2009 Dodge Journey SE Review - The Recession On Wheels!

[@scott8919]

This is the car you drive when your idea of excitement is picking up your new depression medicine at the pharmacy

[@Yourmission9]

The recession on wheels, that was a great title. Respect. And dare I say you didn’t enjoy your “Journey” into this vehicle?? I’ll see myself out

[@davidp2888]

If “meh” was a car, this is it.

[@CityKitty99]

I know😂

[@Brian-ng7xj]

More like if “ugh” was a car

[@theglowcloud2215]

This is way worse than 'meh'. This is a crime against humanity.

[@mauriciocastillo2344]

License plate? reads "FAIL" 🤣

[@bricegraham8256]

Major facts dude. These are lame

[@jonathankleinow2073]

Ah, the Cerberus era of Mopar -- a time when you could practically sever a digit on the rough edge of hard plastics throughout the interior.

[@minnethreat]

cut my finger on a Caliber at the auto show when it was new

[@barron204]

Dodge Journey. The car that makes it onto many "least reliable" and "worst car" lists.

[@senseicorey9979]

If the big friggen bottle test fail music was a car

[@igormac88]

fun fact: the battery of these cool guys is placed in front of the left wheel, jammed inside the front bumper. to access it, you have to jack the car, take the wheel off and the dust cover off, just to find the battery horribly dirty.

[@fourtrax4ever]

Yep, my MIL has a 2015 SXT, I hated swapping the battery on it, it took an hour longer than any other car I've worked on

[@wigletron2846]

That's most dodge/Chrysler products today

[@user-gq2vn1xj2r]

My Outback requires removal of wheel and inner fender panel to replace headlight bulb. Peak stupid.

[@PintoPopProductions]

I have a weird soft spot for these cars, if only because of an interesting experience I had many years ago. A friend and I were on a carspotting/museum trip through Vegas, Death Valley and LA in summer 2007. We encountered a disguised Dodge Journey test mule stuck in traffic on Wilshire Blvd just up the street from the Petersen Auto Museum and ran up the sidewalk to photograph it. It didn't matter that it was the most boring thing ever. We were young and stoked to have encountered a prototype car out in the wild.

[@lilmez34]

Were there any changes that you noticed weren’t in the final version? Or the other way around

[@PintoPopProductions]

@@lilmez34 I'm pretty sure development was just about finished when we saw it. My friend sent the pictures to Brenda Priddy who was big in the prototype spy shots scene at the time, but she already had better photos.

[@lilmez34]

@@PintoPopProductions I appreciate the reply. Had to ask if it could have potentially been even more middle of the road lol definitely still a cool experience regardless. just imagine if it was different than what’s on the streets today

[@new2000car]

Thanks Zack. I remember in 2010 someone buying one, I said no, don’t do it! Get an escape instead, or better yet a rav4. They got it base model like this with 1 option (supposedly), rear AC. Their out the door price was $18,500, super dirt cheap, escape was $5,000 more (so they said). They ended up keeping it less than a year, which made it not a bargain, they made an expensive choice on a cheap car.

[@enjoythepig]

This was actually the replacement for the Dodge Caravan. You might notice the extra long doors, stow and go cubbies at the backseat. In 2007 not all Dealerships were DJCR, and Dodge dealers were up in arms that their best selling product was going away. So Chrsyler took most of the Caravan tooling, the transmission (which was already a carryover from the 80s), made it an SUV and added a Mitsubishi Galant engine and voila! It was also the lowest cost SUV in America at $19,985 at launch, and for the 2019 model year (which continuted into 2020 production) it was still only $24k with a third row, much improved seats and suspention. So I think to call it meh, is unfair. I got a 2018 for $18,500. A friend got her 2017 for $16,500, and my girlfriend got her 2019, for $19,000 even, but with a packge, of some kind. This was a really cheap new car, with a familiar mechanical feel. I know these had transmission problems (no surprise there), and they used cheap plastics joining the coolant lines, but the car you were looking at had 150,000, all for the cost of a Nissan Versa.

[@Amanda30000]

Funny cause I just "upgraded" from a '16 Versa to a '17 2.4 Journey. I wish I had gone with the Escape, but beats walking

[@RealHeyMark]

I rented one of these at the Milwaukee airport in 2017. I tried to find something redeeming about it and eventually I came up with something: I didn't own it. Still, it would beat walking.

