Back in 2004, Chrysler thought it had a segment-busting winner with the Pacifica. Neither car, minivan, nor SUV, the luxurious large “crossover” was supposed to play a key role in Chrysler’s planned move upscale. Buyers lined-up none deep for Chrysler’s bloated station wagon. The automaker was forced to de-content, discount and discontinue the disastrous distraction. Stunned by the Pacfica-shaped sales sinkhole, it took Chrysler another five years to field another three-row crossover. The 2009 Dodge Journey is in many ways the anti-Pacifica. Will it be any more successful?
With its chiseled lines and pillbox-on-wheels proportions, people noticed the Pacifica (even if most didn’t like what they saw). In comparison, the Journey’s boxy—but not boxy enough to make a statement—exterior is totally, completely, utterly forgettable. Even with flared fenders, the Journey has no curb appeal whatsoever. In fact, the Journey’s so unrelentingly bland that it manages to appear much smaller than it actually is.
The Pacifica’s Mercedes-lite interior was the most upscale to ever grace a modern Chrysler. You’ll find no such luxury cues inside the new Dodge Journey (fake chrome highlights don’t count). Yes, there’s a bit of style, with a high-contrast color scheme and a few artfully curving surfaces. And the instrument panel upper is finger sink soft. But all the bits attached to it, including the protruding center stack, are straight from the bargain basement. It looks, feels and smells cheap.
Chastened by the Pacifica’s failure, Chrysler prioritized function over form. Innovative storage compartments fill every nook and cranny of the Journey’s cabin: under the front passenger seat, under the floor in the second row, under the cargo floor, inside the doors, pretty much everywhere you look. For larger cargo, every seat save the driver’s folds flat.
But budget cutting must have ravaged the human factors department; the driving position is an ergonomic abomination. The steering wheel rim obstructs the temperature gauge and the right half of the tach, and the optional rearview monitor is positioned at knee level. Get the nav, though, and the screen moves to the top of the center stack; apparently the legal department remains intact.
Consistent with the current ChryCo style, the seats could not be more lacking in contour. The second-row split bench (Captains need not apply) bi-folds to clear a narrow path to the third row. Unfortunately, third row accommodations are tighter than . . . well, you know what I mean. If any soul should dare trespass thereabouts, arguments are guaranteed. The second row is only roomy enough for adults when ratcheted all the way back—which eliminates any (as in any) third row leg room.
The Dodge Journey is offered with your choice of two powerplants: a 173-horse 2.4-liter four hitched to a four-speed automatic or a 235-horse 3.5-liter V6 connected to a six-speed slushbox. (Only the latter is available with all-wheel drive.) Motorvating two tons of crossover, the Journey’s V6 provides sufficient acceleration but few thrills- unless you’re turned on by mild torque steer. The 4.0-liter powerplant from the minivans would have made things more interesting, but that doesn’t seem to be the theme here.
That said, you can order the Dodge Journey with a (woo-hoo!) performance suspension and 19-inch alloys. Our test Journey had the touring suspension and 17s. Thus shod, the Journey feels very much like a 7/8-scale minivan. The amount of body lean is acceptable for a three-row family-hauler, and the chassis is sufficiently poised to keep the driver out of trouble.
Not that the driver will seek trouble. The somewhat heavy steering feels exceptionally numb. And speaking of Novocain, the Journey’s driving experience is the only aspect of the vehicle that’s more forgettable than the exterior styling. The upside: bumps and other road imperfections are nicely absorbed. The performance suspension won’t fix the steering, but it could well deprive the Journey of this single dynamic strength.
And then there’s quality control . . .
The V6 tester had a quarter-inch of water in the front passenger floorboard (promptly extracted via shop vac). The source was soon revealed, as a gurgle could periodically be heard from the perimeter of the sunroof and water rained down from the overhead console throughout the test drive. Get this: it wasn’t raining outside the car at the time; it had rained the previous day.
