R/T SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
SXT 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl FFV 4A)
SXT 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl FFV 4A)
SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
R/T American Value Package 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
SXT 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 283 hp FFV 4A)
SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
R/T Crossroad 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
SXT 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
Crossroad 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
R/T Crossroad 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
R/T 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
R/T 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
Don’t want to go far?
Find all cars near me?SXT 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl FFV 4A)
SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
R/T 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
Crossroad 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl FFV 4A)
SXT 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
SXT 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
Crossroad Plus 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
SXT 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 283 hp FFV 4A)
SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
GT 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
Overall Rating
The Dodge Journey SUV falls under the mid-size crossover segment and is a strong contender in the market. The SUV was introduced back in 2009 and received a major facelift in 2011.
The Dodge Journey SUV falls under the mid-size crossover segment and is a strong contender in the market. The SUV was introduced back in 2009 and received a major facelift in 2011. Though the SUV has started to show its age rather quickly, it is still capable enough to take on some strong rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Kia Sorento. The SUV comes with two powertrain options, a regular 2.4-liter I-4 motor, and a much bigger 3.6-liter V6.
Among all the trim levels, we would recommend you the SXT trim since it manages to stay within the affordable price bracket without sacrificing on the feature list. You can opt for the AWD layout if you stay or plan to visit areas with challenging driving conditions often.
GT 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
GT 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
SE 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
SXT 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl FFV 4A)
SXT 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 4A)
The Dodge Journey SUV falls under the mid-size crossover segment and is a strong contender in the market. The SUV was introduced back in 2009 and received a major facelift in 2011.
The Dodge Journey SUV falls under the mid-size crossover segment and is a strong contender in the market. The SUV was introduced back in 2009 and received a major facelift in 2011. Though the SUV has started to show its age rather quickly, it is still capable enough to take on some strong rivals such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Kia Sorento. The SUV comes with two powertrain options, a regular 2.4-liter I-4 motor, and a much bigger 3.6-liter V6.
The Dodge Journey is offered in four trim levels and can be had in two drivetrain layouts as well. The SUV enters the market with an attractive and budget-friendly price tag and offering a feature-loaded base trim. The price for the base SE trim starts at $20,995 for the FWD layout and surprisingly the AWD is available as an option right from the base trim level as well. The list of features increases generously as you climb up the trim levels and offers some excellent features for an affordable crossover SUV. The top-specced R/T trim is priced at $31,795 for the FWD variant and it also introduces a bigger, more powerful V6 motor.
Trims |
SE |
SXT |
CrossRoad |
R/T |
---|---|---|---|---|
MSRP |
$20,995(FWD) $26,595(AWD) |
$24,895(FWD) $28,395(AWD) |
$26,295(FWD) $29,795(AWD) |
$31,795(FWD) $33,695(AWD) |
Features |
17-inch steel wheels |
17-inch alloy wheels |
19-inch wheels |
V6 engine |
|
Tinted rear glass |
A unique front fascia |
gloss black and chrome exterior trim |
Remote engine start |
|
A keyless entry and ignition system |
LED taillights |
A leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob |
Monochrome exterior treatment |
|
Dual-zone manual climate control |
Dual-zone automatic climate control for front-seat passengers |
Auto-dimming rearview mirror |
19-inch wheels |
|
A sliding and reclining second-row seat |
Flexible Seating package |
Cargo net |
Perforated leather upholstery with red stitching |
We Recommend
Among all the trim levels, we would recommend you the SXT trim since it manages to stay within the affordable price bracket without sacrificing on the feature list. You can opt for the AWD layout if you stay or plan to visit areas with challenging driving conditions often.
The Dodge Journey is powered by a standard 2.4-liter straight-four motor except for the top-end R/T trim which gets a 3.6-liter V6 capable of producing over 280 horsepower. The standard four-pot motor feels underpowered quite often and the power output is actually on the lower side as compared to its rivals.
The motor pushes out a maximum of 173 horsepower and 166lb-ft of torque. Within the city limits, the motor performs in a decent manner but gets overwhelmed once the SUV is fully loaded. The standard 4-speed automatic transmission turns out to be rather disappointing from every possible way but the optional 6-speed automatic transmission unit improves the experience many folds. The Journey SUV handles reasdonably well for an SUV with a responsive steering wheel and a well-tuned suspension setup.
Models |
Dodge Journey SXT |
Kia Sorento L |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
---|---|---|---|
MSRP |
$24,895 |
$25,100 |
$24,890 |
Engine |
2.4L I-4 |
2.4L I-4 |
2.0L Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 |
Transmission |
4-speed automatic |
6-speed automatic |
6-speed automatic |
Power |
173 @ 6000 |
185 @ 6000 |
200 @ 5100 |
Torque |
166 @ 4400 |
178 @ 4000 |
207 @ 1700 |
The Kia Sorento has a higher horsepower and torque output than the Journey and has a better overall performance too. The Sorento is quite an agile vehicvle for its class and outperforms the Journey in terms of handling and driving experience. The Volkswagen Tiguan is in a different ballpark altogether with its way better power figures and performance. It takes full advantage of its turbocharged gasoline motor to deliver a perfect balance of performance and fuel efficiency.
The Dodge Journey SUV has a decent fuel economy considering its performance and power figures. Although SUVs were never really friendly with the term fuel efficiency but given the fact that almost all the modern crossover SUVs offer some excellent fuel economy ratings, the Journey’s ratings could’ve been better. That being said, the SUV returns a maximum of 19mpg of city mileage and a decent 26mpg of highway mileage. The combined mpg is rated at 21mpg.
