WITH around 50 Journeys leaving Dodge dealers every month – a relatively strong figure for such a niche brand and vehicle – we were curious to find out where the appeal lies. Even though we were expecting the 2,0-litre diesel version, the much more wallet-friendly (based on purchase price) 2,7-litre V6 petrol R/T arrived. It’s not shy on power and needs its 136 kW at 5 500 r/min and 256 N.m of torque at 4 000 r/min only if you make use of all seven seats (which, incidentally, can all accommodate adults, unlike some rivals). During the yearlong term, we didn’t undertake many long-distance trips and, due to the Journey being front-wheel drive, avoided off-road activities. Still, the Dodge took the gravel roads we encountered in its stride, thanks to long-travel suspension and fairly generous ground clearance. Firmer damping would have solved our only criticism in this respect: a slightly too severe rebound effect over bumps.
Most passengers who joined me on, ahem, journeys commented on the upmarket cabin ambience with its long list of features that are operated mostly by classy, Mercedes- Benz-inspired controls (the Journey was conceived during the time Chrysler and Mercedes were happy bedfellows). In fact, there are so many buttons and knobs that control the three-zone climate control and comprehensive, optional MyGIG entertainment system – with a six-CD stacker, built-in hard drive, auxiliary and USB ports, and voice control – that it often took a while to locate one.
We encountered very few problems with the Dodge. A slight vibration from the front wheels was cured by a trip to the dealer, which replaced the front discs. Furthermore, a tyre-pressure warning light was sorted out by Chrysler Jeep Dodge Century City at the 12 000 km service. A neat reminder that an oil service was due appeared on the central display unit only days before the service was booked.
The Dodge reared a number of small quirks during its tenure: the audio system would sometimes take a minute to start up, perhaps due to the complex amalgamation of the various sound sources while, after a few attempts at connecting my cellphone to the system using Bluetooth, I gave up because it lost the phone numbers I had stored. Initially, the voice command function proved to be fun to play with, but we soon reverted to pressing buttons on the facia rather than attempting to the bridge the communication gap with the voice emanating from the dashboard. Due to the length of the vehicle, parking had to be done with care. As part of the MyGIG system, a rear camera shows you if anything is in your way. However, this system does not feature parking sensors – an odd omission on a vehicle of this size.
One of our longest trips with the Journey was to the Knysna Hillclimb. We collapsed the second and third rows of seats and stored a truck-load of equipment in the spacious boot. Although the Dodge emblem is a ram, on this trip – during which it rained incessantly – the Journey proved it’s no mountain goat when it became stuck in mud at the side of the road. We now know why fourwheel drive can be such a boon in inclement weather.
The Dodge proved to be a great long-distance cruiser. The cruisecontrol buttons on the left-hand side of the steering wheel fall easily to hand, while low engine speeds at highway pace meant we could keep fuel consumption relatively low and appreciate the sound coming from the audio system.
We found it was often preferable to put the transmission into manual mode to eliminate continuous hunting for the perfect ratio.
A camping trip to the Breede River in the middle of summer meant that strong winds were a foregone conclusion. In fact, the weather proved so unbearable that we decided to fold flat the seats, chuck a mattress in the back and sleep in complete comfort in the Dodge instead of in our tent. A nifty feature we discovered on this trip was the rechargeable flashlight housed in the boot.
We fully appreciated the threezone climate control in winter. Its response to varying temperature choices was quick and efficient, while overhead and floor-level air vents at the rear – fully adjustable via roof-mounted controls – kept occupants comfortable. We also made much use of the optional sunroof that features a sensibly designed front lip which allowed for muted conversations up to a speed of 100 km/h before windnoise became an issue.
Luggage space is obviously limited with all seven seats in use but, with only five occupants and the third row stowed, there is more than enough space for large goods. The largest item we transported was a 13 kg washing machine which was still in its box. On another trip, a colleague transported her surfboard on the roof, while a request to build a jungle gym for a local house of safety saw three-metre long gum poles transported on the racks. In fact, the Journey is so spacious that, when we measured the interior space, we found it could comfortably accommodate items of up to 2,5 metres long.
Dodge clearly made practicality a priority when developing the vehicle. We discovered a number of clever storage solutions, such as the sunglass holder in front that doubles as a mirror to spy on those seated in the rear, as well as storage bins at the base of the second-seat row that are large and have handy removable plastic liners in case liquid spills or ice is used to cool drinks. Another stowage compartment that saw much use was the one under the flip-up front passenger seat – it’s the perfect size for small change, a first-aid kit or sunblock. Bigger items such as jumper cables had their own spot in the rearmost storage compartment with cleaning goodies and some tools. The Journey is definitely geared towards families.
during the year. We used a flash drive to load a number of songs onto the 30 Gb hard drive (which is supposed to store photos, too, but would not accept the jpeg file with which we wanted to replace the default scene). Switching between CDs, the radio and stored MP3s, or adjusting the volume, was quick and easy with the steering-wheel controls mounted behind the righthand spoke.
With the rear load sill painted in the silver body colour, care had to The sound system worked hard be taken not to scratch the surface when loading heavy objects. As bad luck would have it, just before the end of the test the loading of heavy carpeting did remove some of the paint and revealed the black plastic underneath. Silver being a relatively common colour, I found a suitable aerosol can at home and sprayed some onto an ear bud. It did the trick better than expected.
Fuel consumption on such a large vehicle powered by a V6 petrol engine was never going to be impressive and we achieved a steep average of 13,6 litres/ 100 km. The lowest figure was much better at 10,91 litres/100 km on a trip to Montagu over the spectacular Du Toitskloof Pass, with the worst pegged at 15,75 litres/ 100 km. The furthest we got on a single tank of fuel – the tank takes 78 litres – was 602 km, by which time the 40 km remaining-range warning lit up. Incidentally, many people were bemused by the FLEXFUEL E85 Ethanol badge on the rear. All this means is the fuel system can tolerate up to a 15 per cent ethanol mix.
TEST SUMMARY
Whether transporting large things, stowing small things, moving people or even posing as a caravan, the Journey proved versatile enough to cope with ease. Just remember not to get too adventurous off-road and stay light on the throttle if you want to reduce the frequency of petrol station visits.
