Likes: Snappy styling, tidy size, wide range of features.
Dislikes: Dash materials and styling, steering feel on all-wheel-drive models, pricey if you don't watch it.
TheCarConnection.com's Take: As a smaller crossover, the Journey's a good alternative to the Saturn Vue and Subaru Forester--just don't pile on the expensive options.
Go shopping for one of those newfangled "crossovers" today, and you'll be infinitely more confused than you might be shopping for a traditional, truck-based sport-utility vehicle. Some crossovers are based on cars; some are their own creations entirely. And instead of harmonizing around a few similar sizes, crossover vehicles have spread themselves thinly over every size category, from the relatively teensy Pontiac Vibe to the grosser Mercedes-Benz R-Class.Somewhere near the middle of that baffling array of crossovers is the new Dodge Journey. Like some other medium-size crossovers--the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge and Hyundai Santa Fe come to mind--the Journey presents a tidier package than the largest vehicles in its class, while still offering three rows of seating. It's perfect for small families just starting out, Chrysler says, though older folks stepping out of larger SUVs might be attracted to it as well.
Now that Chrysler's out of the big-wagon business (it recently cancelled the Dodge Magnum and Chrysler Pacifica), the Journey is its mainstay in a crowded group that also includes titans like the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Subaru Forester and Saturn Vue. How does it measure up--particularly against the latter pair? Provided you don't go overboard on the options, the handsomely styled and crazy-functional Journey is a good choice, with a few notable flaws.
Go shopping for one of those newfangled "crossovers" today, and you'll be infinitely more confused than you might be shopping for a traditional, truck-based sport-utility vehicle. Some crossovers are based on cars; some are their own creations entirely. And instead of harmonizing around a few similar sizes, crossover vehicles have spread themselves thinly over every size category, from the relatively teensy Pontiac Vibe to the grosser Mercedes-Benz R-Class.Somewhere near the middle of that baffling array of crossovers is the new Dodge Journey. Like some other medium-size crossovers--the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge and Hyundai Santa Fe come to mind--the Journey presents a tidier package than the largest vehicles in its class, while still offering three rows of seating. It's perfect for small families just starting out, Chrysler says, though older folks stepping out of larger SUVs might be attracted to it as well.
Now that Chrysler's out of the big-wagon business (it recently cancelled the Dodge Magnum and Chrysler Pacifica), the Journey is its mainstay in a crowded group that also includes titans like the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Subaru Forester and Saturn Vue. How does it measure up--particularly against the latter pair? Provided you don't go overboard on the options, the handsomely styled and crazy-functional Journey is a good choice, with a few notable flaws.
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