The Dodge Journey is everything the Pacifica was not; it’s forgettable, functional and designed to sell for a low price. But Chrysler has failed to realize that today’s CUV buyers aren’t looking for one thing or the other. They don’t want form at the expense of function or function at the expense of form. They want both, AND comfort AND reliability. Plenty of other crossovers deliver all four. The Dodge Journey is destined to be no more visible in the sales charts than it is on the road.
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I sat in both of the floor-model Journeys at NAIAS last month. I was appalled. The fact that the Chinese cars downstairs had better build quality sealed the deal. I predicted, then and there, that Chrysler will soon be out of business, or at the very least, a completely different business compared to how it exists now.
It managed to make the Sebring and Caliber seem high quality by comparison.
From the original press photos, I thought the Journey looked like a step up from the Avenger/Sebring, but I agree with the above poster…the production model is terrible inside. I really feel bad for Chrysler right now if this is the best they can do. The lower trim level they had at NAIAS looked particularly terrible inside.
Low price? Edmunds says $22,360 or so. At that they might have some buyers, if they can get past the cheap look. Looks like a tall minivan… their minivan might be the better deal after many years of refinements. I got soured on Chrysler after an ‘88 Dakota had more mechanical problems than all the cars I’d owned up to that time COMBINED. I’m surprise they haven’t gone down the tubes up to now.
$22,360?! Can anyone give a single reason why you wouldn’t for the same money buy a Subaru instead? If there aren’t $1-3k incentives on this car in a hurry, i’d be stunned.
Stick a fork in them, ChryCo is done.
rollingwreck :
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
$22,360?! Can anyone give a single reason why you wouldn’t for the same money buy a Subaru instead? If there aren’t $1-3k incentives on this car in a hurry, i’d be stunned.
Stick a fork in them, ChryCo is done.
Dodge’s website claims the Journey starts a $19,985.
For either $20k or $22k, you get a four-cylinder, FWD wagon.
As stated in the review, to even get AWD, you have no choice but to step up to the V6 model ($22,985 to start), and then option it with AWD (now, at the SXT trim with AWD – the cheapest AWD model offered – we’re up to $25,530).
This still doesn’t include options like a roof rack, steering wheel audio controls, upgraded sound, rear air, or the third row.
At this price, it’s simply not going to sell.
I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that Chrysler spent $1B to develop this pig, when Mitsubishi was designing an almost exact copy at the same time on the same platform, and doing a much better job of it.
Given its limited development resources, why didn’t Chrysler just license the Outlander, stick a Ram grill on it, and call it a day? A better vehicle at lower cost, no?
Back in the day, Chrysler had a strong reputation for its engineering. Later, when that was gone, they developed the capability to bring innovative vehicles to market. Now, that’s gone, and the cupboard is bare.
I read a lot of articles about cars on line, magazines, etc. but I didn’t even know this thing existed. The first time I ever heard of the Journey was when they gave one away to the MVP of the NHL all star game. I’m still not sure what it is.
Fitting, a car nobody cares about being sponsored by a league nobody cares about. I love hockey, myself. Dodge, not so much anymore.
In 30 years the Pacifica will be fondly remembered by various orphan collectors- and for good reason. I liked the fact that it was a reasonable driver, with decent power, and forgive my lack of inbred taste, but I thought the two I rented for 1000 mile trips with 6 onboard, performed well and were well built to boot, with no problems at all, if you don’t count spilled juice. They handled as well as anything of its ilk could be expected to, and cruised through the Rockies without a blip. I was a little surprised by the price point, but after looking a little, I found they weren’t that unreasonable. If I still had 6 at home, I certainly would have purchased one, as, in my opinion, the Merc’s, at 25% more money were the only real alternative when they first came out. Of course, four years later the CUV segment had evolved, and the equation had changed, but that doesn’t change my favorable first impressions. It could have been made successful, but with no R&D $$$$ coming from Stuttgart, the writing was on the wall. Too bad.