[@JohnSmith-wx9wj]

I preferred it over a Passat I rented. I found the Passat seat to be extremely painful. The Journey I got had padded, squishy seats.

[@carsonac4163]

The Caliber replaced the Neon

[@drewjansen7825]

I'm surprised that wasn't mentioned.

[@torythefanman]

As someone who has driven both the 08-10 Journey and the 11-20 Journey, the later ones definitely seem to have better interior and overall looks. I'm not saying they are great or bad, but if I HAD to get one, I'd prefer the later ones.

[@Me-eb3wv]

I love these generic, cheap vehicles tbh. The vehicle When you no longer want to take public transport but you also don’t want bicycle commuting

[@blautens]

I can't help but admire this, either. Probably available for super cheap - all the exterior bits and wheel covers still there - it's good to go.

[@mitch9521]

These are trash and will nickel and dime you with repairs. Poor people buy them cause they are cheap but end up having the car totaled out from mechanical problems very easily.

[@bwofficial1776]

@@mitch9521 There's one that's been abandoned on the street in the neighborhood next to mine for years. Not even the police will tag it and pass it off onto an impound yard.

[@jstnnn1]

@@mitch9521the 2014 journeys and new are what the journey should’ve debuted as. 08-10 was really just a terrible take on a good suv but as owner of a 2012 and 2017 journey i think it’s safe that the rectified any of those issues. i’ve had my 2017 since then and very little issues.

[@theglowcloud2215]

Dodge Journey: the "I couldn't get financing for a used Altima" vehicle of choice. This looks like something East Germany would've built, real Iron Curtain energy.

[@oexplorador6840]

We had this car for years, until we changed it for a nissan versa. It was pretty good car, however my journey was the FIAT version, but it was a good car.

[@rosso_infernus]

The Fiat Freemont is kind of popular in Europe

[@roypedersen585]

Can’t tell you how much I really enjoy your videos. Honest and humour! Love the variety of vehicles you drive. Keep up the good work!

[@DavePlaysTrombone]

The Journey is usually the Dodge that you remember anyways.

[@jimmyjimjims7483]

Cue noises of french bulldog grumbling like Miley Cyrus lol

[@jeremiahallyn4603]

I had a 2020 Journey, and the third row in it was a joke. A kid could barely fit in them. I'm really glad I got rid of that car because I've heard a lot of negative things about Dodge in general.

[@enjoythepig]

Yeah, but but you would've paid $5000 more for any other 3rd row SUV.

[@danielbosch153]

Funny I remember seeing these car new back in the late 2000s. My dad was shopping for a suv. He was comparing between the 4Runner with a v8 and the Jeep commander. The salesman try’s to sell him a journey at the Jeep Dodge Chrysler dealership. I’ve never seen my dad got mad at anyone but he got so upset he would drive further to avoid passing by that dealership to this day. I inherited the 4Runner when I gone off to college we sold it after 450.000 miles.

[@bricegraham8256]

God I love how you get so poetic on these cars when yoir closing out the videos. So cool man

[@drewjansen7825]

"The ride is gar-BAZH." ROFLMAO Another winner. Thanks and congrats.

[@jamescanfield7251]

Dodge Journey. The epitome of rental car. It’s what you drive when your better SUV is in the shop after an accident. That title goes to the Jeep Compass now.

[@gabethebaeb_5881]

3:26 Oh...

[@blautens]

"If you want cruise control, go f--k yourself" - bahahaha - I think that was DC's response to a lot of wishes for this vehicle.

[@jedlevron]

Challeger is used for fun, Ram Truck used for Utility and 2017 Journey is used as everyday driver in school/work traffic. Ours has 102,000 miles and we are going for the next 100k miles while keeping our fun vehicles low on miles. They are not making those Hemi anymore (as of now).

[@StevenEveral]

I rented one of these to go to my sister's wedding back in 2009. It was a mid-tier SXT trim, so it had a few more interior amenities. It was fine, but I was so happy to turn it back in at the rental car counter at the airport. Like someone said below, it beats walking.

[@mr.everything4941]

On almost every car detailing channel, a Dodge Journey shows up being trashed inside and out.

[@doug6191]

9:10 - This is not a result of the terrible economy. Something like this was under development with locked-in details several years before the '08 collapse. The problems with these cars stem from the fallout of Daimler-Chrylser. Mercedes-Benz raided Chrysler's coffers and starved the brand of R&D during that merger. When Mercedes was done, Chrysler was drained. We got garbage from the brand - Caliber, Journey, Avenger, Sebring, Ram, Charger, Challenger,...*all* of them had awful interiors and assembly. They're lucky to have survived the Cerberus era.

