About the DODGE JOURNEY
Gazjourney purchased this Dodge Journey new with additional options for $34,000 (including all on-road costs). Gazjourney would buy this car again because: “I would if I could, but like so many car makers in the great land of Aus, Dodge is no longer sold in Australia. Maybe if they sold the Hellcat they would sit be here. The car has been trouble free family hauler.”
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
After almost eight years and 100,000km the Journey has been trouble free. I put that down to the fact that unlike most American-made cars the Journey is made in Mexico.
The only issue was in its second year with failed satellite navigation due to a hard drive fault (a know issue with the 2014 model) which was replaced under warranty without issue, and maps were updated for free at the same time.
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
The Journey has never let me down. It’s not the flashiest SUV on the market, but as a family car it does exactly what it needs to do without fuss. It has features that a lot of SUVs still don’t offer today
How has the purchase and aftercare experience been with your car?
When I purchased the Journey I paid less for it that what I paid for my new Ford Territory 10 years before.
Since Dodge has long left Australian shores so there after care is no more. I have only taken it to a local mechanic for yearly services. It still has the original brake pads all round.
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
The price represented value for money. Where the Journey shines is in its features as an all-round family SUV. Second-row doors open at 90 degrees to allow easy access to the third row.
Built-in booster seats come in handy for small children. Need to carry 2.7-metre length of timber or a canoe? Just fold the front passenger seat forward and put it in the car.
Roof racks came standard so when you buy that pod for the family road trip you’re good to go.
Need to store valuables out of sight? The front passenger seat fold up for inbuilt storage. The second row footwell holds two waterproof storage containers that each can hold 12 cans and ice of your favoured beverage (or so I have been told).
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
The Pentastar 3.6 V6 engine is silky smooth and has more than adequate power for a family car. Teamed with a torque converter six-speed auto for trouble-free motoring. As for fuel economy around town you will be using around 11L per 100km.
When it comes time for the annual 1000km road trip with the family, two dogs, and the roof pod for Santa’s presents, the journey averages around 8.2L per 100km.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
For 2014, the Journey holds up well. Inbuilt sat nav, Bluetooth music streaming, and phone calls. It has a built in CD/ DVD player, the second being handy for the built-in DVD screen above the second row which comes with headphones so you don’t have to hear the lyrics to Frozen one more time (just let it go).
There is an SD card slot so you can stream all of your music to your heart’s content.
Given its age it doesn’t have that new fangled Apple Car Auto Play… or whatever it’s called.
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
The Journey is never going to be described as a sports machine. It’s designed to move the family in comfort, not for out right speed.
The suspension soaks up the bumps, but don’t expect track-like handling. The Journey tows my 14ft tinny with absolute ease.
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
Its a shame more people didn’t cross shop the Dodge Journey. As a family hauler it ticks most of the boxes and offers useful features the others didn’t.