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2017 Dodge Journey Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Great Value! by lmoore1436

lmoore1436

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Introduction

Gets a lot of negative attention that is unwarranted in my opinion.

Reviewed: 2017 Dodge Journey

4dr SUV 283-horsepower 3.6L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

2017 Dodge Journey Love Letter

Exterior: The exterior hasn't had much of a change since its inception, however I don't see that as a bad thing. I see a lot of new "swoopy" SUV designs (Durango included) and I frankly miss the boxy, mor straightforward designs that SUVS used to have. To me the lines on this SUV look aggressive, sharply raked and pretty sporty.

Interior: All the materials within reach are soft-touch. There are a few that are still pretty obvious hard plastic (the CD slot for instance), but they are few and far between. I love the straightforward design, and that everything is well within reach. My only gripe here is the quality of the backup camera could be improved. The seats have soft leather, the dash is a soft leather material, the door panels have stitched leater, center arm rest, etc. I also love the storage this car offers. TWO coolers in the back seat floorboards! We have used these a few times when camping/tailgating before a concert. Fille them with ice and beer or family friendy beverages and pull them out when you want to bring them with you! The storage under the passenger seat is a well thought out addition as well.

Powertrain: The Pentastar 3.6 pulls strong, though the transmission acts like it's off in La-La land on occassion. about 90% of the time the transmission performs perfectyl though, I suspect the La-La land occassions are a result of programming to try and make it more fuel efficient. It still performs well and sounds meaty too. The brakes are strong, steering is dead-on center.

Fuel Economy: It does as expected for a V6 SUV of its size. I average about 20.9 mostly city driving. I drive about 400-500 miles a week so I only fill it up once a week, sometimes a little less often. I came from a Honda Civic though so at first the difference was shocking, but I've adjusted.

Handling: It handles great actually. It has much more feel than all the reviews say it does. I have driven plenty of SUVs that truly have no steering feel whatsoever, including the pilot, RAV4 and CRV. This one has feedback, allbeit a tad on the muted side though.

Conclusion

It's a great value, my crossroad plus V6, AWD with backup camera, nav, leather, heated seats and wheel MSRPs for 34k, but I got it for 27k. Lots of incentives, and for the money you really can't beat it. A base Honda Pilot for example is 30k with no options, not even a touch screen stereo. Ignore the reviews and test drive a Journey, it performs great, looks good and has plenty of space. It's no Lambo, but it'll get you where you are going.

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Response from pvsinger

10:11 pm December 17, 2016

I say "Ditto" to the above, but we bought a "stripper" 2017 Dodge Journey SE. Maybe not as fast as the V6 model, but the base engine and 4-sp. automatic do an adequate job if you're not planning to "rallye" it. Even the most base trim is quite nice, and we have found it to be quite pleasant to drive, especially on long trips, where our previous SUV/CUV, a 2007 Ford Escape, had punishing seats with zero back support. We too preferred the more vertical, angular look of the Journey to the "jellybeans" everyone else offers.

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