2017 Dodge Journey

The market conditions have changed drastically since its introduction. Today the mid-range SUV market is one of the most crowded segments out there. The competition has improved, developed, and even surpassed Dodge in almost all areas. The 2017 Journey faces stiff competition from brands both domestic and international from cars like Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Kia Sorento, and Chevrolet Equinox.

The 2017 Dodge Journey is not shy in providing choices to the buyers. The car is available in five major trims SE, SXT, Crossroad, Crossroad Plus, and GT with choices in seating, powertrain, and engine options. The vehicle is available with a seating capacity of five or seven depending on the trim. Also, both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive options are available to choose from. The base SE trim comes with cruise control, heated mirrors, roof rails, and 17-inch steel wheels. The SE trim has an optional Flexible seating package which adds tri-zone manual climate control and 50-50 split third row. Moving to the SXT trim we can see a unique front fascia, body-colored exterior mirrors, 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, and the Flexible Seating Package as standard.

The Crossroad trim adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob,19-inch wheels, and gloss black and chrome exterior trim. This trim features Bluetooth and satellite radio for entertainment purposes. The Crossroad Plus trim features tri-zone automatic climate control, 6-way power-adjustable seats, leather upholstery, and LED interior lighting in addition to the features available on the crossroad trim. The top-of-the-line GT model comes with a V6 engine, perforated leather upholstery, Sport-tuned suspension, heated steering wheel, and a premium audio system with a subwoofer. 

Which Trim should you buy?

The lower trims are very scarce in features. Even features like Bluetooth connectivity which is basic by today's standard are available only from the Crossroad trim. We recommend going a step further and choosing the Crossroad Plus trim as it comes packed with features that are comfort and convenience-oriented for a marginal price difference. The Crossroad Plus trim offers tri-zone automatic temperature control, leather upholstery, 8.4-inch touchscreen, leather-wrapped steering wheel and knob, voice commands, and leather bucket seats.

The 2017 Dodge Journey is available in multiple engine options. Except for the GT, all trims come equipped with a standard 2.4L in-line four-cylinder engine that can produce 173 hp and 166lb-ft. The rather low power output barely manages to move the heavy vehicle. The engine is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The transmission feels ancient, rough, and slow during the times of smooth six-speed automatics. This engine and transmission combo also prove to be thirsty affecting fuel efficiency. You get an FWD drivetrain as standard if you go for the 2.4L Inline-4 mill.

The GT comes equipped with a 3.6L V6 engine that churns out 283 hp and 260 lb-ft; which feels adequate for a car of this size. This Pentastar V6 engine is available as an option in base trims and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. This engine is not as thirsty as the in-line-4 engine. The bigger engine is powerful enough for everyday activities but the six-speed transmission feels slow in delivering the requested power especially when a sudden downshift is needed. The V6 engine is coupled to an AWD drivetrain configuration in base trims but can be had with an FWD drivetrain in GT trim alone.

The Journey is the only car in comparison with a four-speed automatic transmission. The outdated transmission takes a toll on the performance timings of the car. Even with output figures comparable to that of the competition, the 0-60 and quarter-mile timings lag behind by quite a margin. The Journey takes 11 seconds to reach 60mph from rest and 17.9 seconds for a quarter-mile, making it the slowest car in competition. 

The Chevrolet Equinox is the fastest car among the rivals with better acceleration timings. The Kia Sorento and the Santa Fe Sport being sisters come equipped with the same engine and they have the highest performance figures. The performance quotient of modern six-speed automatic transmission over ancient four-speed automatics is clearly evident in this comparison.

How well does the 2017 Dodge Journey handle?

The 2017 Dodge Journey faces strong criticism on both ends. The four-cylinder engine is noisy and lacks the required power for such a large vehicle combined with an old four-speed transmission. The handling of the Journey is really impressive considering it is an SUV. The car feels sportier compared to some of its rivals when it comes to handling. The steering wheel is fairly precise and goes in the direction where you direct it. 

