Serg_403 Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Hi all. Two months I'm trying to understand, what would I want to buy... Dodge Journey vs Chevrolet Equinox. I checked both of them.. My thoughts : What I like and dislike in Journey : + design + 3 row of seats + spacy + UConnect + a lot of different small sotages inside + starting price ~ 20K - horror stories about multiple problems ( brakes, batteries, e.t.c , service , no buy back policy ) - high fuel consumption than claimed by the manufacturer.. What I like and dislike in Equinox: + fuel economy ( 32 mpg ). + Interior design + 0% fincncing + less dissatisfied customer reviews - Higher price ( 26K + 2k dealers fee ~ 28.500 ) - No 3 row of seats. Who can add something else with everything above.. Mybe somebody had \ has both of them ? Help me to make decision.. Thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powdered Toast Man Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 (edited) My father in law has a 2010 Equinox. It's pretty much loaded except he got the 4-cyl engine. He liked it at first, but over time he's now wishing he'd have opted for the 6-cyl engine. I've driven his vehicle and it feels very sluggish with the 4. The interior design is also something that looked appealing at first, but over time the layout feels cumbersome. I know when I drove it, I felt very disconnected from the road and my surroundings. Kind of like I was driving a tank. I can tell you that he's looked at my 2011 Journey and he's kind of jealous. He LOVES that 8.4" screen and the nav. I think he even prefers the styling of mine too. As for the problems with brakes, I believe those were mainly confined to the 2009 and 2010 models. FWIW, I've seen a lot of complaints on several new vehicles (other than Journey) about brake wear. It may go back to the banning of Asbestos which used to be used in brake pads. All I can tell you is that I'm coming up on 1 year of Journey ownership and I still drive around sometimes and think to myself what an nice vehicle it is. It's the first vehicle I've had in a LONG time where I'm really truly in love with it. Edited March 19, 2012 by Powdered Toast Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serg_403 Posted March 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 Thank you for your answer Toast Man. What about fuel consumption ? Did you noticed what is the difference in Journey \ Equinox? What is _real_ mpg-number for you ? What is you percentage City / Hwy ? Did you contact the Service Center because any issues ? Or just gas and oil ? About 8.4Screen : This winter was really warm.. But how works touch screen in the morning? I read that at -10C and less the sensitivity is very very bad.. till it warm up.. About the brakes .. I'm not a specialist, but some where I read , that the brakes in Journey comes from Caliber...which is much smaller and lighter.. I don't know is this true or false.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powdered Toast Man Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 (edited) Thank you for your answer Toast Man. What about fuel consumption ? Did you noticed what is the difference in Journey \ Equinox? What is _real_ mpg-number for you ? What is you percentage City / Hwy ? Did you contact the Service Center because any issues ? Or just gas and oil ? About 8.4Screen : This winter was really warm.. But how works touch screen in the morning? I read that at -10C and less the sensitivity is very very bad.. till it warm up.. About the brakes .. I'm not a specialist, but some where I read , that the brakes in Journey comes from Caliber...which is much smaller and lighter.. I don't know is this true or false.. Fuel mileage wasn't amazing over the winter, but every single vehicle I've ever owned has gotten worse mileage over the winter. In the summer, it's pretty decent. Consider though, that I have the V6 and AWD so that's the LEAST fuel efficient combo you can have. Still, in warm weather on the highway I was getting as low as 8.9L/100km. City, around 13-14L/100km. I'm in Canada - Winnipeg - so we know a thing or two about cold winters. I had ZERO issues with the 8.4 touch screen even in the coldest weather. It responded and displayed completely normally throughout the entire winter. You can even press the touch screen with gloves on. I can't imagine anyone telling you otherwise unless theirs is malfunctioning or they're making it up. I'm pretty sure that's not true about the brakes. As I said, a lot of the poor experiences seem to come from owners of the 2009 and 2010 models. I have not noticed really any brake dust on my rims, which is a sign they're wearing well. As a comparison, my former 2006 Caravan's front rims would be coated in brake dust every time I went to wash the van. Edited March 20, 2012 by Powdered Toast Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhareFred Posted March 19, 2012 