more about this model
Pros Lots of storage spaces, integrated child seats, just-right size, ample entertainment options.
Cons Slow acceleration, poor gas mileage, slablike seats, low-mounted stereo with confusing touchscreen menus, cheap interior materials, chrome dash trim reflects too much sunlight.
Like a wheel in the sky, automotive tastes are turning as fuel prices climb to a higher place. Dodge executives are no doubt a bit glum as people welcome crossover SUVs into their driveways with open arms. Americans are stone in love with these lighter, more efficient family mobiles instead of Dodge's more traditional batch of minivans and big truck-based SUVs. For Dodge, the solution was to cook up a crossover like the 2009 Dodge Journey before it was too late.
Derived from the same platform as Dodge's Avenger and Caliber, the Journey is a midsize crossover. In terms of size, it's a little bigger than the Ford Edge or Toyota RAV4 but smaller than the new Ford Flex. For some buyers, our nearly loaded Journey R/T test car could very well be in the Goldilocks, "just right" SUV category: small enough for daily use but with more than enough room for all the kids' junk, while offering an extra pair of seats for the neighbors' kids. Plus, with the ability to equip the Journey any way you want it — storage bins everywhere, integrated child booster seats and ample kid-sedating entertainment options — the Journey has the potential to be the family vehicle of a lifetime for many.
And yet, like so many recent Chrysler products, a wealth of good ideas and interesting features has been sullied by flawed or nickel-and-dime execution. In general, the Journey lacks the levels of refinement found in the many family crossovers it competes with, such as the RAV4, Honda CR-V and Hyundai Santa Fe, and larger models like the Chevy Traverse.
Don't stop believin' that Dodge and Chrysler can climb out of their massive rut in these trying times, but if the 2009 Dodge Journey is a look into the future, who knows if they'll come out of it dead or alive. We're clearly not hopelessly in love with this all-new midsize family crossover, and we think consumers can do better.
Oh, and it got a whole heap of Journey songs stuck in our heads.
Performance The top-level Journey R/T packs a 3.5-liter V6 with 235 horsepower under its hood, but it's tasked with motivating a pudgy 4,200-pound vehicle. On the open road, the Journey struggles up hills even when unladen with passengers and cargo. Highway passing can be an adventure, and the six-speed automatic transmission perpetually yo-yos among 4th, 5th and 6th gears to keep up with traffic flow. At our test facility, our Journey R/T test vehicle went from zero to 60 mph in an unremarkable 9.2 seconds.
The Journey's performance at the gas pump was no better. EPA estimates are 16 mpg city/23 mpg highway and 18 mpg combined. On a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back, we averaged 20.3 mpg, while the fuel log showed 18.2 mpg for the Journey's entire two-week time in our hands. That mileage isn't any better than larger and quicker crossovers like the Ford Flex. By comparison, the similarly sized Toyota RAV4 V6 puts up a 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds and EPA combined fuel economy of 22 mpg.
Like the Avenger sedan upon which it's based, the 2009 Dodge Journey is fairly unremarkable to drive. Steering is a little nonlinear in effort and there's not much road feel transmitted through the blocky steering wheel. On-center feel is decent, though, and it's easy to keep the Journey on the straight and narrow. Brake feel was mushy, sounding and feeling like we were stepping on a Nerf football. Braking distances were similarly only so-so, as the Journey came to a stop from 60 mph in 132 feet.
Comfort The Dodge Journey's suspension does a good enough job of soaking up road imperfections, and if you're used to trucky SUVs like Dodge's Durango, you should find it pleasant. However, sudden road dips make the suspension nautically bob up and down more than other crossovers do. Road and wind noise are kept reasonably in check, although the engine can belt out a raspy tune when you start to push it.
Inside, families with one or two children should find more than enough room in the first two rows, with our test car's 50/50-split third-row seat serving as a sort of emergency backup for kids. Legroom was sufficient up front for even our tallest driver, and the telescoping steering column assured a good driving position for all. The second row reclines for greater comfort and slides forward to provide more legroom in the cramped third row. Unfortunately, all seats are hard and flat.
