auto Show: All-New Dodge Journey Crossover

• Competes with: Mazda CX-9, Hyundai Veracruz, Toyota Highlander, Ford Edge
• Looks like: Dodge wasn’t happy with its Dodge Durango SUV or Magnum wagon, so it met somewhere in the middle on this one
• Drivetrain: 235-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 with six-speed automatic; 186-hp, 2.7-liter V-6 flex-fuel engine or 173-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder with four-speed automatic; front- or all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Early 2008

We knew it was coming, we just didn’t know the name would be so … 1980s. That’s right, the all-new crossover Dodge is hoping will compete with the Toyota Highlander and newcomers like the Hyundai Veracruz has the unimpressive name Journey, just like the 1980s rock band. Unlike most new crossovers on the market, the Journey comes standard with seating for five, with a two-seat third row optional. Having that choice is good for consumers, but before we start talking about the Journey — no, we can’t restrain ourselves from writing the name over and over — we’ll just point out the fatal flaw: It has three engine choices that are all less-powerful and just as thirsty as the competition. Perhaps the Journey will be to the gas station.

OK, enough of that. The new crossover has a nice look to it, with a profile reminiscent of the Dodge Magnum wagon and a much more pleasing shape than the bulbous Dodge Durango SUV. The interior, however, looks just as plastic-laden as most of Dodge’s current products we’ve tested. Without seeing the Journey in person we can’t say for sure that the quality is as poor as, say, the Avenger sedan, but the photos make us believe it is.

Instead of improving its interiors, Dodge delivers more gadgetry in the Journey. Like the Caliber’s Chill Zone glove box and the Nitro’s Load ’N Go floor, the Journey has a nifty new feature we’ve never seen before: There’s a drink cooler built into the floor in front of each of the second-row seats. Both can hold 12 cans of soda and ice, and can be removed and washed out. Oh, and the Journey has the Chill Zone glove box, too, just in case 24 cans of soda isn’t enough.