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Well,time to replace my old faithful 2002 Caravan Sport. She has served me well.

Factory ordered a 2014 Journey Limited today as a check of all stock within 200 km of Winnipeg, no one had anything close to what I want. The wait will kill me!

- 5 passenger

- Redline 2 coat pearl
- Beige interior (instead of usual black)
- Navigation & Sound group
- Sunroof
- 19 inch Chrome Clad Wheels
- Chrome Body Side moulding (dealer installed)
- Chrome fuel filler door (dealer installed)
- Front & Rear mud flaps (dealer installed)
- Moulded Cargo area tray (dealer installed)
- Extended 7 year warranty

- Will add separate 17 inch wheels and snow tires before next winter. A firm believer in winter tires. I went for the Limited as I didn't want AWD. In Canada Limited's are FWD only.

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Very interesting. I wonder why Limited is FWD only? Very, very nice ride you have on order there!

Decision by the boss gods of Chrysler Canada. AWD is only availble on the R/T in Canada. Leather seats on R/T only too. Fine for me as I wanted all the bells and whistles on the Limited, but not interested in AWD or Leather.

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Leather seats on R/T only too.

No kidding? Well, I'm with you on the AWD - we skipped it also. It's optional on every trim level except AVP. But leather was something I definitely wanted. It's available as an option on the SXT Plus model here in the U.S. and standard on Limited and R/T. I wanted Chrome Clad wheels and Copper Pearlcoat as the color, and neither were available on R/T, otherwise we may have gone for that.

Edited by Journeyman425
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Good choice on the FWD over AWD......I see no sense in having all the extra moving parts and fuel econ sacrifice for .01% of the time you might actually need it.

.....and why is it someone is pushing the extra rear seating at over $1k+ when this is supposed to be a sporty crossover...not a minivan? I swear 9 out of 10 of these on lots have all the extra big buck seating. I too prefer cloth over leather due to interior temps while parked usually go real high and no more burning my butt on leather.

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Good choice on the FWD over AWD......I see no sense in having all the extra moving parts and fuel econ sacrifice for .01% of the time you might actually need it.

.....and why is it someone is pushing the extra rear seating at over $1k+ when this is supposed to be a sporty crossover...not a minivan? I swear 9 out of 10 of these on lots have all the extra big buck seating. I too prefer cloth over leather due to interior temps while parked usually go real high and no more burning my butt on leather.

Ha! In Winnipeg you will definitely use the AWD more than ".01%" of the time... We have a VERY similar climate in MN and AWD, while not a necessity, is certainly nice to have when you need to get out before the snow is all cleared up...

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Ha! In Winnipeg you will definitely use the AWD more than ".01%" of the time... We have a VERY similar climate in MN and AWD, while not a necessity, is certainly nice to have when you need to get out before the snow is all cleared up...

Since I am one of those retired bas*ards, and if it is deep snow out, I have the option of staying home. I'd rather have some nice extra alloy wheels for the price of AWD for my winter tires. I buy those for stopping and control rather than going through deep snow. The folks here are usually pretty good for plowing the main roads.

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hmmm. They don't have plows in Winnipeg? I'm pretty sure that like here, workers on the state dole are out there and round the clock even with overtime pay plowing what little snow might be on the road. Over here in the northeast snowbelt of NH, there are about 20 plow trucks that fight over snow flakes on the road. I have seen them plow rain for gods sake. Certainly no need for any awd the overwhelming vast majority of the time.....folks are spoiled and its just a toy for them to play with truth be told. Is it nice to have those few times? Sure. A necessity? Well its your money. I don't think many folks consider the lost mpg, wear and tear expense, and initial cost that awd is. In addition, the FWD does pretty dang good up my at times unplowed driveway......the very few times that happens throughout the course of a year. Now, if you tow a big boat and have trouble at boat launch, or you tow snowmobiles up to your unplowed camp up deep in the woods then that's another story.........

