Journey into space!
Dec 11 2009 By Edward Stephens
IT’S big, it’s brash and it’s just the job if plenty of space is your main criteria.
The new Dodge Journey is like a giant Tonka toy and it has more room inside than your average MPV, so it’s ideal for big families.
This huge estate car also boasts plenty of flexibility with seats which fold, slide and bend in all directions so it can accommodate whatever you want to carry.
A seven-seater with a two-three-two configuration, the Journey has spacious stadium seating, which means passengers in the second row are higher than those in the front seats while the third row passengers are higher still so all get a view through the windscreen.
When it comes to the luggage area, however, it’s minute, and capable of accommodating just a few shopping bags. But if you want to carry large loads you just flip the backs of the third row seats down – assuming you don’t have seven people on board – and hey presto you have a vast boot area. Flip down the backs of the middle row seats as well and you have the carrying capacity of a small van. And just for good measure the backrest of the front passenger seat will fold flat, too, just in case you have anything the length of the vehicle that you need to transport.
A sensible roof-to-bumper tailgate makes light work of loading while rear doors which open 90 degrees make loading from the sides easy, too, not to mention making it easier for people to get in and out of the second row seats and gain access to the third row.
The only downside to all this is that by using the area where the seats are for luggage or parcels there is no way of disguising what you are carrying. Nevertheless, the flexibility is impressive.
If you are carrying small items, however, the Journey has a whole host of places to accommodate them out of sight.
The front-passenger seat cushion, for example, is hinged and, when flipped forward, reveals a large 273 x 222 millimetre bin large enough to store a variety of items even with the seat cushion back in place.
In the floor behind the front-row seats there are two storage areas large enough to hold 12 330-millilitre drink cans plus ice or other items conveniently out of sight. These bins have latching lids and removable, washable liners for added convenience.
And last but not least there is an in-floor storage bin hidden behind the third-row seat.
The sheer size of this giant of a car means there is plenty of space for everyone – even when you have seven passengers on board. And at night the interior LED lighting is not only very effective but makes the Journey stand out to passers-by.
My test model came with the optional extras of GPS satellite navigation, “uconnect” phone, rear seat video units which drop down from overhead panels and a reversing camera for a total of £1,990.
To some extent, the reversing camera is a belt and braces approach as the Journey already has rear parking sensors, but I did find it useful to look at the dashboard screen and be able to see what was behind me.
Because of its size and weight the Journey has a heavy, sluggish feel to it when you pull away and it’s never going to win a race from the traffic lights, should you be that way inclined.
Unexpectedly, however, at motorway speeds it’s one of those vehicles which is surprisingly responsive when you put your right foot down hard.
My test car was powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and came with a host of standard features including All-speed Traction Control, Electronic Roll Mitigation and the very useful Hill Start Assist, which stops the car rolling back while you transfer your foot from the foot brake to the clutch on hills – a boon to learner drivers.
The Journey is unique in name and unique in nature. It’s eye-catching and offers a genuinely good alternative to anyone who needs space in abundance but can’t bear to be seen driving a ubiquitous people mover.
