2009 Dodge Journey Review

Dodge Journey Introduction :

The 2009 Dodge Journey priced at MSRP: $20,925 – $29,335 is a perfect vehicle for all those buyers who are looking at buying a vehicle that has the convenience of a minivan but does not offer the looks of the same. This model is a crossover and offers an amalgamation of a wagon with an all wheel drive. It has styling of a sports and utility vehicle which make it appealing to buyers who prefer new looks along with utility. This model can easily accommodate seven occupants and hence makes it ideal for larger families.

Dodge Journey Body Style :

The 2009 Dodge Journey has a well styled exterior with a reasonably sleek silhouette. It has the exterior frame that has a combination of an SUV and wagon. The exteriors are good looking and well defined.The interiors are less refined than our expectation. We liked the centre stack design which looked very decent and functional. The Journey is designed to be built in left and right drive .The seats are placed a little higher than they are usually placed in a car which offers a clear sight to the driver and can easily access the controls. The gauges have square housing and glass partitions which offers an olden looks which did not seem impressive. We noted that the gauges are set slightly askew from the horizon of the dash the interiors in the SE and the SXT are designed using brush chromed look plastic which offers a cheap look to the interiors. Overall the interiors are below the standard level expected from this Dodge model.

Dodge Journey Features :

The 2009 Dodge Journey is designed like a minivan and hence it is completely loaded with well conceived interiors of this style. They are available in three trim levels viz.SE, SXT, and R/T trim. The base SE model comes with 16 inch wheels, full power accessories, air conditioning, a six speaker stereo with six disc CD/MP3 changer. The SXT version further adds   17 inch alloy wheel, keyless entry, satellite radio, 115 volt power outlet,   six way power driver seat, enhanced interior storage, automatic headlamps and heated side mirrors. The premium R/T version features 19 inch alloy wheels, remote engine start system, dual zone climate control,   heated front seats, leather upholstery and   a leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated audio controls. A buyer who selects the standard version can choose options from the upper trim levels. There are other optional features that are available like Blue tooth, auxiliary rear air-conditioning, MyGig navigation and entertainment system with a backup camera and a rear seat entertainment system.The Dodge Journey possesses most of the standard and optional features that exist in the market.  We would have appreciated if they added the new Sirius TV system which Chrysler offers on its minivan segment.

Dodge Journey Performance :

The 2009 Dodge journey is outfitted with a 2.4 liter four cylinder engine which kick off 173 horse power and 166 pound feet of torque while the other two versions employs a 3.5 liter V6 engine that generates 235hp and 232 pond feet of torque. The standard model drives the front wheels through a four speed automatic transmission while the upper trims offers  front wheel drive or all wheel drive  which can be matched to six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. During the test drive the automotivecraze team noted that the standard model did not perform too well on hilly terrain and when the gears were changed to 4th, 5th, or 6th gear the car ride was not very stable. The V6 engines have reasonably good power. The R/T version sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in an unremarkable 9.2 seconds. We jotted that the steering is a little non linear in effort and there is not much of road feel that is transmitted. We found that the brakes were not worthy of appreciation as this model came to a halt from 60 mph in 132 feet. The sport tuned suspensions tried to put up great efforts to offer a smooth ride.The Dodge Journeys performance at the gas pumps was not very commendable. They offered 16 mpg at city levels, 23 mpg on highways and 18 mpg combined.Overall we can say that the2009 Dodge Journey offers a smooth ride but does not offer a perfect performance.

Dodge Journey Quality :

The 2009 Dodge Journey has a good décor with wide opening rear doors which makes it easy to strap children into the safety belts. The front row and the second row seats fold in the front which offers huge cargo space which adds a feather to the cap of this Dodge model.  We found that there was ample of leg space and the cabin can comfortably seat taller passengers also.The interiors are designed using excessive hard plastic and unpadded materials which hampers the ambience of the cabin.  The seats are also too hard to offer comfortable seating.  The liftgate is also manual in this model, while there are other competitors who offer power liftgate. We felt that the steering wheels are too thick and they block the view to the controls situated on the far left and right. The controls are also not placed at an easy reach of the driver. The audio controls are set too low which makes it a little difficult for the driver to reach. During our test drive, our team noted that the four cylinder engine was rougher on the roads and made considerable noise when you start it.The overall quality and comfort was mediocre.

Dodge Journey Safety :

The 2009 Dodge journey offers a galore of safety features which are the best available its class. They are well equipped with antilock disc brakes, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags for all three rows, traction control, and stability control. There are some optional features available for all those who wish to have a safe drive like a rear view camera, built in second row child seat, tire pressure monitoring system and hands free and communicating system.There were no crash tests done to check the efficiency of these safety features. Overall, the 2009 Dodge Journey has all the safety features that a buyer would expect.

Conclusion :

The 2009 Dodge Journey is an affordable midsize crossover car with the right basics.  The main highlights of this car are it offers convenience of a minivan, offers ample of features, styling is perfect, lots of storage space and integrated child seats. The main drawbacks of this car are it offers poor gas mileage, cheap interior materials are used, and audio controls are not well placed.

Popularity: 7% [?]