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I guess we come from two different mindsets. Though it is fair to mention that winters in NH don't hold a stick to those in MN... My last car was FWD, and it was sufficient, but for the amount of time I have to spend driving in snow storms, it is worth it to me. We are a hockey family and are constantly traveling in the worst weather MN can throw at us. The extra piece of mind it provides me knowing that I have a better chance of safely making it to my destination with my family in the car is easily enough to justify the extra cost (though what I paid for this thing brand new wasn't any different than the cost of a FWD DJ). Also, if you read my post it actually says quite explicitly that it is not a necessity, but nice to have so I'm not sure what we're arguing about... I do know that when I drove to work this morning and the plows scraped all of the snow off the road, but left tons of ice on it, that I was sure glad I had the AWD.

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I guess we come from two different mindsets. Though it is fair to mention that winters in NH don't hold a stick to those in MN...

Heck, anyplace on the eastern half of the continent has had a brutal winter, NH included. But it is true, there is nothing quite like a winter in Mn or Manitoba. Being 100 miles NW of International Falls (AKA Frostbite Falls *grin*) we've sure had our share of that dastardly white stuff and cold air. Sending you more this weekend too! Happy Spring.

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Heck, anyplace on the eastern half of the continent has had a brutal winter, NH included. But it is true, there is nothing quite like a winter in Mn or Manitoba. Being 100 miles NW of International Falls (AKA Frostbite Falls *grin*) we've sure had our share of that dastardly white stuff and cold air. Sending you more this weekend too! Happy Spring.

Luckily I'm south of the crap coming this weekend, but thanks for thinking of us! This winter has certainly been brutal, at least some of us are fairly used to it, so it wasn't that big of a deal. 40 degrees Fahrenheit out today... Damn near shorts weather, ha!

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Heck, in Canada we start wearing shorts at 35 degrees F and barefoot at 32F when our snow shoes melt!.

Ha! Maybe in my youth... getting too old for that crap. Besides, the pond still has decent ice at those temps which means the skates are on!

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lol. I'm an avid snowmobiler. I love snow. I love driving/riding on snow. MN has had some fairly low snow winters the last 5~6 years? I have snowmobiler friends out that way that told of some pretty poor snow years out mid west. We get those too but this winter has been more of a classic. NH has high avg snowfall thanks to the noreasters we get almost weekly. We all also get lake effect alberta clippers. I'm pretty sure we can hold a stick pretty close to MN. I snowmobile the north of the state, and live in the south part. We frequently commute up and down and at times, during snow storms. Stopping is far more important than going so awd wont help you one iota there. If ya think your driving faster with awd, your in a ditch soon. Getting stuck on the road is about unheard of unless you pushed your luck somehow. The problem is folks going into the ditch.....and many times its awd or 4wd with over-confident drivers. I also drive a plow truck. I tow my sleds with a Rwd pick-up.....I don't even need fwd, never mind awd. I understand some drivers feel more secure with 4wd and such but the driving skills of both my wife and I have never left us needing any more than fwd. Just this past weekend My wife and I drove up to Canada with my RWD pickup and most of the ride was in a snow storm....plow trucks galore all over the highways dumping salt and trashing the roads to keep them "safe". Its gonna be a long spring, summer, and fall on dry roads.......................We can discuss this further when its 70* outside hehehe.

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lol. I'm an avid snowmobiler. I love snow. I love driving/riding on snow. MN has had some fairly low snow winters the last 5~6 years? I have snowmobiler friends out that way that told of some pretty poor snow years out mid west. We get those too but this winter has been more of a classic. NH has high avg snowfall thanks to the noreasters we get almost weekly. We all also get lake effect alberta clippers. I'm pretty sure we can hold a stick pretty close to MN. I snowmobile the north of the state, and live in the south part. We frequently commute up and down and at times, during snow storms. Stopping is far more important than going so awd wont help you one iota there. If ya think your driving faster with awd, your in a ditch soon. Getting stuck on the road is about unheard of unless you pushed your luck somehow. The problem is folks going into the ditch.....and many times its awd or 4wd with over-confident drivers. I also drive a plow truck. I tow my sleds with a Rwd pick-up.....I don't even need fwd, never mind awd. I understand some drivers feel more secure with 4wd and such but the driving skills of both my wife and I have never left us needing any more than fwd. Just this past weekend My wife and I drove up to Canada with my RWD pickup and most of the ride was in a snow storm....plow trucks galore all over the highways dumping salt and trashing the roads to keep them "safe". Its gonna be a long spring, summer, and fall on dry roads.......................We can discuss this further when its 70* outside hehehe.