[@MasterGoku21]

If depression was a vehicle, it would be this

[@mustasheolll2020]

Not to mention these is hella unreliable

[@Cjkime]

The 2009 - 2010 Dodge Journey is an interesting, cool looking, classic Journey. It has the same ignition switch as the Mercedes S Class.

[@tylerwilkey13]

I love the prefacelift Journey interiors. The instrument cluster and radio placement are really cool

[@davidzdziarek-zl8cu]

I'll give you MY point of view after I get violently ill!!!

[@MuteCrimson]

Dodge Journey- the official car of every buy here pay here lot that only sells branded title vehicles

[@dforrest4503]

This was a good review. Almost RCR like commentary.

[@dforrest4503]

Well, I give it credit for getting to 15 years old. And don’t forget, the only new vehicle Dodge has introduced since 2011 is the Dodge Hornet. As bad as the Journey is, at least it’s a product.

[@engineer_alv]

My aunt owned one of these but hers was a mid trim SXT and I'd say it was a bit less depressing inside than this SE but I could attest how slow it was when she asked me to drive her to the airport. The 3rd row for sure didn't help its cause. OTOH I recently drove a facelifted 2016 SXT with the Pentastar V6 and it was night and day. Interior was still cheap but much nicer than the 09-10. I'd say someone on a budget would likely be well served by one of these

[@LouAntonioGiordano]

Rented one once. And that was enough for me to ask for other choices every time I’m offered one at Enterprise

[@kidsTab-ci2oo]

The definitive school parking lot car

[@NoobToob2014]

I honestly can't think of a 2009 anything that I think is very exciting

[@mustasheolll2020]

It was a boring year imo, even though I was only 7

[@pokedude104]

I used to own one of these... take it from someone who lived with one for 2 years. DON'T. LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE IS PREFERABLE. Its better than taking the bus... or walking. That's all the benefits of this vehicle. Chugs gas like nobodies business and that pathetic 4 banger STRUGGLES trying to merge onto the highway. If you're actually using it for SUV things and have the back loaded up with stuff you're gonna have to just floor it. I ditched mine before any major problems started showing up but I've heard bad things in terms of longevity of the drivetrain.

[@davidsherrick898]

10 years from now you probably won't see them anymore.

[@theglowcloud2215]

Thank God

[@bradleymeyer9775]

If it were a bit more reliable, I’d like it a lot better. They only think I like about it is that it’s reasonably affordable, and very practical, and offers a third row, on some models, for being more a compact crossover. I just wish it had a better interior and was more reliable.

[@Trenton-om9qs]

Honestly i do like basic bare bones cars with not a lot of features but this just isnt it. The title is definitely very fitting.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

Not a fan of these but they did have an 11 year model run and I assume the post facelift models with a Pentastar V6 move it from meh to tolerable. I had a coworker who bought one of these new after his first child was born. His primary car was a Jeep XJ Cherokee lifted and modified for off roading. I recall suggesting a Honda CRV but he seemed happy with the Journey purchase.

[@ejstreasurehunting6627]

It’s crazy how much better on almost every single level the Grand Caravan from the same time is to this Journey for only $2,800 more.

[@chrisparsons3314]

Should look at doing a Dodge Avenger someday. Very similar to the journey but imo stylistically a bit cooler.

[@brandonlynchock9553]

My sister has one its garbage

[@geeksimmer2488]

Reminds me of my old Saturn vue

[@doug6191]

Journey was a good product as far as the role it filled, but (as with every Chrylser product of that post-Daimler era) it was not a good execution. The build quality was embarrassing (as with every Chrylser product of that post-Daimler era). When Chrysler took a little money to update it with a new interior and some exterior changes, the Journey looked and felt much better. At that point, it was woefully outdated, and the model was pretty much relegated to poor credit buyers and rental companies.

[@MalaiseEra]

“Want cruise?!”😂

[@robertdiehl9003]

Awesome and accurate review...

[@paulfrompayroll]

The Dodge Journey always looked suspiciously similar to the PT Cruiser and I internally joke that it is just a PT cruiser with a big rear end

[@J-kade]

I remember driving one of these (the 2.4 one specifically) and I thought it was scary slow… and I drove a Hyundai accent at the time.

