Then we come to a storage compartment which I think is very clever. In fact, I'd file it under my "Duh, why didn't I think of that?" heading. That is the one which is situated under the front passenger seat. One simple pull of the seat cushion reveals a hidden compartment that is almost perfect for hiding away your valuables. On a family trip to the beach, it would be a great place to hide your purse, camera etc. After all, who would think of lifting up the seat to find your belongings?

Speaking of trips to the beach, have any of you fumed whilst trying to get sand out of the carpet in the rear section of your vehicle? Or how about those of you with dogs? Isn't it great fun trying to vacuum up all those dog hairs that friendly Fido dropped on the carpet in the back of your car? That's no longer a problem because the designers have devised a clever flip floor in the rear of the Journey which consists of a carpeted covering on one side, and a vinyl one on the other. Now be fair, is that intelligent thinking or what?

If the Journey proves to be reliable, it will surely find a place in many driveways.

The Dodge Journey is full of wonderful ideas like those. It even has cushions on the rear seats which pull up to provide bolster seating for young children. Perhaps you can now see why I view it as a perfect family vehicle. But there's more to a family transportation than that, so I guess I should really relay to you what it's like to drive.

Well, this is where the car-like part really comes into play, because it really does drive and handle quite well for the size of the vehicle.

The suspension seems to soak up the lumps and bumps of the road with ease, and during my drive of several hours, I ventured down onto a sandy/stony beach, and also onto an unmade road in the desert which recommended the use of all-wheel drive.

Now obviously I'm not going to tell you that the Journey handles like a sports car, as it not really designed to be one, but I think for a family vehicle, it fares pretty well with its competition.

The only thing which I did discover is that under hard acceleration, the 3.5L V6 didn't exactly have the sweetest sound to it, and with an R/T badge on the back, I would have expected a slightly more throaty note to the exhaust.

I could also mention that the interior of the Journey, although very well designed and perhaps of better quality than I have seen on many Chrysler/Dodge products in the past, still showed itself lacking in certain areas. However, that being said, I have to hastily add that the vehicles I drove were pre-production models, so to be fair, I should hold back on my interior quality decision until I see a true showroom model.

All in all, I think that Dodge has hit the nail right on the head with this vehicle. It is priced right, it has pretty much everything a family could want or need from a vehicle, it's not a minivan, but perhaps...it's the true evolution of the minivan!


Attractive price
Thoughtful interior touches
Great drive



3.5L engine doesn't sound exciting
Interior materials improving but still looks under par



None


Photo Credit : Kevin Corrigan