Good point, it the other drivers that worry me the most... Personally I'm not a fan of FWD, I would rather drive a RWD vehicle any day. That being said, I bought this vehicle specifically to get to and from the rink with my child and others' with less of a chance of getting into any issues. I can't afford a big SUV and I got this vehicle for a pretty ridiculous price. So, I get capacity, mileage, AWD and a couple other perks for the price of a modest sedan...win:win.

This winter has been a bear for sure. I think we are only like 12" above average, but every time it snows there is some circumstance around it that makes it difficult. I keep putting off my snowmobile purchase and the last 2 years have been pretty good. The state trail goes right past my house and that's all I hear all winter... Of course once I pull the trigger we will get nothing and I'll have tow the thing up north to get in the snow. We are supposed to finally break 50 on Sunday... I CAN'T WAIT.

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FWD vs AWD is a discussion that has gone on for years. What I do not like about AWD is that too many people take the drive system for granted and forget about how to drive in the winter. They think that because they have the AWD they are exempt from the winter conditions and can drive like it is the middle of July. Also the AWD adds more weight to the vehicle and can be attributed to poor fuel economy. I have had AWD in my last four vehicles and it gave my wife the confidence she likes when driving here in Northern Ontario where the winters are brutal. What I have found is that AWD is no different than FWD on the ice when it comes time to stop. The comment about seeing more AWD vehicles in the ditch is very true and is due to statement I made earlier.

I have read many test reports as well as viewed many videos in regards to the AWD vs FWD. The bottom line is that after all the testing it has been determined that " FWD vehicles equipped with winter tires or "All Weather" tires is as good during the winter as an AWD with the standard equipped "All Season" tires. However the AWD equipped with winter/All Weather tires provides the best winter driving experience.

There are other things to be considered as well. If you have a rural residence then AWD would probably be a consideration as plowed roads are not always a timely activity. However in the cities FWD with winter tires will probably be very efficient and also help in the fuel efficiency discussions.

I am currently shopping for a new ride and I have given some consideration to going back to FWD but have not yet made up my mind. Some of the choices out there have very little difference in fuel numbers between FWD & AWD.

I will tell you though that shopping for a new vehicle today is very confusing. Fuel economy today is a top priority in the discussions as well as reliability, service, safety specs and of course you have to love the vehicle. Still have the DJ on my short list but the competition is really great in this midsize CUV market.

Edited by Journey41
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Agree 100%... So far I've had great experiences with Chrysler vehicles and I got a deal I couldn't refuse on this one... So, the rest of the midsize CUV market was easily brushed aside. I am not in the city anymore, so I like the AWD option. The trade-off between the FWD and AWD mileage was not enough to factor into my decision and the price was actually the same or less as a similarly equipped FWD. Good luck with your shopping.

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Lobitz68...I am assuming you have the V6 AWD? What mpg are you getting?

We cannot get the AWD here in Canada with the SXT. Have to go with R/T which also has the 19" wheels.

Thanks

Yes, I have the V6 SXT AWD... I am currently getting about 21 mpg mixed. That's winter gas, extra idling, lots of slow moving traffic in snow storms and so on. Plus, I only have about 1,000 miles on it. When I bought my 2012 Avenger my mileage went up significantly after the first 4-5k miles, so I expect this to do the same. I can report real world numbers in a couple months, but I would expect at least another 1-2 mpg once summer hits and she is broken in... I can definitely live with ~23 mpg mixed.

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