If it were $25k+ for the four-banger, I’d understand the criticisms. But at around $20k (probably including some discounts), it looks like a pretty good value on paper, at least for those needing basic transport for 4+ people.
May not be a looker, but it beats the hell out of the Kia Rondo, IMHO. And maybe the Edge…
Did anyone hear about the Valentine’s Day promo sponsored by the Dodge Journey? You and your significant other were supposed to agree to get married in Times Square on national TV (though I never heard any more about it – I suppose it never got aired), and the winning couple would recieve a Journey, a personal concert by the band Journey, and a cruise.
Of course, the TV companion never aired, and the Journey deal fell through, so Dodge hired the next best thing: an unknown Journey cover band. Talk about a failed marketing exercise.
I guess all the stories about bad morale and poor working conditions under the Daimler Chrysler regime are true – another half-a**ed effort emerges. What on earth are they developing under Cerberus management?
Nicely done, Mr. Karesh. The Journey is a much better effort in the fit/finish department than every other modern Chrysler, but its still far behind the rest of Detroit and Japan. I was surprised at how dull the Journey was when I scoped it out at the NAIAS. And what little face time it had with the Media.
Still, I can’t get Steve Perry’s voice outta my head.
Don’t stop believin’, hold on to that feelin’!
ash78 :
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:59 am
If it were $25k+ for the four-banger, I’d understand the criticisms. But at around $20k (probably including some discounts), it looks like a pretty good value on paper, at least for those needing basic transport for 4+ people.
May not be a looker, but it beats the hell out of the Kia Rondo, IMHO. And maybe the Edge…
The problem is, the Rondo’s interior is incomparably better, the base four cylinder version starts at $16 grand, and a completely loaded V6 EX goes for around $2,000 more than the most basic four cylinder Journey (around $22,000).
I still remember Dieter proudly proclaiming the Pacifica the next segment buster before it turned out to be a segment bust. Then I remember him stating that Toyota would never outsell Chrysler in the USA and then after seeing the true results of his (mis)management he sold out and run for it.
L47_V8 :
February 22nd, 2008 at 10:03 am
The problem is, the Rondo’s interior is incomparably better, the base four cylinder version starts at $16 grand, and a completely loaded V6 EX goes for around $2,000 more than the most basic four cylinder Journey (around $22,000).
The bigger problem is that there is now a risk premium that needs to be built in to any Chrysler purchase. That is, there is a relatively high probability that the company will go tits-up during the useful service lifetime of this car (say 8 years? i can’t imagine it running much longer past that..) And even if Chrysler manages to survive the warranty period, if they bite the dust shortly thereafter, resale on this car will be unfathomably poor.
If it were my own money, i’d feel uneasy paying any more than $15k for one of these, and even at that price it would take some fancy explaining to the wife as to why it is a “good buy”.
I’m guessing 90% of these things are destined for the rental fleet.
The Pacifica was a fine vehicle but the problem was the power and the price. When equiped with AWD the Pacifica with a load was a total dog until the 4.0l engine was introduced. The 4.0l is better but is still somewhat lacking in power. When Chysler introduced the Pacifica it made the mistake of believing their costumer wanted more expensive Chyslers. WRONG! Chysler is/was the bargin brand of very nice looking but cheaply built and priced cars. The folks that shopped Chysler basically knew what they were getting for the price they were paying, a nice looking feature rich vehicle with a short lifespan at a low price. The kind of car you enjoy for about 3 years and dump.
The Pacifica violated that business model by entering the market at around $35,000 to $40,000 for the well equiped models. Even the majority of loyal Chysler customers were not willing to commit to a Chysler product at that price. If they were willing to pay over $35,000 for a car they knew they could actually upgrade from the Chysler brand.
What a shame because the Pacifica is an excellent vehicle for what it is. This is about the perfect vehicle for a long road trip with more than two passangers aboard. It was stylish in design (in and out), it was well built, and it could carry a major load. If this thing had come from Honda or Toyota I believe it would HAVE been a hit.
