A reminder that the Dodge Journey still exists, and that it's getting worse

"winterlegacy, here 'till the end" (winterlegacy) 01/19/2020 at 11:03 • Filed to: THE UNKILLABLE DODGE JOURNEY

3

46

Edit 20-1-2020
Based on the responses (including the greys, don’t worry, I read those too!), the general consensus is that the Journey is the only way to get 7 seats at a low, low price. Some people seem to be enjoying the fact that it’s not as high tech as its competitors, either.

I suppose that explains the tens of thousands of people who still buy Journeys every year, then.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

For the 2020 model year, this undying piece of antiquated technology loses both of its possible redeeming factors by removing its more modern components, the 6-speed automatic and the V6 engine. This is a strange decision, but there’s likely some corporate sleight of hand in the background. Either that, or maybe it’s just ineptitude. Who knows?

There’s exactly two trains of thought going through my head to begin to even explain this strange decision.

They’re desperately trying to kill off this thing by making sure all you can get is the garden variety inline 4 and the ancient minivan 4-speed automatic.
Counterpoint : Nobody really cares how awful a car actually is half the time...

They’re cutting costs for production by using the oldest, cheapest technology that they can offer for this car.

Whatever the case is, if these 4-speed autos are almost the exact same (if not the exact same) as the one in the 4th gen Chrysler minivans, then I can expect plenty of spare transmissions... right? Right?

Or we’ll just get the modern equivalent of the Volkswagen Beetle, a car that continues to get sold for decades with minimal changes even after the competition has moved on and made better cars for cheaper.

dogisbadob > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 11:25

0

The Journey sucks, but you don’t have to have the latest whatever. The problem is just that Chrysler cars are shit

I hate transverse V6 engines because they are impossible to work on and get terrible gas mileage.

If it was a better car, there would be nothing wrong with the 4-cylinder engine and a 4-speed automatic :o)

Variance > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 11:32

5

Last I saw, the Journey still sells something like 100k units a year, so apparently enough people are still buying it to warrant continuing production.

Since the Journey’s main appeal is just how damn cheap it is, my guess is that the 4-cylinder model was the lion’s share of the volume, so it made sense to kill off the V6 to reduce certification costs.

jimz > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 11:35

2

no, the 41TE was worked out a long, long time ago.

honestly this is probably the last year this thing exists, and given it’s 4-cyl/4-speed only they likely only plan on selling mostly to fleets and rental companies. 

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 11:38

13

It’s been all but confirmed a new Stelvio-based Journey is coming, it’s possible FCA is gearing up to continue producing the current model as a fleet special, a la Malibu Classic.

SiennaMan > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 12:00

7

 Question, are there really cheaper 7 passenger suvs on the market?  To me, this is why the Journey keeps selling, I think in my market it might even be cheaper than the Dodge Caravan, which would mean it's the cheapest 7 passenger vehicle available,  and it looks like an suv to boot.  (win-win if "looks like suv & legally caries 7" are your only must haves..)

Boxer_4 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 01/19/2020 at 12:16

2

I could totally see that happening. The Journey is currently the cheapest vehicle that Chrysler sells. Unless FCA is completely inept ( jury’s out on that one ) I can’t see them placing the new Journey in the same position as the current Journey. They will still need something to occupy the bottom tier where the current Journey exists - what better vehicle to sell in that position than the current Journey?

The Malibu Classics always dropped the V6 for their production runs. Fleet buyers don’t care for the most part - they would likely rather have the cheapest most durable options available.  In fact, the ‘97 generation Classic actually re-introduced a 4 cylinder to that model. That generation Malibu went V6 only from ‘01-’03.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 12:20

3

I don’t think a better car for cheaper exists if you need something with 7 seats. A quick check of my local Dodge dealer shows multiple 2.4L Journeys on the lot advertised for $22,500 with a whole list additional rebates on top of that to the point everyone probably qualifies for at least one. (Dodge being Dodge there is actually a $750 rebate for sub-prime credit to party even out your high interest rate.) My guess is these move for close to $20k and since they are so old and basic Dodge still makes money on them at that price point. Once you start to upgrade to the higher trims with the 3.6L... then yeah you’re at the price point of a  Sorento which can be had with 7 seats and is a much better vehicle. 

Grindintosecond > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 12:24

0

They see a motor that does everything, a turbo 4. So why need a v6? Kill it. And you now save on production line costs and shipment of motors from multiple plants. Beancounting in full effect now that FCA is broke...sorry RFCA? What's it now?

