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Journey seven-up. Image by Dodge.

Journey seven-up
Dodge introduces its Journey MPV for good value seven-seat motoring.

   



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| First Drive | Northants, England | Dodge Journey |

Dodge is Chrysler's value brand so the Journey seven seater aims to offer the best value and space possible against rivals. It's big - far bigger than a Vauxhall Zafira - but with Dodge pitching its pricing at the larger end of the compact MPV market the Journey gets very close to Ford's superb S-Max, and that's one tough competitor in this class.

In the Metal

Dodge seems to like the chunky SUV look for its vehicles and the Journey is no different. It eschews the traditional mono-box style for MPVs and instead goes for a two-box shape. Put a seven slat grille on the front and the Journey could almost pass as a Jeep so chunky is it. Despite the SUV-like styling the Journey is strictly on-road kit, driving its front wheels only. Undoubtedly an individual looker in a marketplace dominated by same-as designs, the Journey will appeal to those wanting a big family machine but not necessarily wanting to shout about spending their lives ferrying kids all over the place.

What you get for your Money

Like all Chrysler group products Dodge places a lot of emphasis on a value for money proposition - American customers wouldn't have it any other way. On a like for like comparison against its rivals the Journey comes out very favourably indeed, either offering better equipment (like multi-zone air conditioning rather than single-zone) or standard kit that others can't muster up at the Journey's price point. Dodge has obviously looked at how people use their MPVs, the rear doors opening 90-degrees to aid access and for installing child seats, while plentiful cubbies provide lots of stowage space inside. There's no luggage cover as yet though, which means if you leave anything in the boot it's on view to prying eyes.

Driving it

Dodge might do better not to refer to the Ford S-Max so readily in comparison as the Ford really shows the Dodge up dynamically. Dodge's 2.0-litre turbodiesel isn't the most refined engine out there and it needs working fairly hard if you're in a hurry. It's far better at cruising, which is just as well, as pitch the Journey into a bend in a hurry and there's a good amount of body roll. In fairness most family orientated drivers won't be driving it hard, the Journey riding commendably and decently refined at motorway speeds. There are plenty of toys inside too, but if you want the smart MyGig music server that also features satnav you'll need to pay a chunk of money.

Worth Noting

Dodge has made a big leap forward with the interior for the Journey but it's still not up to the standards on offer from the competition. The 'soft touch' dashboard is just that, it feeling very strangely spongy. The design isn't so bad with everything sensibly positioned but the plastics used could still do with going up a notch or two on the quality scale. On the manual version, the gearlever is topped by a chrome trim piece, which is perfectly positioned to dazzle you when the sun is shining. Consumption and emissions are decent enough, 43.5mpg quoted as the official combined figure for the 2.0-litre diesel manual. There's also a 2.4-litre petrol, which is only offered on the entry-level model.

Summary

That the Dodge Journey isn't able to compete dynamically with the majority of its rivals isn't really a surprise. What is though is the thought that Dodge has put into the interior. The rear seats are decently sized and there's even luggage space behind them when they're up. Generous equipment and individual looks also add appeal, but there's no denying that the Ford S-Max is a far better car - even accounting for less equipment and a higher purchase price.

Kyle Fortune - 6 Sep 2008



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2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.

2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.



2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.
 

2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.
 

2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.
 

2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.
 

2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.
 

2008 Dodge Journey. Image by Dodge.
 






 

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