Model |
Dodge Journey SXT |
Kia Sorento L |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
---|---|---|---|
Mpg city mpg |
19 |
21 |
21 |
Mpg highway mpg |
26 |
29 |
26 |
Mpg combined |
21 |
25 |
23 |
The Kia Sorento offers marginally better fuel economy ratings than the Journey but has a much better combined mileage. The Volkswagen Tiguan is the most impressive one on the list and has the best fuel economy ratings considering its punchy performance.
Dodge has been generous enough to craft the interior of the Journey SUV with a robust build and high-quality materials as well. The dashboard and the gauges has a contemporary design language and doesn’t feel out of the place.Â
There are pleasing and intelligently placed storage bins throughout the cabin and it appeals to the families the most. Headroom and legroom has been provided generously and the third row seats do come with a separate air-conditioning system. But the third-row seats are practically unusable for adults of any build and are suitable for kids at the most. The SUV offers a maximum cargo capacity of 67.6 cubic feet when all the seats are folded, and it is quite standard for the segment.
Model |
Dodge Journey SXT |
Kia Sorento L |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
---|---|---|---|
Passenger capacity |
7 |
5 |
5 |
Passenger Volume(ft cube) |
123.7 |
146.4 |
95.4 |
Front (Head/Hip/Shoulder/Leg) (In.) |
40.8/53.8/57.5/40.8 |
39.5/56.7/59.1/44.1 |
39.6/56.9/57.0/40.2 |
Second (Head/Hip/Shoulder/Leg) (In.) |
39.9/54.4/56.9/36.1 |
55.7/32.9/58/57.8 |
39.1/56.2/55.9/36.5 |
Third (Head/Hip/Shoulder/Leg) (In.) |
37.7/40.0/43.5/23.4 |
N/A |
N/A |
The Kia Sorento has a better cabin than the Dodge Journey and offers a more comfortable experience at a similar price point. The Volkswagen Tiguan offers the best experience since it is a German crossover and has a superior build quality along with a better overall fit and finish levels of the cabin.
At the base level, the infotainment system of the Dodge Journey is not pleasing at all. But the optional UConnect system brings about a massive improvement. The system comes with a small 4.3inch display for audio but the higher trims comes with a big 8.4-inch display.
The basic system comes with a USB connectivity and an aux-in port but the bigger display brings in a navigation system and an in-dash DVD player as well.
Some highlighted infotainment system features are:
The Dodge Journey was designed by none other than Ryan Nagode, the chief designer of the FCA group hence, it comes with an eye-catching design. The SUV’s front end looks like a big sedan with a sloping roofline and a sleek front fascia design.
The upswept front grille design looks a bit different from the rest and the overall design gets progressive as it emerges towards the rear-end. The fenders are slim with a sculpted out wheel arch design while the rear-end looks a bit busy with multiple styling elements blended together.
Model |
Dodge Journey SXT |
Kia Sorento L |
Volkswagen Tiguan S |
---|---|---|---|
curb weight(lbs) |
4238 |
3968 |
3777 |
Length(in) |
192.4 |
189.0 |
185.1 |
Width(in) |
72.2 |
74.4 |
72.4 |
Height(in) |
66.6 |
66.5 |
66.3 |
Ground clearance(in) |
7.3 |
7.3 |
7.9 |
Wheelbase(in) |
113.8 |
109.4 |
109.8 |
Track width(in) F/R |
61.8/62.3 |
64.1/64.5 |
62.2/61.8 |
The Kia Sorento has a more muscular design than the Journey SUV but has a shorter wheelbase and a much lower curb weight. The Volkswagen Tiguan is the most compact one among the three but has a marginally better ground clearance than the rivals.
The Journey SUV is primarily aimed towards families, hence it comes with a host of safety aids and a solid build quality as well. The SUV was rated 4 out of 5-stars by the NHTSA while the IIHS gave it a top rating of “Good”. The standard safety features of the SUV include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, active front head restraints, front side airbags, side curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag. Some optional safety aids include a rearview camera and a rear parking sensor.
Some highlighted safety features of the SUV are:
The Dodge Journey is a dated vehicle that needs a refresh desperately while the Honda CR-V is one of the top-ranking vehicles in its segment and there are a lot of reasons why- The CR-V has best in class fuel-efficiency along with premium features both in terms of convenience and safety. The CR-V also has better ride quality and comfort.
It also has the highest cargo capacity amongst its competitors which makes the CR-V hard to beat and it leaves the Journey far behind when compared head to head as the Journey is more of a compact crossover that is outpaced by the versatile CR-V.
The Escape is more of a fun-to-drive type of vehicle rather than a practical day to day family hauler that the Dodge Journey is, in terms of performance and efficiency the Ford rides more like a sporty vehicle instead of a crossover.
The Dodge Journey has smoother ride quality and is quite comfortable as compared to the firm ride quality of the Escape but the Journey has poor handling dynamics and has the poorest fuel efficiency in its segment which helps the Ford Escape win against it.
The Dodge Journey comes at an attractive price point and appeals to those who intend to travel with their family more often. It comes with a decent list of interior features that are practical and has an optional AWD layout too to tackle challenging driving conditions with ease. The performance from the base engine might be lackluster but the optional V6 solves that but for a price.