I miss the Pacifica…
Great choice for a review. Can’t wait to see at next time I’m at Enterprise and give it a spin for a couple days.
I’m guessing this slots (in size) right between a Highlander and a RAV4 (Or Pilot and CR-V)?
Why would they bring a knife to a gunfight? This is such a competitive category (CUV) that it almost seems like they’d be better off saving the development money and putting it in other products that need it and avoiding this category entirely.
What a shame because the Pacifica is an excellent vehicle for what it is. This is about the perfect vehicle for a long road trip with more than two passangers aboard. It was stylish in design (in and out), it was well built, and it could carry a major load.
I agree with that sentiment. I needed a roomy vehicle to take my wife, my parents, and I and on a lengthy drive, and I rented a Pacifica. It had decent style for the segment, tons of room, and the interior, while not fancy, was perfectly suitable for the vehicles intended purpose. BUT it had the most primitive drivetrain I’ve experienced in a post-80s vehicle. A 60’s era slant six or 318 coupled to slushbox from the same era would have put it to shame. Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.
I don’t understand how this is anything other than a slightly smaller minivan without the sliding door?
Why is it that whenever I see the pentastar in the center of a steering wheel I just assume it’ll be a crap interior? I guess 30 years of training…..
Chrysler’s future is in rebadging other makers’ vehicles….most likely Nissan? Only Jeep has any individual brand potential. With the exception of when the Hemi first came out, I’ve never heard anyone aspire to a Chrysler product. That’s pretty sad. I don’t blame Cerebus…I blame Daimler. At least they got burned for billions for stripping the soul out of a company.
Since the Journey is clearly the Pacifica’s replacement, I will comment briefly on the unlamented latter. I’ve been a passenger in the Pacifica, with leather. It is the most comfortable, quiet, safe vehicle I have ever encountered. Boggles the mind why it failed, except perhaps it was too heavy and lacked a 3d row. The Pacifica was marketed against the Explorer when it should have been marketed against the more compact CUVs. Third row be darned…
At the very least, Chrysler should have transplanted the Pacifica’s interior into the Journey. Then perhaps it could have cut corners in places people wouldn’t see.
Very nice review.
After the Caliber, I wouldn’t be expecting anything of Dodge. I made plenty of fun of the Neon in its time (”hi”), and I used to think it was pretty dorky looking. It was, but dorky-cute. This thing is, as Michael suggests, oh so forgettable.
At the LA Auto Show’s press day we were allowed to sit in the Journey, but only myself and a company rep from Land Rover were actually looking at the car… The interior of that one wasn’t as bad, the somber all-grey color scheme made the interior look very last generation VW, which I didn’t think was a bad thing. The exterior however I didn’t like at all. The best moment however had to have been when I turned to the LR guy and said “Not really competition eh?” he said, “Well, I don’t know” looked at my name badge (TTAC) and said, “nope, none at all.”
I think the gauge cluster and cowl was ripped straight from a 1989 Sundance.
I’ll just echo the sentiments on the late, lamented Pacifica.
I rented one as well and found it a great vehicle for 4 people and their gear. Smooth, quiet, and decent handling (for what is is).
The biggest issue was the fact that it was underpowered. By the time they bought out the 4.0L engine/6-speed auto, it was too late. The 3.5L/4-speed auto was not up to snuff in a vehicle in that class.
Their initial roll-out was a big reason why the Pac failed. When potential customers went to the dealer, they came face-to-face with a $35-40K price tag.
They are bargains in the used-car market, however, and if I needed another big vehicle, I’d look at one.
I’d probably rent one of these for the family if I were on vacation but I’d never burn my hard earned money on one.
Build the Wrangler and the Viper and throw the rest of the tooling away.