The driving experience of the Dodge Journey is decent. Its handling characteristics are fairly good considering its size. The suspension does a good job of isolating the passengers from the rough pavements and bumps. The ride quality is good with decent roll control and proper damping. However, the body does lean a lot when driving through hard turns and corners. 

2017 Dodge Journey Braking Performance

The brake pedal on the 2017 Journey feels soft and unresponsive. The heavier weight of the car does not help either with the braking performance. The car features 13-inch ventilated disc brakes on the front and 12.9-inch solid disk brakes on the rear. These brakes can bring the 3818-pound vehicle to rest from 60 mph in 128 ft. The braking system is complemented by the ABS and brake assist system for added safety.

The braking performance on the Journey is nothing to boast about. It barely outdoes the Kia Sorento in stopping by two feet to avoid the last position. To put things in perspective, the brakes on the Kia are smaller by an inch. The Equinox comes to a stop from 60 mph in an impressive 119 ft despite being heavy. The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport also fares better than the Dodge Journey in terms of braking; thanks to its lightweight chassis and comparably smaller dimensions.

Fuel efficiency does not seem to be the priority of the 2017 Journey as the car lacks modern fuel-saving technologies or a modern transmission. Still, the numbers are respectable. However, the inline four-cylinder engine is not particularly fuel-efficient compared to the V6. The company claims an efficiency of 19 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway with a combined 21 mpg. But the numbers are hard to replicate in real life. 

The V6 engine on the other hand is not as thirsty as the smaller engine. The company claims 16 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway with a combined 19 mpg. The real-world figures seem to be in line with these numbers. If we consider the Journey as a seven-seater or a team bus, the efficiency seems in line with the competition, otherwise, there are better fuel-efficient SUVs with better performance.

The Equinox is the most fuel-efficient SUV in this segment with a combined efficiency of 25 mpg. The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and the Kia Sorento closely follow, offering 24 mpg combined. Journey on the other hand has the largest fuel tank capacity in the competition at 20.5 gallons. The larger fuel tank helps to maintain a decent range despite the lackluster fuel economy. The car can provide a range of over 500 miles on the highway.

The 2017 Dodge Journey benefits clearly from the brand’s knowledge of making minivans. The Journey could be thought of as an acceptable and affordable substitute for a minivan with a lot of space and storage options in the interior. The interior layout of the car is meant for families. The surfaces are covered with robust cloth upholstery that can be wiped clean easily. Leather upholstery is available on upper trims. As standard, the vehicle comes with 5 seats in the SE trim but via the optional Flexible seating package, you can add tri-zone manual climate control and 50-50 split third-row seats which increases the seating capacity to 7. Flexible Seating Package is standard on the SXT trim and above.

The base trim is barebones but as you move up the trim levels, you get a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, tri-zone automatic climate control, 6-way power-adjustable seats, leather upholstery, and LED interior lighting. Coming to the back row seats, it is built for kids. Without the third row, the cargo area measures a respectable 37 cubic ft and 10.7 cubic ft when the third row is present. We get a massive 67.6 cubic ft of storage when both the rows are folded. There are lots of storage bins in the cargo area and under the passenger seats.

The cabin of the 2017 Dodge Journey is not particularly spacious when compared to its rivals. Every car has similar dimensions. The Kia Sorento is the most spacious of the lot without the third row. All these models provide good cargo capacity and the Dodge leads with a capacity of 39.6 cubic ft followed closely by the Kia Sorento with 38.8 cubic ft. The cargo space is the smallest on the Chevrolet Equinox. Standout interior features in the 2017 Dodge Journey are:

• 6-way power-adjustable seats
• Ambient LED interior lighting
• Leather upholstery
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob
• Tri-zone automatic climate control

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The infotainment features on the 2017 Journey are pretty basic on base trims. Even Bluetooth is not a standard feature on base SE and SXT trims. The standard infotainment system has a small 4.3-inch screen with only the basic features. There is an optional 8.4-inch larger touch screen with available features like voice command and optional navigation. 

