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I should take less drugs, because this is by far the weirdest Golf I’ve seen. Dodge Journey, the official car all-you-can-eat-car-junk-food-buffet. Here’s why, in today’s review.

Dodge Journey is nicknamed in the USA as “Man Van” and since then that term has remained in my mind. Here in Europe you could say it’s an American Touran but it’s actually closer to the VW Golf because, realistically speaking, almost nobody bought the petrol engines because when you look at a minivan/family SUV and budget, a 3.5 V6 petrol engine with 235 horsepower will not be at the top of your list, possibly not even at the bottom of it. Maybe the 170 horsepower 2.4 World petrol engine will catch your eyes and money, but the rest definitely won’t. So you are left with a 2.0 diesel, bought under license from VW and used until its early retirement in 2011, when the Dodge Journey is retired by the Fiat Freemont, which is the same car but with Fiat written on it. In fact, in the US the Dodge Journey is still sold under the same name, only we got the Fiat because it’s a more familiar brand for us and you kind of know what you’re getting, unlike Dodge where most people know as much as I know about women or Nigel about quitting.

And yes, the Dodge Journey is more of a minivan than an SUV, even if it is larger than the Dodge Nitro, but it has a lower ground clearance than the 18 cm standard of SUVs at the time and it doesn’t even have AWD except for the 235 horsepower 3.5 V6 petrol. It’s just that it’s bigger and taller than the regular Touran and Mazda 5, so you can take it for an SUV, especially if going to the countryside is not your main activity or even an occasional one. Plus, I always say that most people don’t need a 4×4 because most people’s idea of ​​”off-road” in general boils down to walking in the field and passing through a puddle. At most a forest road. Which you can handle in a Ford Ka. But what can’t you do in a Ford Ka and can you do in a Dodge Journey? That’s right, you can create, deliver and raise a family with 2 children.

Dodge Journey Engines

Petrol

• 2.4 MPI World of 170 horsepower – The basic petrol engine and an engine with a long history even here in Europe and it is still in use today, you can find it including on the Jeep Renegade.


• 2.7 LH V6 of 175 horsepower – The engine is replaced every 100,000 km because water often infiltrates the oil, thanks to the water pump with paper blades…I mean plastic, which fails every time it starts at a traffic light.


• 3.5 V6 EGF 235 horsepower – The only engine with optional AWD traction, which is the same 2.7 V6 only bigger. Issues with coolant leaks, issues with the PCV valve that doesn’t let enough air in, and so the oil stays hot and hardens. That is why the oil must be changed every 5,000 km.


• 3.6 V6 Pentastar of 286 horsepower – The Pentastar engine practically replaced the old 3.5 and its dying family of engines completely and it is an engine capable of many, many miles because here in Europe it is rarer than the months when I still have money a day before pay day. Of course, it is prone to overheating, but overall it will work well. But not under the hood of the Dodge Journey, because no one bought it.

Diesel

2.0 TDI BKD and BMR of 140 horsepower – Dodge during this period turned to VW for engines and in the case of Journey (and Caliber) we have the same 2.0 TDI from the Golf V and Octavia II. THESE ARE NOT THE ENGINES WITH FAULTY INJECTORS, THOSE ARE ON THE PASSAT, A4 AND A6 AND THERE ARE OTHER CODES. It’s just that, unlike the Caliber, for the Journey they also bought the DSG automatic gearbox from VW, which is prone to kicking the flywheel in the nads, the clutch or the gearbox altogether. And the particle filter is made of dreams and hopes so it dies out quickly.

Dodge Journey Reliability Issues

• First of all, it is an American car sold in Europe, so the complementary moment must come about the quality of the interior. It’s a festival of masculinity and materials built by human hands, i.e. a sea of ​​gray and cheap and creaking plastic. But if you don’t mind this aspect, you have a double hamburger made served at a drive-through fast food.


• Being a Dodge / Chrysler, I would also look underneath for rust. If you don’t see anything, that’s fine, if you see something, then you decide if it’s worth buying or not.


• The rear brakes are not of the best quality and this includes the pads and the discs and the calipers.


• The Fiat sourced C635 manual gearbox has issues with the synchros failing, but it can be repaired relatively easily and cheaply, I talked in more detail in the Fiat Bravo review. Yes, these two cars share quite a few parts.


• Can’t walk by without mentioning the famous battery placement, for which the Dodge Journey is fairly infamous for. It will take you a few years to replace the battery, because it sits in front of the driver’s side front tire. Can’t really think of a better place to put the battery in.

Dodge Journey Verdict

The man van may not have made the greatest impression here in Europe, but it certainly gained fame / infamy in North America. Not the most reliable man van around but the north americans already know about it, unless they get the glorious 3.6 V6 Pentastar engine. But what about us, europeans? Well, a 2 litre diesel manual gearbox man van which looks like a SUV but it’s not and it’s also half priced and also slightly taller than the regular MPV? You bet your crusty ass and a crate of Mich Golden’s that it’s a decent man van which definatelly needs to be looked at.

What engines do I recommend? For petrol power in Europe, the World 2.4 engine with 170 horsepower is all the engine you need, but realistically you will go with the VW sourched, 140 horsepower 2.0 TDI. But really, the best engine to have is the 3.6 V6 Pentastar and it’s glorious 286 horsepower.