Dodge's Journey

At first glance the 2009 Dodge Journey appears to be just another SUV. However, once you start to explore the interior of this vehicle, you will soon see a big difference according to most owners. This vehicle is considered a crossover automobile, it is sporty and stylish like a SUV, but roomy and more affordable like the typical minivan. Many families who do not want large SUV or a minivan are choosing the Dodge Journey.

Working in the automotive industry has given me the opportunity to inspect some of the features and benefits this vehicle has to offer. Here are some of the features the 2009 Dodge Journey has to waiting for you:

Storage Features:

The Dodge Journey is loaded with numerous storage bins. Aside from the usual pocket door compartments, glove box, cup holders, and front center console, the front passenger seat also houses a hidden storage bin under the seat cushion and an overhead sunglass holder. A smaller compartment is located in the center of the dash. The middle row of seats also houses a flip down center console, along with storage compartments in the floor, and a larger compartment in the rear floor of the vehicle at the hatch access. The storage compartments located in the floor of the middle row are equipped with a removable and dishwasher safe liner. These in floor compartments are great for a trip. They are large enough to hold six beverage cans and ice.

The middle row of seats, the rear seats and the passenger front seat can be folded down completely flat to make better use of space when the seats are not being occupied.

Above the glove box compartment is the "Chill Zone" which is large enough to hold a few beverage cans and great for keeping kid's snacks cool. The Chill Zone is not meant to refrigerate, it keeps things at a cooler temperature for a period of a few hours. The air conditioning system help to keep this compartment cooled.

The flip down sunglass holder in the front of the vehicle also houses an observation mirror to help you keep an eye on what is happening in the back seats of the vehicle.

Safety Features:

The integrated child booster seat seems to be a favorite for parents. The middle seat houses a flip up booster seat that is built into the passenger middle seat. This is very easy to operate and very convenient for kids and parents.

The integrated six-standard air bag system is a standard safety feature for the Dodge Journey. The airbag system includes two drivers air bags, passenger front and side mounted airbags, and dual side curtain air bags. The advanced multi-stage airbag system automatically detects the point of impact and deploys the appropriate airbags for that specific area of the vehicle. The integrated emergency response system automatically unlocks the doors, turns on all interior and exterior lights including flashers and powers off the engine in the events of a crash when the airbags deploy. This can help the emergency response personnel in locating and assisting you in the event of an accident.

Optional safety features include a "park-view, rear back up camera system which allows you to see a wide angle view of the rear of the vehicle on the my gig/radio/ multi-media screen when the vehicle is in reverse during backing up. This feature helps those of us who have a tough time with parallel parking. It also helps assist drivers to avoid the toys left in the driveway by children.

Integrated tire pressure monitoring system helps to determine if a tire is running low on air and alerts the driver if there is an issue with the tire pressure.

Electronic Stability Control/Electronic Rollover Mitigation: This safetly system can anticipate when the vehicle enters into a hazardous condition and anticipates if the wheels may become lifted off the surface of the road. It does so by monitoring the driver's steering wheel input and the speed the vehicle is traveling. If the system detects a difference in the steering wheel angle and the speed continues to increase enough to cause the potential for your wheels to lift off the surface, the system then automatically uses the vehicles braking system to slow the car to a safer speed and in some cases will reduce power to the engine. The Electronic Rollover Mitigation will only interfere during extreme and evasive driving maneuvers.

Child Friendly Features:

The "Yes Essential" interior seats are a lifesaver in some parent's minds. The Yes Essential seats repel odors, stains and static. These seats are considered stain resistant. They can handle all kinds of stains that your child can accomplish from food to permanent marker. Visit the Yes Essential website to learn more about this wonderful feature.

The "Rear Seat Video is also a child friendly feature. Dodge Journey's equipped with the Rear Seat Video package includes second row overhead 8" video screen, a 368 watt amplifier, six premium speakers with sub-woofer, video remote control and wireless headphones.This is will help keep children entertained during those long trips on family vacations.

Great for carpooling, the Dodge Journey is a roomy and spacious ride with the flip and stow seating feature you can seat up to seven people in the vehicle.

The optional "My Gig/Multi-media entertainment stereo system is also a must have feature for parents and kids. The AM/FM stereo system includes a single disc CD / DVD / MP3 / WMA player with 6.5-inch integrated full-color touch screen , JPEG viewer, and includes a 30 GB hard drive, and auxiliary input jack. This allows you to play Cd's, listen the AM/FM radio, listen to satellite radio, listen to music from your iPod/MP3 player or view any type of MP3 file that you download onto the built in hard drive.

Comfort Features:

The tri-zone air conditioning system features three separate climate controls, allowing each row of passengers to configure their own temperature settings. The front dual zone climate controls measures the temperature for the driver and passenger, allow both front occupants to ride comfortably. The inside air cabin filter helps to filtrate and clean the air inside the vehicle as well.

Steering wheel audio controls allows the driver to operate the radio controls without taking their hands off the steering wheel.

The remote start option allows you to turn the vehicle on before entering the car, allowing the air conditioner or heater to properly heat or cool the car for you. This is a wonderful feature on for those extra cold winter mornings and those smoldering hot summer days.

Interior Lighting: The front cup-holders have a built in lighted interior ring allowing you to find your drink easier when driving at night. The rear hatch compartment also houses a built in LED flashlight. When the flashlight is properly plugged into the holder it is continuously charging. Allowing you to always have a fully charged flashlight without the need for batteries. There are also LED-reading lights installed on various models of the vehicle.

All the benefits listed in this review are just a few of the great things that the 2009 Dodge Journey has to offer. Most of the owners I have spoken with seem pleased with their new purchase and some have even said they wouldn't change one thing about the great features it offers. Visit the Dodge Journey website to learn more about what this vehicle has to offer. You may also want to read what other customers are saying about this new vehicle on Edmund's.com.