QuarterSwede

I can see why you say they're adequate; they're designed for radio.

I listen to talk radio and sports channels 90% of the time. Lol.

I drive anywhere from 150-300 km's a day. I'm a consultant and travel to clients homes so at least 4 hours a day driving. Good sounding music keeps me sain lol

You'll get no argument from me.

I live in Colorado and commute 38 miles one way. Takes about 45 min without traffic (with it doubles). I have 3 young kids. I'm in the car a lot and it's one of the only places I can listen to music without their constant distraction. I understand not everyone has the same needs. And I don't worry about speakers. I find ones I like and change them out in one to two hours. It's much easier than people realize.

I live in Colorado and commute 38 miles one way. Takes about 45 min without traffic (with it doubles). I have 3 young kids. I'm in the car a lot and it's one of the only places I can listen to music without their constant distraction. I understand not everyone has the same needs. And I don't worry about speakers. I find ones I like and change them out in one to two hours. It's much easier than people realize.

That's the biggest difference then. I also keep my vehicles until they beg to be put down and I LOVE music. I spend a ton of time in my vehicle so audio quality makes traffic that much less miserable.
I also don't like the controls at the bottom. But there is really no other place to stick them. Luckily the touchscreen has big enough button targets that they're easy to hit so I don't have to use the mushy hard to reach buttons very often.

Love my Journey and everything about it....except the speakers. My 2006 Sebring had much better 6x9's or at least put out more watts to them. All I did was add a 2,000 watt sub and kept the factory head unit and stock interior speakers and it was actually a well balanced sound. I am an audiophile and will be doing my stereo upgrades soon enough. The same songs that sounded good in my factory Sebring just sound bad in the journey. I'm the kind of car guy who falls deeply madly in love with my vehicles and keep them until they die of old age. My Sebring lasted 9 1/2 years and well over 500,000 km's. I plan on keeping this journey for at least 10 years if I can lol again, everything is amazing but to me the stereo is lacking. I don't cry tho becuase my Sebring was around the same price and the most advanced technology it had was cruise control and power locks and windows hahaha this keyless entry and go is amazing and so is the touch screen. Even tho there are hvac knobs I quite enjoy using the touchscreen controls. 2 months in and I'm still reaching for the key in the ignition to turn it off lol

I do not like the touch controls on the bottom of the screen. Too distracting. I set the heat before I set off on a drive, then use the manual controls to increase or decrease the temperature. The "A" does an amazing job keeping all the windows clear, when there are 4 or more riding in close to 0 degrees. I do have to use the rear defroster; it is the only window that will fog up.

While I agree with a lot of what you said in this post I will stand by upgrading the speakers and head unit to deliver a good experience for almost nothing compared to the cost of the vehicle. I'm simply tired of people allowing manufacturers to put in slightly above bottom of the barrel crap because they don't know any different. Teaching is important. How else will they learn?On subjectivity: yes, audio is subjective like any other art form. However, we aren't even approaching that. Putting out muddy audio is scientific. It's like comparing bud lite to a craft beer. Apple and oranges.
Is a vehicle the worst environment to hear audio? Just about (reflective surfaces are FAR more challenging to get right, cars just require timing adjustments, per speaker volume adjustments, with some sound proofing and noise cancellation). However that doesn't mean you should give up. As I mentioned, some fairly inexpensive upgrades can massively improve the experience. A better experience means more emotion and the ability to touch the soul. Why? Because its meaningful and matters.
Let's just agree to disagree as this could go on forever.

Mopar used to offer Kicker replacement speakers for most of their cars/trucks. I used them in 2 of my vehicles, and the sound improvement was 100%, keeping the MyGig HU. They just plugged into the factory harnesses. I have no idea when Mopar stopped this, but there are no Kicker upgrade speakers in the DJ Accessory Catalog. As soon as I purchase a vehicle, the first thing that I do is remove the crap factory paper speakers! To each his own.