With the introduction of this third-world vehicle, the new management at Chrysler has proven itself to be just as clueless as the old management – they haven’t learned a thing! This thing should never had made it to the factory floor. And now Chrysler will go begging to the government for a bailout.
A bit more on the Pacifica: it has a third row, just a very tight, very hard to access one. Also, no seven-pass option. And people didn’t care for the 300-like short greenhouse; they buy SUVs to see out of. Unless they’re Hummers.
I pesonally liked the looks of the Pacifica, but soon learned that most people had a different opinion.
With the Journey, the more I look at the front end, the more I see K-Car.
“Even the majority of loyal Chysler customers were not willing to commit to a Chysler product at that price. If they were willing to pay over $35,000 for a car they knew they could actually upgrade from the Chysler brand.”
This is a problem common to all the domestics, which is why everything is built to a price. They know if they build at the same quality as the imports, they’d have to charge the same and no one would buy.
Try to sell a Fusion without discounting. The line “this is already $3000 cheaper than the Camry” doesn’t fly too far, even for a Ford loyalist.
I just saw the press photos of the Journey. My mom’s old 1985 Dodge Aries called- it wants its dashboard back. Chrysler is like the Britney Spears of the automotive world. You think it’s hit rock bottom and then it finds a new and inventive way to define the term and sink to new lows. If this is the best they can do, and it’s safe to say that this is a product destined for rental fleets, bargain bins, and stupid people, I don’t know why they brought it to market at all. Right after Chrysler started cutting budgets in the “quality” department, they must have slashed the marketing research team as well.
To be fair, there is a lifetime powertrain warranty on this and all Chrysler vehichles (Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler).
Given the reasonable base price and a few incentives, I think this would be a pretty good deal for someone looking to buy basic transportation for a family of 5 or 6.
Of course, it’s possible that Chrysler won’t last long enough to honor that warranty past 5 years anyways but still… I think any review of a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep has to mention that lifetime powertrain warranty.
“Why would they bring a knife to a gunfight? This is such a competitive category (CUV) that it almost seems like they’d be better off saving the development money and putting it in other products that need it and avoiding this category entirely.”
I don’t see why the D3 don’t all do this. Just offer vehicles in a few catagories, do them well, and rebuild the reputation. They’d sell fewer cars for now, but they just might survive to prosper.
Overpriced by 4k. ’nuff said
NICKNICK – they don’t need to throw the tooling away, a judge will just keep it from them…
How many Chrysler products actually sell at MSRP? Around here: none.
For example, there have been multiple dealer ads running for over a year for Ram Quad Cabs for 15 grand or less. That’s not 15 grand off sticker, that’s 15 grand plus tax and license. Ad sources: LA Times / San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
The Journey: Overpriced by 4K on purpose to cover the rebate costs Chrysler will offer to the sheep, hoping to sell enough of the rolling piles of misery to break even. GM and Ford are famous for doing the same damn thing.
Is there any relationship between the slow selling R Class Mercedes and the Pacifica? To me, they look to have the same roots.
Read the fine print of Chrysler’s Lifetime Warranty. I wonder how many ppl that buy one a those vehicles will actually follow Chryslers guidelines to keep that warranty valid.
How many ppl today actually read their owners manuals and warranty info? The internet enthusiasts websites are full of ppl asking the dumbest of questions imaginable pertaining to their newly new bought vehicles.
btw: First Chrysler Hemi: 1951.
Chrysler’s cost structure is far too high compared to most of their international competitors. Chrysler has the misfortune of having very high labor costs coupled with a guaranteed contract that doesn’t bring wages and benefits to a competitive level. The CAW, and the high exposure to the loonie is also hurting Chrysler’s bottom line as well.
To make matters worse, their product line is also by the worst of the former ‘Big 3′ by a very substantial margin. Other than the Wrangler and perhaps the Grand Caravan, there is not a single competitive model in Chrysler’s line-up. In fact most of their products are so cheap in material quality that they are more reminiscent of a three year old Kia model than a contemporary vehicle.
