By Derek Price
Automotive Writer
The Dodge Journey had a difficult start to life. It was designed at a time when Chrysler was nearly bankrupt, and it came to market in 2009 as a rough-hewn stone of a crossover.
But now that the new, revitalized Chrysler has had some time to polish it, the Journey has turned into quite a gem.
One of the most obvious improvements is in the cabin, where better sound insulation and suspension refinements make it one of the quietest crossovers I can recall driving. It’s a drastic change in a short amount of time.
It also has an unusually smart cabin layout for its class. It’s a compact crossover with a starting price around $19,000, which puts in one of the most competitive categories of the automotive world.
The 2013 Dodge Journey has a tougher, boxier look than many crossovers do. It’s also available with a third-row seat, something rare among compact crossovers.
Virtually all its competition only offers seating for five, though, while the Journey can seat up to seven. Dodge managed to squeeze an optional third-row seat into the back, which allows for a couple of extra passengers and gives it those bragging rights.
When equipped with the optional V6, the Journey is surprisingly SUV-like in its capability. The 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 makes a hearty 283 horsepower, which is more than ample for accelerating and passing, while getting a 25-mpg highway fuel economy rating.
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the four-cylinder version of the Journey because it’s woefully inefficient. It makes 173 horses — not a bad amount of power — but an outdated design and four-speed transmission mean it only qualifies for a 26-mpg highway rating. That’s barely better than the V6 and considerably worse than most of its four-cylinder competitors.
Other than that, there’s not much to complain about in the Journey. The interior packaging is so smart — including a “Flip-N-Stow” in-seat storage system that lets you hide things under the seat cushions — that it almost feels Toyota-like in terms of clever little storage bins.
One nice feature is the large, 8.4-inch touchscreen on the Uconnect Media Center that dominated the dashboard on my test car. It responds quickly to input, has easy-to-understand graphics, and its big size makes the digital “buttons” simpler to read and push while driving.
From a styling perspective, the Journey looks a little boxier and tougher than the rounded off, jellybean shape of many crossovers these days.
Contrasting color stitching and a big digital display in the center of the dash give the Journey’s cabin a premium feel.
If you want the most sinister, sporty-looking version, Dodge offers a special Blacktop Edition with black wheels, a black grille and black mirrors. I liked the look on my test car because it minimized the vague Grand Caravan styling cues that you can detect on the ordinary Journey. It looks like less of a family-hauler in Blacktop trim.
Overall, if you’re looking for a compact crossover that doesn’t feel so compact, the Journey should be on your list to test drive. It offers a lot of space and, with the V6 at least, a lot of capability for the money.
At a Glance
What was tested? 2013 Dodge Journey SXT ($23,295). Options: Blacktop Edition ($995), Uconnect 8.4 ($595), Popular Equipment Group ($1,195). Price as tested (including $995 destination charge): $27,075.
RATINGS
Style: 7
Performance: 7
Price: 8
Handling: 6
Ride: 7
Comfort: 8
Quality: 8
Overall: 7
Video Review:
What’s cool about the Dodge Journey
http://bit.ly/14959Zh
Why buy it?
It’s one of the quietest riding crossover and also offers a third-row seat, a rarity in this class.
Why hesitate?
If you’re looking for fuel efficiency, Dodge doesn’t have a great option in the Journey right now.