The feature list begins to improve with the Crossroad trim where you get an optional 8.4-in touchscreen, standard Bluetooth and Satellite radio system, and more. Neither Android Auto nor Apple Carplay is available. The only advantage of the system is that it is the same easy-to-use Uconnect system found on many other Dodge products. Standout infotainment features in the 2017 Dodge Journey are:

• 8.4-inch touch screen infotainment display
• Uconnect Voice command with Bluetooth
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• 6-speaker audio system with subwoofer and 368-watt amplifier\
• Navigation system (Optional)

The exterior is where the age of the 2017 Dodge Journey is visible. The car has been following the same design for almost a decade without any major changes and naturally, inattention comes as a byproduct for a model too old. The 2017 Journey surely won’t attract any looks or turn some heads especially with the competition featuring a modern and up-to-date styling. 

This car could be a safe bet for someone who wants to maneuver around without getting any attention. The base trims are very basic looking; only the top-of-the-line GT model puts in some effort with black alloy wheels, black colored grille, and black headlamp inserts. It is still in no way a head-turner, just better looking than other trims.

The 2017 Dodge Journey is the heaviest and the longest car in comparison. It is closely followed by the Chevrolet Equinox in terms of dimensions. But Chevy’s large dimensions did not translate well into better interior space nor road presence. Judging by the dimensions, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is the smallest as well as the lightest vehicle in the lot but still offers decent interior space. Standout exterior features include:

• Automatic headlamps with DRLs
• Roof racks with bright chrome side rails
• Heated, power body-colored mirrors
• 19-inch wheels
• Gloss Black grille and exterior trim
• Sunroof
• All-season tires

The Dodge Journey could not keep up with the evolving safety standard with its age-old design structure. 2017 Journey comes with active front head restraints, traction and stability control, and antilock disc brakes. A rear parking rearview camera is also available, but common safety technologies such as blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warning are missing even on the higher trims. 

Moreover, the car does not score well in safety tests. The NHTSA awards the car an overall four-star rating at a time when five-star ratings are becoming increasingly common. The IIHS also provides a poor rating in its test. Standout safety features in the 2017 Dodge Journey:

• Electronic stability control
• ParkSense Rear Park Assist with backup camera
• All speed traction control
• Electronic roll mitigation

2017 Dodge Journey vs 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4L

Both the cars feature similar 2.4L Inline-4 engines. That is where the similarities end. Even with the higher price tag on the base variant, the Hyundai looks more premium for the price. The Hyundai also features a six-speed automatic gearbox which can better deliver the engine output. In short, Santa Fe is better than the Journey in terms of performance and feature list. It also has better safety and reliability scores than the Journey. Also, the fuel efficiency is excellent on the Hyundai Santa Fe.

2017 Dodge Journey vs 2017 Chevrolet Equinox

Both the cars are available at an almost similar price but the Equinox has better performance, handling, and better fuel efficiency than the Journey. The Equinox can handle both rough and regular surfaces with ease providing better comfort to passengers. However, it can seat only 5 people. On a positive note, the feature list on Equinox is longer.

2017 Dodge Journey vs 2017 Kia Sorento 

The list of similarities between the Kia Sorento and the Journey ends with the engine. Other than that, the Kia outperforms the Dodge in every possible way including space, efficiency, performance, safety, and features. The quality of the interior on the Kia is more upscale and it offers more legroom and shoulder room. The transmission is a six-speed automatic and more refined than that of the Journey.

The 2017 Dodge Journey is a budget SUV that is hard to recommend to anyone. The only major advantage of the car is its lower starting price. It still offers a comfortable ride and has an easy-to-use Uconnect infotainment system. However, the car has an underpowered base engine and produces noticeable body roll on corners. 

The outdated design combined with the lack of the latest technology as well as safety features results in low safety and reliability scores making it hard to recommend to the family who are the target audience. The competition is way better in terms of performance, efficiency, looks, and comfort.