[@stevenkreiss2113]

See a ton on the road even today.

[@bwofficial1776]

The Journey was the last car sold in the US with a four-speed transmission. There's one of these in the neighborhood next to mine that's been abandoned on the street for years. The police won't even mark it for towing because I guess the tow yards don't want it. I had one as a rental car once and it was probably the most mediocre transportation they had. It worked but it was as meh as it could be.

[@podmuse1994]

The thing I dislike the most about this car is how dirty it is. No matter anything else you’d think the owner would clean it before you reviewed it.

[@Dankcatvacs]

Big question is the fuel economy any decent? Or too under powered? The next model had better gauges . Has got to be more relieble than the 3.6 This car is what really the caravan

[@shaunrutherford7764]

Ah yes, the Spirit Airlines of SUVs

[@mustasheolll2020]

It sucks, but Chrysler made major improvements when it was refreshed for 2011, the 2011 to 2020 models actually weren’t that bad.

[@southernfriedshenanigans3639]

5:00 If the owner just made sure the third row seats were as nasty as the rest of the car, they would match perfectly.

[@dkpt1997]

I remembered driving a rental journey years ago and it was horrible. So slow, bad gas mileage and no bluetooth. I remembered driving up to 80mph and it barely keeps up with the traffic.

[@dave11686]

I drove one of these in 2021 I believe to go downstate Illinois to pick up a cooler. It was OK.

[@baoquoc3710]

*insert Regular Car Reviews references here*

[@runoflife87]

Jesus Christ, that car is literally 00's Yugo.

[@TheShootersBay]

Nope they was better than yugos

[@enjoythepig]

Yeah that's a little harsh. They were for families with questionable who needed a $350 payment.

[@ajparsons4947]

My mom had one and I really liked it and thlught it was pretty nice... then I realized what the rest of the world thought of it 💀

[@kwaza8574]

This SUV seems like it was designed to redefine the term basic for the 2000’s.

[@radudeATL]

Why can’t the owners of these cars attempt to detail the interior of their cars? Even on plastic craptastic cars? ArmorAll wipes aren’t expensive.

[@richardepstein3494]

Well, it does show you what they think about their vehicles.

[@tedfreakinray]

You should see how clean I made a rusted out 76 firebird lmao

[@lawnmowerdude]

I really want a dodge journey for some reason and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I like the mundane.

[@infernoking7504]

I drove one of those for a detailing job I hated it what a pos

[@MisterMikeTexas]

Well it may be better than the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Seems to have better room.

[@mustasheolll2020]

Apparently this was the supposed successor to the Pacifica crossover of before, but this is a lot worse, the Pacifica SUV was actually pretty nice for the time, this not.

[@bazilwreckerloughead]

My wife's got a 2012 Dodge Journey SXT & my older brother & his wife have a 2018 Dodge Journey R/T, that's loaded: a feature I've never herd of; if you push the unlock button on the key fab, then hold it, all the windows roll down.

[@Hogstuff]

My mom had a 2008 Honda Ridgeline that had that

[@OhPhuckYou]

Most Fords do that.

[@mustasheolll2020]

Hondas have been doing that since at least the early 2000s lol

[@jimmyjimjims7483]

I've replaced SO MANY alternators in these I could do it blindfolded now. These 2.4L have a habit of the alternator clutch going bad making a horrifying grinding noise that also kills the other 3 tensioners and you end up needing the pulleys, alternator and belt replaced. These are outright junk, no redeeming qualities to be found sadly

[@blue_lancer_es]

The 09 outlander had a cvt. So i guess this might last a little more.

[@JWJTRAINOR]

The Dodge calibre replaced the neon… 8:31

[@brandonwiley6530]

That thing has no coolant in the overflow tank 😂

[@cafn8ed74]

Jee-YUST a small town girl, living in her lonely world. She took a midnight train going anywhere. -what I think every time I'm stuck behind one of these in traffic I wonder if that 2.4 has the same thirst for oil as my wife's Kia.

[@MisterMikeTexas]

"🎵 Don't stop believing! Hold on to that feeeeeeelinnng! Street light people ooooooooooohhhhhh!🎵" 😁

[@davidzdziarek-zl8cu]

Chrysler shouldn't have given up on the Journey, as insipid as it was. They could have brought back American Motors with it, and I'm not kidding!