Function Years ago, someone noticed that people adjust the radio more frequently than the climate controls and figured it would be better to place those controls higher so they could be more easily seen. Since then, most cars have followed this convention — except the 2009 Dodge Journey. Which results in audio controls that are close at hand, but far from sight. This was exacerbated by the "utunes" touchscreen in our Journey R/T test vehicle. We found the interface's menus and small icons confusing.
Despite its ergonomic foibles, utunes controlled the great many entertainment options found on our fully stocked R/T Journey — it lacked only a navigation system. Our vehicle had satellite radio, a hard drive for digital music storage, DVD video capabilities and direct control for the iPod. The latter works well, with quick processing time and logical enough menus. However, with only four playlists, songs, etc. shown at any given time, it can take awhile to find what you're looking for (which makes the stereo location all the more problematic). Bluetooth was easy to program, but its controls are located on the head unit, not the steering wheel.
What the Journey does very well, though, is store things. There are two gloveboxes, one of which has an air-conditioning vent for cooling drinks. There are big door pockets, a large tray under the center stack and a deep bin under the armrest. The passenger seat actually flips up to reveal another bin. A pair of removable waterproof bins for storing beverages and other items resides underneath the second-row floor. The rear cargo area is also quite large when the third row is folded (there's practically nothing when the seats are raised), and with the second row down, maximum cargo space is just a bit shy of the CR-V, RAV4 and Mitsubishi Outlander.
Optional on the Journey is a pair of integrated child booster seats that pop up from the second row. For those with younger kids, normal child seats fit quite easily.
Design/Fit and Finish Recent Chrysler products have by and large featured disappointing interior materials and construction — the Dodge Journey is no exception, even if it is a slight improvement. For instance, there's squishy, soft-touch plastic on part of the dash top, but the doors' upper sill and armrest (areas you actually touch) are hard. Most of the plastics look and feel cheaper than those in competitors. To brighten things up, the Journey gets splashes of chrome on the two dash-top bins, control knobs, the doors and center console. Unfortunately, it's all prone to catching sunlight and flashing in the driver's eyes. Fit and finish on our test vehicle also left something to be desired. For example, the outboard air vents bend slightly inward, but they meet straight surfaces, creating an unfinished appearance.
Who should consider this vehicle With so many good midsize-to-large crossovers in the 2009 Dodge Journey R/T's price range, it's hard to recommend.
Others To Consider
Chevrolet Traverse, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota RAV4.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Is the 2009 Dodge Journey a good car?
Edmunds experts have compiled a robust series of ratings and reviews for the 2009 Dodge Journey and all model years in our database. Our rich content includes expert reviews and recommendations for the 2009 Journey featuring deep dives into trim levels and features, performance, mpg, safety, interior, and driving. Edmunds also offers expert ratings, road test and performance data, long-term road tests, first-drive reviews, video reviews and more.
Our Review Process
All of our reviews are written by a member of Edmunds' editorial team of expert car reviewers. Our team drives every car you can buy. We put the vehicles through rigorous testing, evaluating how they drive and comparing them in detail to their competitors.
We're also regular people like you, so we pay attention to all the different ways people use their cars every day. We want to know if there's enough room for our families and our weekend gear and whether or not our favorite drink fits in the cupholder. Our editors want to help you make the best decision on a car that fits your life.
How do people like the 2009 Dodge Journey?
Consumer ratings and reviews are also available for the 2009 Dodge Journey and all its trim types. Overall, Edmunds users rate the 2009 Journey 3.5 on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Edmunds consumer reviews allow users to sift through aggregated consumer reviews to understand what other drivers are saying about any vehicle in our database. Detailed rating breakdowns (including performance, comfort, value, interior, exterior design, build quality, and reliability) are available as well to provide shoppers with a comprehensive understanding of why customers like the 2009 Journey.