They will most likely need to have a global partner in order to get themselves out of the current mess. The Journey is just another proverbial nail in the German built coffin.
By the way, I believe the Journey is actually considered to be more of a replacement for the short wheelbase Caravan/Voyager than the Pacifica.
Wow, this thing is so far under the radar I’ve never even heard of it. Which would actually make it one of Chrysler’s better products. Since, you know, it’s just a dud, rather a wretched dud.
Qusus,
What good’s a “lifetime” warranty if the company goes bust three years after your purchase?
Great review, Michael. I’m in agreement with those who thought the Pacifica was an overlooked contender. Solid-feeling, smooth-handling, and comfortable, it likely makes a great used purchase, what with Chrysler’s frightful depreciation curve.
As for the Journey, I’ve had two words for anyone who’s trumpeted it as Chrysler’s savior: Avenger-based. Anyone who’s rented the sedan knows what a mess this CUV was bound to be.
Yet another rental company special from the Big 2.8 rears its ugly head.
If not for fleet sales, Detroit would have stopped producing cars long ago. Full-size pickups/SUVs were the only thing keeping them afloat. But with US gas prices gone batshit, even that can’t save them now.
I realize exterior styling is subjective, but damn, the Journey sures is ugly. On the other hand, the interior is improvement by Chrysler standards. However, that is not saying much.
BKW–
What are the stipulations to keeping the warranty valid?
iNeon :
February 23rd, 2008 at 6:53 am
BKW–
What are the stipulations to keeping the warranty valid?
I’m sure you’d have to have every single service done at exactly the time/mileage called for on the maintenance schedule, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d have to have it done by a Chrysler dealer to be eligible for the lifetime warranty (though the Magnusson-Moss act may apply).
Also, keep in mind it’s a limited powertrain warranty, not exactly bumper-to-bumper. Lots of other expensive things can go wrong with the car that would never fall under this warranty, especially given Chrysler’s notoriously shoddy build quality.
My wife to be and I sat in this at NAIAS last month as well. She really seemed to like it. It was at that very moment that I realized I that I’m going to spend the rest of my life with someone who has no taste. And she’s with me, so I’m not feeling very good about myself right now. Damn you Dodge.
If this is the answer, what was the question?
The warranty is valid only if the owner has the automobile inspected(at no cost) by Chrysler every 60 months.
That is the only fine print I’ve ever seen in all interactions with Chrysler. I visit often, and was quite pleased with the Journey. It really seemed to my(first-generation neon driving)eyes to be a well-packaged, well-priced vehicle. $20,450 is not an unreasonable price for a 5-passenger wagon with two uncomfortable jump-seats in back. How much did Land-Rover people pay for those Discoveries that needed valve jobs by 70k miles? Were they covered under warranty when it happened?
No doubt, Chrysler will present the owner with a laundry list of things that need to be repaired(by Chrysler,at great cost) for the warranty to remain in effect, but to be fair– this warranty has not become valid for any owner of any automobile, and can’t be scrutinized just yet because of that.
It’s quite the promise, I don’t dispute that.
Chrysler is intent on dooming themselves.
I wasn’t aware of this vehicle till I read this review, now I’m aware of it and relatively certain it is to be avoided.
Say what you will about the exterior styling, it’s still a helluva lot better looking than the abomination known as the Caliber. I’ll even go so far as to say that the exterior looks okay. I haven’t seen one in person yet, but from the photos, the interior looks awful. The seats and certain elements of the dashboard-the instrument cluster, for instance-look like they were ripped right out of a 1987 Dodge Shadow. Did they find a Shadow in the junkyard to use for design inspiration? Were they trying to go for an Eighties retro look inside? Just what the hell were they thinking with the interior? Were they thinking at all when they designed the interior? It’s mind boggling. I’m no Chrysler fan, but I actually feel sorry for them (sort of) and I wish them the best of luck-they’re really going to need it.