mravil Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 Hi all,. Given this is the "Owners Impressions" Forum, I was hoping that those with the Touring or Performance suspensions could share your on-road impressions of the DJ ride and handling characteristics. For US models, the Touring suspension is found on the Crew ('13 and maybe earlier) or Limited ('14), while the Performance version can be found on the R/T. Not sure what Canadian models these suspensions are found on. Family is considering moving to a Journey late next year. Will certainly test drive each setup, but its always good to hear opinion from owners who have lived with the thing for awhile and encountered different road conditions. What I'm curious about is if folks with the Performance think it's is harsh on bad roads but handles well, just right, softer than expected, etc. Similar for Touring but if steering is too vague/numb on center, well weighted, a lot of body roll when going around corners, etc. Likes or dislikes are fine too. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted December 31, 2013 Report Share Posted December 31, 2013 I have a '13 Crew FWD with the Touring setup. The overall on-road performance of the suspension is quite good. I've been driving a 300M with Performance Handling Group for 13 years and that car is highly capable in ride, cornering, steering and brake feel. The Journey's purpose and mission is somewhat different than that of a 300M, but considering its primary role as a people mover, it is tuned more toward the driver than a minivan, which is one of the reasons why we selected it over a van. Cornering is excellent, body roll is there but I don't feel like it is excessive. Braking power and pedal feel are very impressive - noticeably better than my 300M. Steering feel is a bit numb but the gear has zero friction and the ratio is quick, making it fun to drive anyway. The ride is pretty well sorted out. It can be a little jiggly over irregular pavement due to its higher center of gravity, but its highway manners are outstanding. The body structure is very stiff and rigid, which allows the suspension to concentrate on doing its job rather than compensating for structural weaknesses. There is definitely some torque steer - much more noticeable than in the 300M, and the 3.6 liter engine is only slightly torquier than the 3.5 (260 lb-ft vs. 255). The AWD setup eliminates the torque steer, but it automatically comes with Performance Suspension which might have a bit more ride harshness, plus the weight gain and fuel economy penalty. The R/T comes with an even higher performance suspension than what would be found on a SXT or Crew/Limited with AWD. mravil 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mravil Posted January 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 I have a '13 Crew FWD with the Touring setup. The overall on-road performance of the suspension is quite good. I've been driving a 300M with Performance Handling Group for 13 years and that car is highly capable in ride, cornering, steering and brake feel. The Journey's purpose and mission is somewhat different than that of a 300M, but considering its primary role as a people mover, it is tuned more toward the driver than a minivan, which is one of the reasons why we selected it over a van. Cornering is excellent, body roll is there but I don't feel like it is excessive. Braking power and pedal feel are very impressive - noticeably better than my 300M. Steering feel is a bit numb but the gear has zero friction and the ratio is quick, making it fun to drive anyway. The ride is pretty well sorted out. It can be a little jiggly over irregular pavement due to its higher center of gravity, but its highway manners are outstanding. The body structure is very stiff and rigid, which allows the suspension to concentrate on doing its job rather than compensating for structural weaknesses. There is definitely some torque steer - much more noticeable than in the 300M, and the 3.6 liter engine is only slightly torquier than the 3.5 (260 lb-ft vs. 255). The AWD setup eliminates the torque steer, but it automatically comes with Performance Suspension which might have a bit more ride harshness, plus the weight gain and fuel economy penalty. The R/T comes with an even higher performance suspension than what would be found on a SXT or Crew/Limited with AWD. Thanks for the impressions, that was helpful. Didn't realize the AWD came with its own performance suspension too. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted January 1, 2014 Report Share Posted January 1, 2014 . Didn't realize the AWD came with its own performance suspension too. You know, I didn't either until at some point after I ordered my own. I was perusing some dealer literature and found this later : Dodge Journey Crew In addition to the standard SXT features, Journey Crew replaces/adds these features: Touring suspension (FWD) Performance suspension (AWD) The list is much longer but I edited it down for you to see. I would love to drive mine back to back against another to compare. I think the differences are somewhat subtle between levels. There is a marked difference between Touring and Performance Handling Group on the 300M (I own two 300M's and one is Touring and the other PHG) but that car has a different purpose altogether. If the Journey's ride was too harsh, sales would suffer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadb1 Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I had a 2009 SXT DJ and that is the one thing I absolutely loved was the ride! We just traded that car in on the 2014 SXT and it rides the same way. The 2014 seems to be a more solidly built car than the 2009. Time will tell. jkeaton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I had a 2009 SXT DJ and that is the one thing I absolutely loved was the ride! We just traded that car in on the 2014 SXT and it rides the same way. The 2014 seems to be a more solidly built car than the 2009. Time will tell. Same here. We traded our 09 for a 2013 about 3 months ago. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to DJ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 . The 2014 seems to be a more solidly built car than the 2009. Time will tell. It's not your imagination. The Journey underwent an extensive makeover in 2011 and a significant number of refinements and upgrades were made to the suspension, steering and brake systems, not to mention the interior redesign, and Dodge has continued to make minor improvements wherever possible in subsequent years since. jkeaton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destination Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I like to hear about you guys trading in for a newer model. I could possibly see me doing that someday. For now, my '11 is just fine for a few more years. I bought this car because the second I test drove it, the ride, sound, power, feel and fit-finish reminded me of Lincoln Town Cars, of which I drove thousands of miles as a part time chauffeur. I pined for a Town Car someday, and I feel like I got something even better. This is the first car I've had in a while that I'm in no hurry to trade in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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