We completed yesterday (Jan. 25) a little more than a week driving a 2013 Dodge Journey Crew FWD around Central Texas and on a road trip between Austin and Houston, covering a little over 500 miles of driving over the several days.
The 2013 Dodge Journey Crew FWD (front-wheel drive) seven-passenger (three-row) with its 3.6-liter V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission met and exceeded all of our expectations as both a city and a highway SUV.
View slideshow: 2013 Dodge Journey Crew SUV delivers exceptional value, safety and performance
Without a doubt, the Dodge Journey is one of the best values in the market and in its segment for a mid-size, seven-passenger crossover SUV vehicle.
With a starting MSRP of $18,995 and features like in-seat and second row in-floor storage bins, fold flat front passenger seat, plus available child booster seats built into the second row seating - the Journey offers exceptional functionality, performance and safety for couples and families at a most affordable price.
Recognition for the 2013 Dodge Journey Crew includes being an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick four years running plus Road and Track Magazine named the 2013 Journey a Top 10 Pick in its 2012 SUV Buyers Guide and Consumers Guide has named it a Best Buy in its segment.
Our test 2013 Dodge Journey Crew FWD had a MSRP of $27,995. The Brilliant Black Crystal Coat exterior paint stunningly enhanced the sculpted and clean yet aggressive lines of this Dodge crossover riding on 19-inch painted aluminum wheels.
The award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, which is standard on Crew and R/T models, produces a best-in-class 283 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque and is mated to a very smooth shifting six-speed automatic transmission. This Pentastar V-6 engine was recognized as a Ward's "10 Best Engines" for 2012.
The fuel economy ratings for this engine are 17/25 mpg city/highway. We averaged just under 23 mpg in our 500 miles of driving. With the 20.5 gallon gas tank in the FWD (21.1 in the AWD) this Dodge Journey Crew has a practical range of just over 400 miles.
Inside the Crew was a gorgeous black with subtle uses of accent colors and premium materials. The bucket front seats were black leather trimmed with contrasting stitching as were the second and third row seating.
The accent materials used in dash and door trims were exceptional in touch, texture and color. The trim accents in the dash and surrounding other cabin features was in a brushed nickel color hard surface material that was used sparingly highlighting the interior leather styling. Spot touches of chrome were added for effect.
Continuing on the inside, this 2013 Dodge Journey Crew had heated front seats and heated leather wrapped steering wheel with mounted audio controls and a leather wrapped shift knob.
The driver seating was six-way power with power four-way lumbar adjust. An optional Flexible Seating Group package ($1,150) added second row 40/60 seating with Tilt and Slide feature for access to the fold flat, reclining 50/50 third-row seating. Three zone Automatic Temperature Control was included in this package.
It should be noted that the LED lighting in each of the second and third row control modules was very good for all rows including the cargo area behind the third row.
The Navigation and Sound Group Package ($995) included the ParkSense Rear Park Assist System, ParkView Rear Backup Camera and universal garage door opener. The Dodge Uconnect 8.4N AM/FM/SAT/NAV system with its exceptional 8.4-inch touch screen provided the very good Garmin Navigation System and the SiriusXM Satellite Radio and RealTime Traffic Service. The audio portion of the system was powered by a 368-Watt amplifier through six premium speakers with a subwoofer ($395).
The available second row seating with the Integrated Child Booster seats (both sides) was $225.
Additional features of this well equipped Dodge Journey Crew included: remote start, keyless entry and push button start, audio jack for mobile devices, power windows and tilt/telescoping steering wheel, front and rear floor mats, interior rear observation mirror, auto dimming rear view mirror with microphone, 12-Volt DC power outlets front and rear, 115-Volt power outlet and rear deck cargo net.
The tire pressure monitoring display appears in the standard full color display EVIC (Vehicle Information Center) positioned in the center of the gauge cluster. Power heated exterior mirrors with fold-away feature, fog lamps, automatic headlamps, bright door handles and dual chrome exhaust tips complete the Journey Crew.
As driven, this 2013 Dodge Journey Crew FWD was $31,755 including destination charge.
This 2013 Dodge Journey Crew was very quiet and smooth riding with solid performance and handling in all traffic and road conditions. It is solidly an option any family, young couple or older couple with grandchildren should consider for the perfect SUV without breaking the bank.
The 2013 Dodge Journey is available in AVP, SE, SXT, Crew and R/T models with MSRP of $18,995 to $28,995.
The Journey AVP, SE and SXT models are powered by a 2.4-liter 16-valve DOHC four-cylinder engine that produces 173 horsepower and 166 lb.-ft. of torque, linked to a four-speed automatic transmission. This four-cylinder engine delivers 26 mpg on the highway.
The V-6 power train is optional on the SXT and standard on the Crew and R/T. Journey is also available in AWD (all-wheel drive) on the SXT, Crew and R/T models and a limited capacity (2,500 pounds) towing package is available.
No comments:
Post a Comment