I confess, my first experience with the Dodge Journey did not impress. It was 2009, and The Garage’s 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 Journey’s 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 isn’t exactly a bad thing, as the Journey is not a bad looking crossover. It is not cutting edge or dripping with class. I’d 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 refresh. This time around, it looks like Dodge actually paid attention to detail with the Journey’s 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 Journey’s 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 refinement. While four cylinder Journey’s 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 couldn’t 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 driver’s 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.

This weekend, Dodge bombarded America's football viewers with commercials advertising clues to find one of three free Dodge Journey crossovers hidden across the country. Unfortunately for one New Yorker, the last clue was his phone number. But he had nothing to do with the contest. Dodge Marketing FAIL. UPDATE! More »

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Crossover, Dodge

The Jeep Grand Cherokee isn't the only Chrysler model receiving a price cut next year, as the 2012 Dodge Journey is set to get significantly less expensive, as well. Chrysler has cut the price on the people-mover by $3,250 starting next year. That puts the vehicle's MSRP at $18,995 before the $750 delivery fee is tacked onto the bottom line. The American Value Package offers a five-seat configuration for that stack of cash along with a push-button ignition, satellite radio, seven air bags and a touch-screen media interface. Unfortunately, AVP trim is only available with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and four-speed automatic. The excellent 3.6-liter V6 is still available on other models, however.

Those who need a little extra space can add a third row for an extra $1,000. Even so, that still gives the Journey the honor of being the least-expensive seven-passenger vehicle on the American market at the moment. While we're glad to see Dodge cutting its prices, we're more ecstatic about the news that the automaker has finally ditched its confusing tangle of trim monikers for a slightly more comprehensible system. Moving forward, all Dodge models will fall under AVP, SE, SXT, Crew and R/T designations. Hit the jump to check the full press blast.

Continue reading 2012 Dodge Journey also gets $3,000 price slash

2012 Dodge Journey also gets $3,000 price slash originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Crossover, Dodge

The Jeep Grand Cherokee isn't the only Chrysler model receiving a price cut next year, as the 2012 Dodge Journey is set to get significantly less expensive, as well. Chrysler has cut the price on the people-mover by $3,250 starting next year. That puts the vehicle's MSRP at $18,995 before the $750 delivery fee is tacked onto the bottom line. The American Value Package offers a five-seat configuration for that stack of cash along with a push-button ignition, satellite radio, seven air bags and a touch-screen media interface. Unfortunately, AVP trim is only available with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and four-speed automatic. The excellent 3.6-liter V6 is still available on other models, however.

Those who need a little extra space can add a third row for an extra $1,000. Even so, that still gives the Journey the honor of being the least-expensive seven-passenger vehicle on the American market at the moment. While we're glad to see Dodge cutting its prices, we're more ecstatic about the news that the automaker has finally ditched its confusing tangle of trim monikers for a slightly more comprehensible system. Moving forward, all Dodge models will fall under AVP, SE, SXT, Crew and R/T designations. Hit the jump to check the full press blast.

Continue reading 2012 Dodge Journey also gets $3,000 price slash

2012 Dodge Journey also gets $3,000 price slash originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Jeep

If you've just purchased a new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, you have our sincere congratulations, but you also might not want to read this post any further.

The 2012 Grand Cherokee, which goes on sale next month, will reportedly benefit from a $3,220 price decrease versus the 2011 model. This means that the base Laredo trim level with two-wheel drive will now carry an MSRP of $26,995. It also means that the resale value of your 2011 model has likely just taken a pretty severe whack.

Jeep introduced the all-new Grand Cherokee for the 2011 model year, and thus, only minor changes have been made for the 2012 model. The 5.7-liter V8 is now mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, rather than the aging five-speed, and models equipped with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 will now come with electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering. These enhancements are good for very minor increases in fuel economy - likely no more than a single mpg here or there.

The folks at Kicking Tires point out that the lower base price may be a reflection of higher price points for option packages and the removal of once-standard equipment. For example, the 2011 Grand Cherokee Laredo came standard with an eight-way power seat, whereas the 2012 model does not. What's more, the Laredo's leather seating package now costs a whopping $5,300 instead of $4,000.

Elsewhere in the Chrysler lineup, the 2012 Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200 receive price decreases of $250, and the 2012 Dodge Journey costs a substantial $1,450 less than the 2011 model.

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee base price plummets by over $3,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Crossover, Dodge, Fiat

We saw the Fiat Freemont first at this past March's Geneva Motor Show, and the newly pleasant people carrier's configurator has just hit the intertubes in Italian. An English-language version for the UK market isn't happening yet, so you'll have to have fun seeing what Europe can get on its Dodge Journey that we can't, and vice-versa by clicking here.

Deliveries start this month (June 2011) with a front-wheel driver with six-speed manual shifter (i.e. fun!). The initial engines available for the Freemont will be two variants of the four-cylinder 2.0-liter MultiJet II direct-injected turbodiesel from Fiat Powertrain Technologies. A 138-horsepower version with 258 pound-feet of torque between 1,750 and 2,000 rpm (with at least 220 lb-ft on tap throughout the idle-to-4,000 rpm usable rev range) has a base price of €25,700 ($37,300), and in special Urban trim hits €27,200 ($39,500), both with all Italian taxes included. The 168-hp tune with the same torque peaking from 1,750 to 2,500 rpm starts at €27,200 ($39,500) and in Urban garb, it commands €28,700 ($41,700). Knock around 20 percent off all those prices, and you'd have what the approximate U.S. showroom price would be.

Later in the year, an all-wheel-drive version carrying buyers' choice of either the 168-hp MultiJet diesel or a top-of-the-line 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with 272 hp will be available, but pricing hasn't been revealed yet. An automatic transmission is also expected to join the options sheet at that time.

While the Freemont moniker (perhaps named after the new Fiat of Fremont dealership in California?) and sales potential in the European context very much confuse us, we still like the Journey as it is adapted all'italiana. The Dodge-in-drag's campaign tagline translates to "All the Cars You Want," meaning essentially "Whatever car you'd like it to be." Could that come across as "good at many things, great at none"? We hope not.

Fiat Freemont (Italy's Dodge Journey) configurator now online originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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