2018 Dodge Journey

Overview: With a constant flow of new or completely revised crossovers pouring into the market on a regular basis, it’s hard to imagine one that’s now entering its ninth model year without any significant changes. Built on the bones of the Dodge Avenger compact sedan and developed in the waning days of DaimlerChrysler, the Dodge Journey survived the cuts during the Cerberus era prior to Chrysler’s 2009 bankruptcy. Now, under Fiat Chrysler’s stewardship, it’s the second-best-selling Dodge, behind only the soon-to-be-discontinued Grand Caravan minivan. The Journey’s long suit isn’t refinement but bang for the buck. It packs a lot of standard features for not a lot of money. The mid-sized crossover is an ideal size for many, not too big or too small. It’s nearly eight inches shorter and almost 1000 pounds lighter than Dodge’s other offering in this space, the Durango. So it drives more like a slightly taller wagon or hatchback than a hulking SUV; handling is competent but certainly not inspiring. And it offers some interesting storage solutions not often found in competitor’s vehicles.

The Journey comes in base SE, mainstream SXT, stylish Crossroad, and well-equipped GT trims. A 173-hp 2.4-liter inline-four with a four-speed automatic (there’s a sign of how old it is—only four ratios!) is standard on all front-drive Journeys except the GT. All-wheel-drive models and the front-drive GT come with a 283-hp 3.6-liter V-6/6-speed automatic combo. For this review, we sampled an AWD Crossroad V-6 model.

What’s New: The Journey is like an oldies radio station you listen to because you knew all the words to the songs a decade ago. For 2017, the V-6–powered GT model replaced the ambitiously named R/T and featured a stiffer suspension, red-stitched leather seats, 19-inch aluminum wheels, and a premium sound system. All 2018 Journey models now come standard with a third-row seat—the five-seat version has been dropped—which technically makes it a seven-passenger vehicle as long as the aft occupants aren’t full grown. Also new for 2018, Dodge has expanded the availability of the popular Blacktop appearance package to all Journey models including the base SE; it brings a black grille, black front fascia trim, black-painted aluminum wheels, black roof rails, and black mirrors. Last year’s Crossroad Plus trim is dropped.

What We Like: When Chrysler was developing the Journey, it borrowed some designers from its minivan program who managed to imbue the crossover with clever storage solutions. All Journeys feature hidden compartments big enough to stow larger items like cameras, tablets, laptops, and such out of sight under the second-row footwells and beneath the rear cargo floor. The 283-hp 3.6-liter V-6 delivers decent performance, especially next to competitors in the Journey’s under-$30K price category. The 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment system that’s standard on the Crossroad and GT (but not available on the SE or SXT) is one of the simplest and easiest-to-use systems out there, especially at the price.

What We Don’t Like: Even though Dodge says it sells slightly more four-cylinder/four-speed automatic Journeys than V-6/six-speed automatic versions, we’d leave those slow, noisy four-bangers to populate the rental fleets. Neither the four- nor the six-cylinder is particularly thrifty at the pump. Transmission shift quality—even with the newer six-speed—can be inconsistent, mixing abrupt gear changes with stretchy ones. As with many compact and mid-sized crossovers with third-row seats, the Journey’s are useless for adult habitation. The Journey drives like what it is—a mildly updated 10-year-old design. That said, it’s one of the last vehicles with hydraulically assisted steering, so weighting and effort buildup actually feel more organic than in the electrically assisted systems in more modern crossovers.

Verdict: Joey Chestnut can eat more hot dogs, but the Journey has more stash space.

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Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front- or all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door hatchback

BASE PRICE(S): SE, $23,590;
SXT, $26,790;
SE AWD, $27,990;
Crossroad, $28,990;
SXT AWD, $30,290;
Crossroad AWD, $32,490;
GT, $33,590;
GT AWD, $35,490

ENGINE TYPES: DOHC 16-valve 2.4-liter inline-4, 173 hp, 166 lb-ft; DOHC 24-valve 3.6-liter V-6, 283 hp, 260 lb-ft

TRANSMISSIONS: 4-speed automatic, 6-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 113.8 in
Length: 192.4 in
Width: 72.2 in Height: 66.6 in
Passenger volume: 122-124 cu ft
Cargo volume: 11 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est): 4000–4375 lb

EPA FUEL ECONOMY:
Combined/city/highway: 19-21/16-19/24-25 mpg

C/D TEST RESULTS FOR:
2016 Dodge Journey V-6 AWD
Zero to 60 mph: 7.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 23.1 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 29.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.3 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.1 sec @ 86 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 118 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 177 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.76 g
Curb weight: 4368 lb
C/D observed fuel economy: 17 mpg

*stability-control-inhibited