Dodgy Journey - mad driving in the 'burbs

I pressed the throttle and very little happened. The car was as hesitant as a school nerd plucking up courage to ask the head cheerleader for a date.

By the time it got moving - with dramatic wheelspin for effect when the turbocharger kicked in violently - our fictional cheerleader was long gone and in the arms of some hunky X5 or ML.

The Dodge Journey is another typical example of a motor company not doing its homework properly when matching a turbodiesel engine to an automatic gearbox and expecting it to work properly at power-sucking high altitude - our test was in Gauteng.

The fact that this isn't a traditional torque-converter auto but a fancy six-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) didn't help prevent dreadful turbo lag, even though the gearchanges were smooth and quick.

The bottom line is that, in stop-start urban driving, this mild-to-wild turbo characteristic can drive you mad. Unfortunately, there's no manual version of the Journey 2.0 CRD in which you could double-clutch the lag blues away.

This wasn't the best start to my first date with Dodge's latest seven-seater toy, dubbed a "crossover" between SUV and MPV, even though it comes only in two-wheel drive.

Things started looking up, however, once the engine was revving a bit higher and on the open road the Journey made a fine cruiser with a linear power spread. One thing that didn't improve much at higher revs, though, was the engine's refinement and while the tractor-like idling clatter smoothed out to a softer drone in cruise mode it always retained an agricultural edge.

The big, high-riding Journey delivers no surprises in its ride and handling. The heavy vehicle wallows on its soft suspension and is unfamiliar with terms such as "agile" or "car-like", and the slow steering doesn't encourage fast cornering.

The flip side is that ride quality is good and the Journey makes a very comfortable long-distance muncher for the extended families it's designed to haul.

It has five-plus-two seating: five adults in the front two rows, a pair of vertically-challenged folk in the rear. Any adult attempting to perch in the back row will do so with their knees at ear level.

With the back seats in place the boot's barely big enough for a couple of briefcases but folding it down - conveniently without having to remove the head restraints - opens up a decent cargo hold. The middle seats can also be falttened and have a tip-'n-slide, one-motion movement to make entry into the third row easier.

FRONT SEAT WARMERS

The Journey's very well packaged and flexible and there's enough storage space to rival a Boeing 747 with its large lidded box between the seats, a front passenger seat that flips forward to reveal a bin large enough for a handbag, floor storage bins behind the front seats large enough for a dozen cans with ice and an under-floor compartment in the boot (the Marie-biscuit spare is under the car).

The spec levels are good and include front seat warmers, a power sunroof and electrically adjustable driver's seat and a chilled glove box, among others.

Our test car was equipped with the optional R14 000 MyGig infotainment system which includes rear parking cameras, satnav, audio upgrade, and Bluetooth. The satnav is particularly user-friendly with great graphics; so's the audio system with its USB port for an MP3 player/memory stick plus a 30-gig hard drive to store songs, images and voice messages.

But I had trouble mastering the small and finicky iDrive-style selector knob controlling all of the above, which was apparently designed for fairy fingers.

The Journey also offers an optional rear-seat video entertainment system.

WHEEL IN THE WAY - ANYWHERE

American car interiors, the long-running butt of jokes, are getting better and some of the Journey's interior trimmings look classy - the blue-lit speedometer and the dual-tone seat upholstery in particular - but some elements still lose the plot such as the cheap-looking steering wheel that wouldn't look out of place in a 1985 Ford Sierra.

The ergonomics could do with some work as the adjustable steering always blocks part of the instrument panel, no matter what its position.

Like every Dodge, the Journey is all visual aggression with its snarling crosshair chrome grille, snub nose, 19" mags and flared wheel arches. And, like all locally sold Dodges, there's no real bite to match the bark; the diesel on test here produces 103kW and 310Nm and the 2.7-litre V6 petrol makes 136kW and 256Nm.

Dodge calls this a "crossover" because the Journey's high ground clearance allows it to tackle tougher roads and pavements than the average carbut there's still only front-wheel drive and the vehicle lacks a diff lock so cross bundu bashing (or ecotourism if you want to be more politically correct) off the list.

The biggest problem with this Journey 2.0 CRD R/T is that it costs sixty grand more than the similarly specced Journey 2.7 V6 R/T petrol. Even with the diesel's superior economy - a claimed seven litres/100km to the petrol's 10.3 - it would take years to make up the price difference in fuel savings.

VERDICT

Chrysler SA refers to the Dodge Journey as "a bold crossover with attitude". Styling-wise it has plenty of that and it's a versatile and cleverly packaged people mover. But that turbo lag is a real headache if you live at high altitude where I suspect the much cheaper petrol version is the one to go for.

Test vehicle from: Chrysler South Africa.

ENGINE

Cylinders:

Four in line.

Capacity:

1968cc.

Fuel system:

Turbocharged diesel.

Power:

103kW at 4000rpm.

Torque:

310Nm from 1750-2500rpm.

TRANSMISSION

Type:

Six-speed, dual-clutch robotised manual; front-wheel drive.

SUSPENSION

Front:

Independent Macpherson strut, coil spring over gas-charged shock absorbers, stabiliser bar with isolated suspension cradle.

Rear:

Multi-link independent with coil springs, link-type stabiliser bar, gas-charged shock absorbers and isolated rear suspension cradle.

STEERING

Type:

Rack-and-pinion.

Steering column adjustment:

Height and reach.

BRAKES

Front:

Discs.

Rear:

Discs.

Driver aids:

Anti-lock.

WHEELS/TYRES

Rims:

19" alloy.

Tyres:

225/55.

DIMENSIONS/WEIGHT

Length:

4888mm.

Width:

1835mm.

Height:

1775mm.

Mass:

1685kg.

FUEL TANK/CONSUMPTION

77 litres, 7 litres/100km.

km/h (claimed) 190km/h.

ACCELERATION

0-100km/h:

11.8sec.

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

Three-zone climate control; trip data computer; auto-dimming rearview mirror; leather; 5+2 seating; radio/six-disc CD/DVD changer with MP3 capability; remote-controlled central locking; hands-free communication system; power windows and mirrors; hill-start assistance; cruise control; power adjustable driver's seat; chilled glove box.