Review
Has anyone found a solution to why the Journey doesnt restart after its been parked? All I hear is maybe the Shifer, IOD fuse, some thing electrical. I recently purchased a used Journey 09, in Chicago, one week later it didnt want to start. Same thing like others, key in, lights, radio good, but no turnover. Not even a choke. Wait about 20 min then it starts. Put in Nuetral, then back to park then turn key and it starts up, sometimes. What is the SOLUTION?
See all consumer reviews and retings for the 2009 Dodge Journey
How can Edmunds help?
Edmunds has deep data on over 6 million new, used, and certified pre-owned vehicles, including rich, trim-level features and specs information like: MSRP, average price paid, warranty information (basic, drivetrain, and maintenance), features (upholstery, bluetooth, navigation, heated seating, cooled seating, cruise control, parking assistance, keyless ignition, satellite radio, folding rears seats ,run flat tires, wheel type, tire size, wheel tire, sunroof, etc.), vehicle specifications (engine cylinder count, drivetrain, engine power, engine torque, engine displacement, transmission), fuel economy (city, highway, combined, fuel capacity, range), vehicle dimensions (length, width, seating capacity, cargo space), car safety, true cost to own. Edmunds also provides tools to allow shopper to compare vehicles to similar models of their choosing by warranty, interior features, exterior features, specifications, fuel economy, vehicle dimensions, consumer rating, edmunds rating, and color
What options are available on the 2009 Dodge Journey?
Available Dodge Journey 2009 Submodel Types: SUV
Available Trims: SXT, SE, Crossroad, Crossroad Plus, R/T, American Value Package, GT, Crew, Mainstreet, Limited, Lux, Express, R/T , R/T Fleet
Exterior Colors: Pitch Black Clear Coat, Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat, Redline 2 Pearl Coat, Granite Pearl Coat, Billet Clear Coat, Vice White, White, Billet Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Bright Silver Metallic Clearcoat, Brilliant Black Crystal Pearlcoat, Fathom Blue Pearl Coat, Contusion Blue Pearl Coat, Pearl White Tri-Coat, Silver Steel Metallic Clearcoat, Deep Water Blue Pearlcoat, Inferno Red Crystal Pearlcoat, Storm Grey Pearlcoat, Blue Streak Pearl Coat, Whtie Noise Tri-Coat, Bruiser Grey Clear Coat, Copperhead Pearlcoat, Verde Oliva, Stone White Clearcoat, Blue Pearlcoat, Blood Orange Clear Coat, White Gold Clearcoat, Bright Red Clearcoat, Light Sanstone Metallic Clearcoat, Melbourne Green Pearlcoat, Blackberry Pearlcoat, Deep Cherry Red Crystal Pearlcoat, Brilliant Red Tri-Coat Pearl, Surf Blue Pearlcoat, Winter Chill Pearl Coat
Interior Colors: Black premium cloth, Black leather/cloth, Black/Light Frost Beige premium cloth, Dark Slate Gray leather, Black/Red leather, Black leather, Dark Slate Gray/Light Graystone premium cloth, Dark Slate Gray cloth, Pastel Pebble Beige premium cloth, Black/Pearl leather, Black/Tan leather, Dark Slate Gray/Light Pebble Beige premium cloth, Black/Red premium cloth
Popular Features: Aux Audio Inputs, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Tire Pressure Warning, Trip Computer, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Multi-Zone Climate Control, USB Inputs, Post-collision safety system, Power Driver Seat, Keyless Entry/Start, Third-row seating, Bluetooth, 2500lb Towing Capacity, AWD/4WD, Auto Climate Control, Alarm, Upgraded Engine, Remote Start, Heated seats, Back-up camera, Parking sensors, Sunroof/Moonroof, Navigation, 3500lb Towing Capacity, Leather Seats, Rear Entertainment System, Upgraded Stereo, Towing Hitch
Engine/Mechanics: 6, 4 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC
Fuel Types: regular unleaded, flex-fuel (unleaded/E85)
Drivetrains: front wheel drive, all wheel drive
