Geer

Yes but in the 2011 model year, R/T was in the middle of the pecking order - Crew and Lux were above it. Except here in Canada where R/T was the top trim level and the only model available with AWD. In the USA, they have put it back at the top of the heap in 2012.

I see Dodge finally came back to their senses and has put R/T back at the top trim level for the US market Journey. This is in keeping with a 45-year heritage of the R/T being the top trim level for a Dodge car. Why they did what they did for 2011 did not make any sense.

Update on my end: I had it in to the dealer to have it checked - the mechanic test drove it and found nothing wrong. I noticed it the day I picked it up new, and it might be slightly louder now. I initially thought it was radio interference of the ignition system, but no. It's not associated with one gear, I hear it at least through 3rd and 4th gears. It does not change with shifts or engine speed - it changes with road speed. Therefore I believe it could be in the planetary gears of the transaxle, or possibly in the transfer unit but I think the transaxle personally. Sounds just like a manual transmission with alot of miles that whines on the 'coast' side of the gears. Don't know what else to do - maybe it's normal but I don't consider that acceptable on a new vehicle.

Have you looked on the Garmin website? Seems to me you should be able to purchase a map online, save it onto a USB flash drive, and then download it onto your unit through the USB port in the console (?)

Ouch! Even at "4 for 3" Fountain Tire is gouging their customers. 1010tires.com sells these at regular price for $181 each for 22570R16, that's $90 less on a set. They also offer free shipping on 4 tires. I ordered some from them and I didn't even have to pay any PST, another saving.

I have noticed your last point as well - on my '11 RT. Going from D to R, you have to pause for a bit in neutral otherwise you will get a hard shift with a disconcerting thud. So I make a point to avoid that.

Thanks for the post, you steered me on to those tires. Those particular tires have really good reviews, and priced well. However the local Canadian Tire stores did not have the exact tire size for a Journey (22570R16)...closest size was 21570R16 which would be OK. You CANNOT go wider because the crown of the sidewall is VERY close to the strut in the front (have a look - you will be shocked...especially if you're wearing 19s!). Anyway CT wanted $152 sale price for the 215s. But...I just bought a set of 4 of the Altimax Arctics on 1010tires for only $136 each...and the best part: FREE shipping on a set of 4 and they only charged my a little over $20 in GST and NO PST!!!! Can't beat a deal like that. Now I just need to buy the steel rims.

Honestly - the main reason is marketing. They've been marketing motors like this for decades. Of course the 3.6 is capable of 300+ hp in every model. But its all about selling model lines. You derate the engine hp in your "economy" or "base" models (Caravan, Journey etc), and retune for more hp up the model line...292 hp in Jeep Grand Cherokee, 305 hp in 300 and Challenger etc etc.

Don't know a fix but I agree there's no excuse. It's too bad Chrysler had to carry the 62TE into 2011 and mount it to the pentastar, its a chink in the armour. The 3.6 is absolutely awesome with gobs of power on tap, but it's stifled by the transmission (really my only complaint is the shift programming). Chrysler used to make bullet-proof automatics (727) but ever since FWD was introduced most of their transmissions have had problems. Basically enough reason for me to max out my extended warranty to 7 years on the R/T. On the other hand my '69 Dodge Monaco with a 383 big-block and 727 auto: the tranny has never been opened up or fixed. The fluid and filter has been changed exactly once. Not too bad for 42 years of service.

'11 R/T with 8.4N and factory Amp...on Friday I suddenly had no audio...no sound at all from speakers for radio, player, or even Nav. Everything works but no sound out of a single speaker! Dropped into my dealer today and before I finished explaining the problem he told me there's a software flash to fix this. I'll keep you all posted in that regard.

The word on the Allpar site is that the Journey will be disco'd in 2014 for replacement with a new platform, thus you can expect there will be virtually no changes from 2011 on. Maybe a new set of wheels, badging shuffle, grille texture etc but nothing drastic. Did they at least change the look of the chrome clad wheels? They are too much of a tie to the Gen 1 Journey and there are just so many of them out there...a bit stale IMO.

Yeah...no kidding!!

No - retained accessory power is the feature where power to the windows, radio, etc etc stay on after the ignition is turned off but the driver's door is not yet opened. You can change this from 0 minutes and up in the SETTINGS menu (I think). Anyway you can turn it off and that's what I've done. Whether that helps or not...can't say but so far so good.

I really don't care too much about the mileage I'm getting. I know I'm getting around the same as my former 175hp Chevy Equinox, but now I've got 283hp plus AWD, I'm way ahead of the game. I've gotten 9.0 on the highway and about 15-16 in the city. How you drive makes a difference. AWD drive only kicks in when wheels slip or you hammer the throttle. Driving normally - you're driving FWD. But when the roads get icy and people are crawling away from lights in their FWD and RWD cars, I don't care if I'm losing a bit of mileage becuase you simply cannot beat AWD.

Since it happened to me, I keep my headlights off 'AUTO' and I turned off the Retained Accessory Power feature. No dead battery since then, however that's not to say it's just coincidence or luck.

That's terrible! The hail - my worst nightmare... Sorry to hear, really what's worse then getting a new vehicle and having that happen. But, worse things can and do happen, so yes count your blessings, and its only a car, right?

The no-start thing has happened to me also. If the battery was defective you would not be dealing with a very occasional, intermittent problem - it would be a regular problem. I do believe this is a random open-circuit problem caused by a defective controller or bad programming (i.e. computer module).

The Garmin nav in the 2011s is excellent I find. It's not surprising the Chrysler dropped Navteq as it is had terrible past reviews in the media mill.

You just need to drill 2 small pilot holes and then use self-tapping screws of the appropriate size.

Great work description and pictures!

I chose to cut the fender liner because the upper inboard tab or wing of the guard wanted to fit over top the liner and thus push the outboard edge flush against the fender. Mine fits fine and flush. I can snap a pic if you like.

This is very tempting considering the easy installation! I wonder how much is required to add a factory back-up camera...my guess is that the tailgate harness already has the wiring and connectors in place...wonder if the camera unit is plug and play with the 8.4?

Congrats, after a very long wait!!! So...did it come with the 8.4? Any surprises? First impressions?? Let's hear!

Either one hell of a short, or the PCM is not applying the correct voltage/current to the starter to engage the engine. But when I charged my battery after it happened, it took a charge the entire night - so something drained the battery big time!

If you've been burning substantial amounts of oil, you'd have a film of oil on the tailgate etc, or car would be grimy/dusty as dust settles on the oil film. I'd be wondering if there was an oil pressure problem which led to oil starvation at the rings which caused a premature ring failure (and thus the burning of oil).