I just returned from Las Vegas where I had the opportunity, with about 30 other mooching journalists, to test drive the new 2009 Dodge Journey crossover. I go on many press previews, some of the trips I have been on produce great cars I always remember, some result in driving total horror shows I also always remember - but most are forgettable. If you ask me what I drove or where I was, it kind of gets fuzzy.

The Dodge Journey trip will be one of those fuzzy ventures. But that may not be a bad think. Many of my recent visits with Dodge and Chrysler have produced some horror shows, ala the Chrysler Sebring or Dodge Caliber. But in a lot of ways the Journey might be kind of nondescript in the crossover segment, but it is an improvement on what Dodge and Chrysler have been tossing our way.

Looking to compete with the Chevy Equinox, Ford Edge, Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota RAV 4, Dodge has built its first ever crossover to fit comfortable into this category. Not the top of the heap, not the bottom in my mind, but comfortably entrenched.




The Journey is a modus operandi Chrysler clone job. The crossover shares components from the Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger. Yet when it comes out of the oven, the result is a pleasantly designed, attractive vehicle.
It may not be as distinctive as the Nissan Murano, for example, but there's plenty to enjoy in the Journey's silhouette and details. The Journey's big distinctive Dodge grille is swept into big quad headlamps, softened arches and carries a nice line over the top of pronounced wheel arches. Large taillights flank a lightweight, composite tailgate that's tastefully sloped upward.

Inside the cabin there is good news and cheesy news. The plastic dash is awful. The center console in one of the models I drove was cheap and unfinished looking with some sort of artificial, brushed chrome looking paint. Hopefully, this will quickly be resolved as Chrysler looks to make amends for past poor taste in interior design.
The good news is the Journey comes in two or three row configurations with an impressive and mind boggling array of seat and storage possibilities. More in a moment.

We drove the Journey from Las Vegas to Lake Meade to put the crossover through its paces.

The Journey's ride was comfortable, but the comment by a Dodge staff member that the vehicle produces a super quite ride was more hype than reality.

Steering was reasonable, suspension good, brakes responsive.

The Journey uses two engine packages. The base SE is offered only with the 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter inline-four mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.

The mid-line SXT and top of the heap R/T models come standard with the Dodge Avenger's best powertrain combo, a 235-horsepower V-6 paired with a six-speed automatic with manu-matic control.

Driving through Las Vegas strip traffic, semi congested highways and slow Lake Meade speed limits that were enforced by a large number of park police officers, we did not really get a chance to put the Journey through any grueling test driving. But the type of family oriented drivers who would buy this car certainly aren't in the position to put their toddlers through a hair raising drag race.

With that said, the power and handling are sufficient for Dodge's target demographic.

Back to the interior. The fully loaded Journey comes with leather seats and still that cheesy plastic dash, has no less then 8 separate covered storage bins throughout the cabin, a chill zone glove box to refrigerate your favorite beverages, I pod connector, DVD player, rechargeable LED flashlight, 9 ft right side clearance for large items when the seats are down, second row seats that convert into clever child booster seats, a slightly higher second and third row for added passenger visibility, a 90 degree opening rear door for easy entry of small children and other mind boggling seat configurations almost two numerous to mention.

But all that interior hardware comes with a price my friends.

The base barebones SE is $19,985, a good value, while if you check all the boxes for the amenities for the RT you're looking at going well north of $30,000 to much in my mind when you look at the value against the competition.