"Tech Review: 2009 Dodge Journey R/T AWD" Edmunds Daily

Tech Review: 2009 Dodge Journey R/T AWD

Chrysler may be going through tough times and trailing in last place among the ailing Detroit 3, but that hasn't slowed the company's in-cabin tech advances. It's the first and only automaker -- domestic or import -- to offer satellite TV and now in-car Internet.

And although these two technologies weren't installed on our 2009 Dodge Journey R/T AWD test vehicle (sticker $34,385), the mid-size crossover did offer some of Chrysler's best -- and worst -- tech features.

August car pics 071.JPG Chrysler offers one of the best backseat babysitters among automakers -- and one of the best-priced. The $825 Rear Seat Video Group I option in the Journey includes an 8-inch drop-down screen over the second-row seats, a pair of wireless headphones and a remote. No big deal there. But the system also offers a wide array of entertainment options. Through each headphone a user can listen to any audio source in the vehicle: DVD, CD, AM, FM, Sirius satellite radio, an auxiliary source or music on the MyGIG head unit's hard drive. And, of course, the driver and other passengers can listen to the same or separate sources over the vehicle's speakers.

The video system in our test vehicle was tied to the MyGIG head, which in turn is part of the pricey $2,200 Entertainment Group II option that also includes an Infinity Premium sound system, backup camera, nav system and a one-year Sirius Satellite Traffic subscription. The Infinity Premium system, with five speakers and a subwoofer powered by 368 watts, isn't worth the extra dough, even as a $495 standalone option. So if you want the Rear Seat Video Group I option, go with the stock AM/FM stereo with a 6-disc DVD/CD changer and Sirius and instead pair it with the $695 Safe and Sound Option Group, which includes MyGIG and the backup camera -- and save $1,500.

August car pics 015.JPG This was the first time I used a MyGIG with the head unit and in-dash screen separate from one another, and the setup includes a joystick-like controller that's very difficult to operate and frustratingly required two movements to get a response. Also, the menu for the 30 GB hard drive isn't intuitive when downloading and accessing music from a USB drive. On the other hand, I find the steering-wheel audio control on the back of the steering wheel more convenient than the traditional front-mounted ones. Plus, each of the rocker-style switches also includes a button in the middle; the right-hand rocker adjusts volume up/down and the button in the center switches between audio sources; the left-hand rocker operates seek up/down radio tuning or skips CD/media tracks up/down and the center button shuffles through the radio presets.

You'd think this would free up room on the front of the steering wheel for buttons for the Journey's Bluetooth UConnect system. But like all other UConnect-equipped vehicles, the button to activate the system isn't on the steering wheel but in the center stack in the Journey (and on the rear-view mirror in other Chrysler and Dodge vehicles), which is less convenient and less safe. UConnect, which is part of the Journey's $695 Convenience Group II option package, is one of the easiest to operate and feature-filled Bluetooth systems available, offering automatic phonebook download (even though it didn't work with my BlackBerry 7130c), conference calling and an effortless pairing process. Plus, the voice-activation aspects of the system work better than many vehicles in much higher price ranges.

The 2009 Journey R/T AWD we tested also included gimmicky standard tech touches such as a chilled beverage storage compartment in the upper glove box and a more practical remote-start feature, and you can add iPod integration to the MyGIG head unit with an optional cable from a Dodge dealer.

I you need a family hauler but don't want an SUV or minivan, the Journey R/T AWD may fit your needs, and if you carefully choose among its confusing array of option packages, you can also get a vehicle fitted with great and useful tech.