Thursday, 16 February 2012
2012 Dodge Journey Review
2012 Dodge Journey Review - Practical without being too prim, the 2012 Dodge Journey cuts an interesting figure and spans the gulf between compact crossovers and family-grade SUVs. Back in the 2009 model year, the brand-new Dodge Journey had only made it halfway to its intended destination. Pitched as a seven-seat alternative to the company's bigger family minivans, the crossover was on target for size, flexible seating, and sheetmetal--but lacking severely when it came to a quality interior or a modern six-cylinder powertrain. With its major issues solved in a makeover last model year, the 2012 Dodge Journey arrives with very few changes included, or needed.
Though not a class leader, the 2012 Dodge Journey has enough positive attributes to make it worthy of consideration. The Journey's pricetag starts well below $20,000, and to keep it there, Dodge offers a basic powertrain consisting of a coarse, loud four-cylinder engine with 173 horsepower, teamed to a four-speed automatic. The 2012 Dodge Journey slots into the crossover SUV fray alongside tweener-sized vehicles like the Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Like the RAV4, the Journey offers a small third-row seat that is useful for occasionally taking on a couple of extra kids. With or without the third row, however, the Journey strikes a right-sized balance for shoppers looking for something to schlep the family around without stepping up to costlier, thirstier and more cumbersome models like the Dodge Durango and Toyota Highlander.