Grindintosecond > Boxer_4 01/19/2020 at 12:26

6

They should quit making new cars for poor people. Make good cars for folks who can afford good cars and the used ones will be good and then affordable to poor people.

Sorry, budget minded, fiscally conservative buyers...

Im blunt sometimes, but banking on fleet rental sales is a plan C.

fintail > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 12:49

1

Rental fleets want cheap space-fillers, they don’t care about the specs, just the price.  I’ll wager the fleet mix for these is at least 50%.

Under_Score > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 13:30

6

Ironically, a lot of rentals come with the V6. The Journey has some nice features (keyless access and push button start, third row, not a lot of tech). There are some very simple people who want a car this basic. Think about the users of here that complain about how complex modern cars are. Here’s the counterpoint.

cluelessk > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 13:49

1

I hate these vehicles.

I work in a body shop and they’re the worst built thing that comes through the shop. Factory alignment is brutal, sloppy plastic rivet body fasteners, cheap quality steel and parts.

You know people only get them because they can’t afford to finance something else.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Variance 01/19/2020 at 15:33

4

That’s most likely the correct answer. It’s a dirt cheap crossover that everyone can buy so they can say they have a crossover.

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > SiennaMan 01/19/2020 at 15:37

0

I forget the Journey has a 7 passenger capacity. I always thought they carried 5.

SiennaMan > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 16:03

0

Yeah, I wonder how many are equipped with 3 rows (I think you can buy it with just two).  It basically is the successor to the short model Caravans..

L.Tyler > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 16:16

0

I own a basic 2016 4 cyl 4spd with 75k miles and , knock on wood, it hasn’t given me any problems thus far. If they were to turbo the the engine it could be quite good, though I think that it would need the 6 spd trans to be most effective. I also agree with the poster that stated " I hated v6 transverse engine cars", the journey would have been a much better car with a rwd v6. Elimination of the awd option is smart, it's too expensive and trouble prone for most people to go with which also hurt sales of the v6 since you couldn't get the v6 without all wheel drive which is why I opted for the four banger and crossed my fingers. Just my opinion.

Mopar4wd > SiennaMan 01/19/2020 at 17:23

1

So far I have only seen 1 that didn't have the third row. I'm thinking third row for cheap is the main reason it sells.

WilliamsSW > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 17:41

2

My wife just had a Journey as a rental while her RX350 was in the body shop for a few days. She actually didn’t hate it.

But maybe that says more about the RX350 than the Journey lol.

( I drove one as a rental a couple years ago and despised it. I also hate her RX, so there’s that)

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > WilliamsSW 01/19/2020 at 17:50

3

Much like there are different levels of good, there are different levels of bad.

WestSideMike77 > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 18:15

0

The V6 is terrible. My buddy just had one that hand grenaded on him at only 80k. Good job Dodge. He'll never buy one again, he went to a Mazda suv. 

WestSideMike77 > Variance 01/19/2020 at 18:16

0

Or that the v6 is complete trash.....

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Grindintosecond 01/19/2020 at 18:21

3

It’s not a turbo 4.

gmctavish needs more space > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 20:24

1

Anyone buying this is looking for most seats for the lowest monthly payment. Might as well only sell the super cheap shitty one if that’s what the people want. If you’ve got the money for the v6 and maybe leather, you’re looking at something different. 

LJ909 > Boxer_4 01/19/2020 at 20:33

1

I think its the cheapest way you can get a 3 row crossover on the market as well right now.

LJ909 > SiennaMan 01/19/2020 at 20:38

4

They all come standard with 3 rows of seating at any trim. So if you need something cheap to carry your family, you can get a bare bones, no optioned, 17" steel wheel covered Journey that seats 7 for $22,740.

PS9 > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 21:53

1

On one hand, it’s ancient and uncompetitive. Dodge needs to stop making it.

On the other hand, removing it right this second from production doesn’t make too much sense if you don’t have a followup ready (and they don’t). And as we saw with the panther, cheap non-competitive zombie dinosaurs like the Journey are a favorite of the rental car industry, who love to pad the fleet with cheap to buy and even cheaper to fix cars they can rent to customers as still technically new. Popular to enthusiast belief, the rental car dollar spends just as good as every other.

The Journey is a bad look. But not having a crossover in your fleet in this environment is a worse idea than just trimming away the slower selling trim level to save a couple of bucks while you wait to replace it.

Paul > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/19/2020 at 22:53

0

Here I thought my rental 2019 Grand Caravan was bad. Yes it’s just a warmed-over 2009 model, but *so is my 2016 Ford Flex*. The Caravan’s top-tier infotainment is archaic even by 2009 standards, comparing to my 2010 Fusion.

