2009 Dodge Journey Review

Base price: SE, $19,985; SXT, $22,985; R/T, $26,545
Engine: 2.4-liter in-line four, 173 hp/166 lb-ft; 3.5-liter V-6, 235 hp/232 lb-ft
Transmission: Four- or six-speed automatic, front- or all-wheel drive (V-6 only)
Length x width x height: 192.4 x 72.2 x 66.6 in
Wheelbase: 113.8 in
Curb Weight: 3801-4233 lb Fuel economy (EPA cty/hwy): 19/25 mpg (SE) - 15/22 mpg (R/T AWD)
Safety equipment: Dual front, side and curtain airbags; anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control; Trailer Sway Control; tire pressure monitors
Major standard features: Sixteen-inch wheels; air conditioning; power windows/mirrors/locks; Chill Zone glove box; rechargeable flashlight; tilt/telescoping steering wheel; power driver seat; AM/FM/six-disc CD changer with MP3 capability
Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles

PERFORMANCE/FUEL ECONOMY
Depending on which Journey you take, you'll get either a four-cylinder or a six-cylinder engine. The four-cylinder is a 2.4-liter, with 173 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque. It's a version of the "world" four-cylinder engine that Chrysler shares with Hyundai and Mitsubishi, and it's also found in the Dodge Caliber hatchback and Avenger sedan. It comes only with a four-speed automatic transmission, and checks in with EPA-rated fuel economy of 19/25 mpg.

While not the most sophisticated V-6 engine--Nissan's 3.5-liter is the paragon of virtue here--the Dodge V-6 has a decently muted engine note and provides enough torque to work well as a city driver. The six-speed automatic works hard to keep the engine in a fat stretch of its powerband, but ultimately the Journey, even the lighter front-drive versions, musters only enough speed to keep the pace, not to set it.

© Source: thecarconnection
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2009 Dodge Journey - North American Debut

Chrysler isn't wasting any time pulling the covers off of its newest crossover, the Dodge Journey, at Frankfurt, the first car show of the season. Then again, it makes sense, since the Journey has global sales ambitions. We're not convinced that the world needs a big crossover, but we're guessing the Journey has a good chance at being embraced by consumers here at home.

The Journey shares its underpinnings with the Avenger sedan, riding on a wheelbase that has been stretched 4.9 inches to 113.8 inches. Essentially a front-wheel drive vehicle, the crossover will be available with all-wheel drive only when powered by its largest engine - a 3.5-liter V-6 making 235 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque. The 3.5-liter is attached to a six-speed automatic transmission and, with front-wheel drive, is expected to return 16 mpg in the city and 23 on the highway.

That's not bad economy considering that the middle-child V-6, a 2.7-liter producing 186 hp and 191 lb-ft returns the same economy on the highway and only one mpg better in the city. The reason for such a small difference in economy is that the smaller V-6 is attached to an automatic with only four forward speeds.

Also running with a four-speed automatic is the base engine, a 2.4-liter VVT inline-four that produces almost as many ponies as the small V-6 - 173 of them (and 166 lb-ft of torque) and slightly better economy; it's rated at 19/25 city/highway.

As usual, Chrysler has included a bunch of innovative features in this new crossover - it has storage under the front passenger seat as well as two in-floor storage bins behind the front seats that can each take twelve cans of soda. The Journey is the first mid-size crossover to offer available integrated child booster seats, and it of course comes with Chrysler's MyGig multimedia system.

© Source: automobilemag
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