1 / 5

2016 Dodge Journey R/T

Webb Bland

2 / 5

2016 Dodge Journey Crossroad

A.J. Mueller

3 / 5

2016 Dodge Journey Crossroad

A.J. Mueller

4 / 5

2016 Dodge Journey Crossroad

A.J. Mueller

5 / 5

2016 Dodge Journey Crossroad Plus interior

Jim Frenak

❮ ❯

After having a week with the Dodge Journey we were completely impressed not only with the looks, but the overall design and thought that has gone into making the Journey a complete family car. Dodge touts this midsized crossover as being one of the best buys on the market for those looking at seating up to 7 people; it definitely is the best buy for a 3 row crossover that we have ever had the prospect to try out for a week.

The Journey is a great option for those that want space for the entire family but don’t really want to make the jump to a minivan, be it because dad doesn’t want to drive a minivan or mom wants something just a little shorter to go out and do the grocery shopping… the designers at Dodge have come up with the perfect fit. The proof would have to be in the sales numbers at the company sold over 104,000 units last year alone.

 Family friendly accoutrements abound in the Journey from some of the best seats we have encountered, up front for mom and dad, to the compartments located in the floor of the second row seating compartment that will store many things, including ice to keep drinks cold. It seems that the company that just recently introduced the first vehicle to come complete with a vacuum cleaner has been adding the same kind of extras to enhance other models in the line.

Our test drive even came complete with installed booster seats in both of the rear seats that would eliminate carrying around that bulky plastic seat necessary when the little one is in between sitting in a child car seat and being able to sit in a regular seat. By having two, taking a friend along for an afternoon at the park would be easy job for mom.

The design of the Journey’s exterior is not going to stand out in the crowd among its competition as Dodge has instead chosen to keep the price point for it down, where more families can afford a 3 row SUV that can be had with all-wheel drive for the family on the move, that includes a very adaptable interior to either carry people or things needed on an active weekend.

One thing that we did notice during our week with vehicle was that there are a lot of them around town; we just were not seeing them until we had one. This would be a testament indeed to these sales numbers that topped 104,000 units last year, and more important to a market looking for something that is not really a minivan, but will perform and haul in a similar manner.  

As we mentioned we were very impressed with the interior of the Journey both in the quality workmanship along with how comfortable the seating was, a feature that we are generally very picky with, as comfortable seats can make all the difference in the world. Those that were included in our test ride were leather clad with a great accent stitching, and held us well with a softness that is hard to find in car seats.

The passenger seat also include a feature that allowed the seat cushion to be lifted forward to access yet another storage compartment, one that mom could easily use to store a handbag or hide an electronic device while away for the drive. The storage compartments kept on coming with another accessible behind the 3^rd row seat below the carpet, like we said if there was an unused space the designers found a way to use it as storage.

The test ride also came with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel with the addition of the Popular Equipment Group, which also included a remote start system, garage door opener and alarm system. Leather clad surfaces abounded in the cabin including on the arm rests, center console and doors, pretty much where ever our elbows and arms might land, that added just that little extra point of comfort.

With both of the rear seats folded down there is 67 cubic feet of interior hauling space available enough room to make any weekend project that dad has to tackle easy to accomplish with the extra space in the Journey.

The Journey has a couple of different options when it comes to choosing a motor, either a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder or a 3.6 liter V6, the first is good for 177 horsepower and is mated with an aging 4 speed transmission, while the later makes 283 horsepower and comes with a 6 speed transmission. The smaller engine comes front wheel drive only while the latter is available in front wheel or all-wheel drive as our test drive came.

We would have to recommend the larger motor in the larger Journey and also the all-wheel drive to handle the many different types of Utah weather.  Having all-wheel drive would also come in handy for getting all the family and friends any remote location for a weekend getaway.

In the gas mileage department the Journey will not be the best amongst the competition some of which is only available in a 4 cylinder version, as we came in a just over the EPA estimate of 19 mpg at 19.5 mpg for a week of driving. We did feel however after having driven most of the competitors in the past year that the Journey will be a stronger choice with the larger engine, so giving up the better mileage might be a good thing for the dad’s our there.

We also enjoyed the addition of navigation along with the larger 8.4 inch screen that Dodge has been giving as an option in all of their line-up.  This addition also included a rear back up camera along with rear park assist system that would let us know if there was anything from another car behind us to a person walking in our path.

Other great additions were the 3 zone climate control system, garage door opener and LED lighting throughout the cabin.

Overall our experience with the Journey was very positive as we found it to be a great choice in the mid-sized SUV market. Deanne found it to be a little difficult to park at the grocery store but that was the only complaint we could come up with. For a strong competitor with a smaller price tag the Journey deserves a second look and more importantly a test drive.

See one today at Doug Smith Dodge 523 West Main Street in American Fork, 801-492-1110, Doug Smith Dodge at 1339 North Main in Spanish Fork, 877-629-6450 or Larry H. Miller Dodge 1825 N University Pkwy, Provo, (888) 245-3833.

Base Price: $29,975

Price as Driven: $34,460