Report Share Posted March 19, 2012 My buddy has an brand new Equniox and really likes it, except for the 4 cyl engine. Now for city driving (Chicago) he says the 4 cyl is fine, but getting on the highway can be loads of excitement. He feels that the engine REALLY works to get up to speed, but it is a 4 after all. I've ridden in it and it rides as nice or better then my 09 Journey. The Journeys 3rd row seats are nice for kids, but forget an average size adult lasting more then 5-10 mins back there (did that one my self). The brakes on the DJ outright suck. You will change them alot (twice in 30,000 miles, one complete set of rotors already) and I am not hard on brakes. Hell, I got almost 40,000 on the fronts on my Durango and I was towing a boat at times. Other then that I really haven't had any big issues with my 09. Bottom line, buy what you like and can afford! Best of luck with which ever car you get! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtomatoman Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I drove everything before deciding on the Journey. The very first vehicle I drove was the Equinox because I thought I would really like it, new GM and all. The 4 cylinder was not what I wanted at all. Gutless. I have never driven the 4 cylinder Journey so I cannot comment on that, it may be gutless too, but the V6 is fabulous. Without getting too wordy, the only vehicles that were in contention with the Journey were the Subaru Forester and the Nissan Murano. Both were more expensive and the Subaru was CHEAPLY constructed on the inside. The Murano was much more expensive and I didn't feel like I was gaining anything over the Journey. When I test drove the Equinox, I believe that I was told it only comes as a 4 cylinder? To be fair, the Equinox was not in contention, but it was fine. I could have lived with the vehicle, but not the 4 cylinder engine. I was so turned off by the engine, I never even got into pricing. IMO, the Journey is way nicer than other vehicles within it's price range. I get 24mpg highway, 19mpg city, with an average of 22-23mpg overall. A 60/40 Highway/City mix. Only problem I've had is an electronic control in the steering wheel needed to be replaced. Peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMR Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Equinox was one of the alternatives I reviewed before buying, for me it had roomier 2-nd row and better fuel consumption, but I felt it's underpowered, also the dashboard looked dated unless you upgrade to the top model. The fuel consumption for my Journey (V6, FWD) - Highway summer under 8L/100 km, winter highway/city 60/40 11-13L/100 km. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcrmike Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 My 4 in the 2012 Journey is not underpowered, and the newer, updated interior is VERy comfy. Handling is better than Equinox, and trip comfort is better too. The sticker says 26 hwy, but I got 30.1 going and 28.5 coming on a 600 mile trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey_SeXT Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 - high fuel consumption than claimed by the manufacturer.. I think this statement alone pretty much applies to every new vehicle sold on the market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey_SeXT Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 (edited) Fuel mileage wasn't amazing over the winter, but every single vehicle I've ever owned has gotten worse mileage over the winter. I'm not a gas expert but if i recall they use a different formulation of gas in the winter which gives the lower mileage. Edited August 17, 2012 by Journey_SeXT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtsr Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 I'm not a gas expert but if i recall they use a different formulation of gas in the winter which gives the lower mileage. Yes this is the case in cold climate zones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatauror28 Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 Its good that i've read here positive feedbacks about the DJ's brake and rotor problems. So they are indeed epidemia of '09 and '10 models? This convinces me to bite the bullet with the 2012 R/T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcrmike Posted August 17, 2012 Report Share Posted August 17, 2012 The brakes also stop better on the 2012 that I have than the 2010 my buddy has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubberdude88 Posted August 19, 2012 Report Share Posted August 19, 2012 This convinces me to bite the bullet with the 2012 R/T You should be able to get a great deal this late in 2012. You won't regret it. Great truck. Work em' over hard in the showroom... they are going to need room for the 2013's. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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