[@huleeyaxerssius7]

It's like wade from Garbage Time would say, it's definitely "an car".

[@Jswag2929]

I’ve closed the hood and drives this car the hood is so thin idk but these dodge products seem to be all plastic and thin aluminum but that’s just me it feel very synthetic in terms of acceleration

[@davidzdziarek-zl8cu]

You'll see few to none of these pigeon-lined school busses on the road ANYWHERE come the next four years ahead. This could have brought back the Rambler Classic (AMC) it has all the sportiness of an old AMC Rambler.

[@ManiaMusicChannel]

SE? Special Edition, is the basic? 😱

[@noobody89]

You definitely took this car out in the back and shot it. "No kids I just took it out to the farm with all its other Journey friends. It's totally fine...."

[@MasterControl90original]

Uh I didn't expect the fiat version (called Freemont) to be.... NICER?! seriously go check the interiors, in the fiat branded one sold in Europe the interiors are WAAAAY nicer and refined

[@HenrySchecker]

it's literally a 2009 1996 buick century wagon. just a long front wheel drive basic wagon

[@davinp]

The american automakers make those cars too cheaply. Toyota doesn't make the Corolla cheaply as the Neon was made

[@davinp]

In 2009 the company was called Chrysler Group LLC (Limited Liability Co)

[@engineer_alv]

true, some of those Chrysler Group LLC door stickers would stick for a 2-3 years into FCA ownership as I witnessed on my 2014 Ram 1500 (11/13 build date). TBF FCA US was also an LLC

[@RemnantSRT440]

Actually, the Caliber was the replacement for the neon. And like the Journey, the Caliber was cheaply made and you see and feel it. I have an SRT4 Caliber and a SRT-4 neon and the neon feels so much better built than the Caliber. All this to say the Journey and other Dodge cars of the 2008 recession era were crap built

[@scott8919]

It took three companies to come up with an engine that had no benefits.

[@Parrotdise290]

Most Americans would be surprised to know that this vehicle was sold in Europe as the Fiat Freemont.

[@markhealey9409]

Yes,in continental Europe,but the right hand drive Dodges of the time were sold here in the British Isles as Dodges...Journey,Nitro,Avenger & Caliber.

[@Parrotdise290]

@@markhealey9409 Yeah I know, we had actually both in Mainland Europe.

[@markhealey9409]

@@Parrotdise290 oh,strange that they sold them with both badges on the mainland.

[@Parrotdise290]

@@markhealey9409 I think the Journey was here only for a few years during the Recession era until Dodge left Europe, and then the Freemont replaced it until 2018

[@markhealey9409]

@@Parrotdise290 oh,that makes sense,as Dodges were only sold here in Britain from about 2007 till 2011 or so,I think. They never rebadged them as Fiats here. They did sell the two small city car,the Lancia Ypsilon,the two door & 4 door versions,as Chryslers here in Britain. The Lancia brand was discontinued here in the mid 1990s.

[@McElroysMotors]

Why would they put a battery operated power point for the kids to drain the battery but a key operated one in the trunk? Sure, kids! Drain the battery! Need to vacuum the trunk? No problem! Just gotta start the car first! Ah, Chrysler....

[@aenoymotors]

Another college girl quality machine saved from getting scrapped! Not as nasty as the LeBaron at least hahaha. Its back getting thrashed in the mean streets of Rockford hahaha.

[@weegeemike]

I would like this car more if they disnt put the battery in the DUMBEST and HARDEST TO ACCESS place ever. They made it UNNECESSARILY difficult to replace, almost like they wanted to motivate owners to trade it in on a new one when it needs a battery 😂😂

[@mustasheolll2020]

Agree, that is the most laziest of interior designs period

[@Zack-rm3xn]

it’s awful that they made this thing until 2020

[@bradleymeyer9775]

I’d rather have a base Toyota Rav 4 or Honda CRV.

[@carlosmalave540]

Dodge Journey---A car , only the bi-curious would love.

[@mustasheolll2020]

That dash looks like a Ford

[@bricegraham8256]

I drove one of these before and yeah. Literally nothing can come to mind. Theyre not cool or remotely interesting. To me its the car that came in the day it was raining, my former coworker had to do a thermostat on it and then when I test drove it, the temo gauge was being wonky. He had to bleed the system and fought with it for at least another hour. So yeah not fond of this car and no fond memories either.

[@mouguekoussanta388]

This car consumes gas ?