Just Jeepin' > Grindintosecond 01/19/2020 at 23:51

2

Considering how expensive new cars are in general , I’d argue that anyone willing to make new cars for poor people should absolutely do so.

Grindintosecond > Just Jeepin' 01/20/2020 at 01:36

0

The depreciation of those cars is staggering. Low quality parts and crap interiors do not hold value. unless they pay cash, they’re now rolling over unpaid parts of their 6+ year loans  into their next loans for these depreciation traps.

Lane88 > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/20/2020 at 01:47

0

I have a 2016 journey rt with the v6 and mine also has the u connect system and fully loaded and i love it i paid $20,000 used with 40,000 miles on it

Long_Voyager94 > LJ909 01/20/2020 at 07:10

1

With incentives and such they usually have on them it’s more like $18k out the door.

Long_Voyager94 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 01/20/2020 at 07:13

0

I was with you until you said the Sorrento is a much better vehicle.

After driving a Sorrento and a top level Journey, the Journey is by far the better driving vehicle.

Long_Voyager94 > dogisbadob 01/20/2020 at 07:15

1

The Journey is V6 form is quite good.

My 3.6 in my GC has plenty of room to work on it if needed and returns 29-32 mpg on the highway from a god damned 4500lb minivan, definitely wouldn’t call that terrible.

Long_Voyager94 > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/20/2020 at 07:17

0

The Journey gets a lot of hate, but in V6 GT trim, it is a very nice place to spend time that has plenty of grunt when needed.

Honestly if it wasn’t for the lack of 3rd row room, we would have bought a Journey GT over our Grand Caravan. It was the perfect combo of comfort, ride, handling, power, economy, and frankly styling, all wrapped up in a $22k package with incentives.

Chris Johnson > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/20/2020 at 07:32

0

I have a 2017 Journey Gt AWD fully loaded with 32k on it and I love the car the only thing I hate about it is it doesn’t have apple car play . Just to add that you have to spend about 500 bucks for a aftermarket setup which yes it’s pricey but they should of made the car with that ....

Sam > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/20/2020 at 08:17

0

I have a DJ and all I know is that I am just waiting for it to croak so I can get rid of it. Spent thousands in repairs within 6 months. So I want some of my money's worth out of it.

LJ909 > Long_Voyager94 01/20/2020 at 10:15

1

Even lower than that some places. One local dealer near me has a few that, if you qualify or use all their incentives, has the final price being $15,190. That’ s insane.

Levi > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/20/2020 at 11:29

0

I have a ‘13 journey.

My reasons for buying, I needed 7 seats, and I didn’t have much money, also needed a low monthly note.

It’s not a bad car, it’s not great 4cyl is sickly under powered but it gets the people hauling and grocery getting done.

Some of us don't need the fancy bells and whistles. We just need an affordable car to get the job done.

Atsu > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 01/20/2020 at 11:42

0

Which is good, because dodges turbo 4 is trash.

SiennaMan > Long_Voyager94 01/20/2020 at 11:47

0

And the appeal of that goes way up if you are short on cash and need to haul around 3 or 4 car seats..

Long_Voyager94 > SiennaMan 01/20/2020 at 12:02

0

Definitely not fitting more than 2 car seats in the Journey though. The 2nd row is comfortable, but the 3rd row is useless. I wouldn’t even force my kids to sit back there.

SiennaMan > Long_Voyager94 01/20/2020 at 12:08

0

Not even room for a booster and the kid kicks their baby sibling in the feet in a pumpkin seat in the second tow?

I’ll admit, I’ve not looked at one more closely than to confirm that I wouldn’t fit in the 3rd row so..

Long_Voyager94 > SiennaMan 01/20/2020 at 12:16

1

I wouldn’t try it.

With the 2nd row in a position to hold a car seat there’s about 4" between the seat back and the front of the 3rd row. No way in hell you’re fitting a car seat back there.

Dirk_Diggler > WestSideMike77 01/20/2020 at 16:03

0

I have a 2017 SXT Journey with the V6. It's great. I don't know why they threw that out.

281crane > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 01/21/2020 at 06:20

0

The Wrangler JK was a low tech vehicle with minimal changes but it was a best seller 

WestSideMike77 > Dirk_Diggler 01/22/2020 at 00:24

0

Friend of mine had one blow the head gasket at only 80k. And that was after one bad overheating incident around 70k. He will never buy a Dodge again lol.