I disagree. Everyone I've ever A/B'd a crap vs decent system for has heard the difference and immediately said, "how can I get that and can I afford it?" It may not be as important to some (my mother doesn't care as she "grew up with transitor radios") that I'll agree with. They all thought it was too difficult/costly to do.For years my wife wouldn't let me change her crap 2004 Jeep factory radio out for a low tier Pioneer one she could play her iPhone from. The only reason she let me finally do it was because the CD stopped ejecting discs and after the third radio having the issue our warranty finally gave out. Installed a cheap Pioneer and she said, "why didn't I do this years ago!?" The MOSFET 50 watt amp in it is more than enough for most people.
Upgrading it is actually quite easy and significantly cheaper than the crap factory premium upgrades. Although, the Journey was a pain I'll admit. Most cars with older style DIN/double DIN head units can do a swap out on 30 minutes now that businesses like Metra and others are making trim kits and wiring harness for specific makes/models. Get a trim removal kit (nylon levers really) for $15, a torx bit set for $10, and pop the trim off the doors in 5 minutes. It's stupid easy to do. The dash is a bit more of a pain but it's all just popping the pillar trim off and the top of the dash off where the speakers are. Three pieces, 15 minutes (less once you've done it) and you can reach the dash speakers. Thanks to clips that are meant to be popped in and out you get no rattling like the old days. Mine is still perfectly silent. And thanks to auto manufacturers finally putting in soundproofing in lower cost vehicles (there's a ton in the Journey in the doors, under the dash, everywhere) I can even tell when the radio goes from analog to HD digital.
Look, I've heard and used some of the best studio speakers out there and were they worth the $50K price tag? HECK NO. However, great speakers don't have to cost a car note. For $50 you'll get a pair that significantly rasies the clarity and tightness of the bass. Most people won't have golden ears but they can hear and appreciate the difference $200 and some time can make.

I get that and that's how the automotive industry is able to cheap out on decent sound system parts. Most people don't realize how bad their system is until they hear a good one. Good ones don't have to cost a ton. I upgraded my wife's for $100. Adding decent speakers will push another $100. Much cheaper and sounds much better than the factory premium upgrade.The main reason a quality system is important is because you have no idea what you can't hear in the music until you hear it on a good system. "Oh I didn't even realize that background vocal was there" or "I thought they were saying 'x.' " It's transformative just like glasses are. You wouldn't tell someone not to get their eyes check and get glasses if they can't see 10' in front of them would you?

I assure you it does not. If you A/B just one side of the car with the old factory speakers you'll hear how muddy they actually are. Change out the factory head unit for an aftermarket one that's decent and you'll hear how clear it actually can be while delivering tight powerful bass. The only factory system I've been impressed with was the premium Sony one in the Ford Flex. That one is amazing. I wouldn't doubt if Sony designed and manufactures it. It's worth the upgrade.

I swapped out all of my audio for Alpine, and not the crap paper speakers Dodge is pushing as Alpine. Have an Alpine amp, and a Kicker under seat 8" sub, mounted in a ported box, similar to a Bose Radio. Both factory systems sound like crap.

Metra does have a Turbokit to add a double DIN space where the climate control knobs are. I had it installed professionally and it works a treat. I had them put in a Pioneer AVH-4100NEX.
Anyone who thinks the stock system is fine is out of their minds. The amp is muddy and the factory speakers are utter garbage. I ended up putting in Infinity Reference dash speakers, Infinity Primus 6x9's, and reused my old 5.25" Kenwood eXcelon speakers from my last car. Just need to add a sub.
I will say that the factory UI is fantastic. It really is easy to use. The Metra Kit keeps the 4.3" screen and uses it mainly for climate control and system settings. So now I have climate always visible and my CarPlay UI in use constantly. I really like it.

So if the vehicle was not already built with the option, it can't be added by calling corporate and asking them to add it at their end? In the future, maybe not have it as an option on the Uconnect so folks don't have an expectation that they can have drl activated. Not sure why this has to be a point of angst between the consumer, the dealer and the corporation. If the user wants to have DRLs, they should be able to get them.

not "happy" with the answer but @ least dlr told the truth ! !

So the way I am reading this is that you have the 4.3, correct? If so Metra (I think??) has a kit to put in an aftermarket stereo. Look into it...

I just got done installing my Christmas gift. 3.5" Infinity Reference dash speakers and 6x9 Infinity Primus speakers for the rear. I already had installed my old 5 1/4" Kenwoods Excelons in the front door. Now it sounds clean, tight, and punchy. All I need now is a sub to fill in the 20Hz-45Hz gap I've got. I'm thinking of getting the factory 8" sub mount and putting a Pioneer 8" sub in it. I'll use a Kenwood mono amp (small and great for the price) and be set. I just have to figure out where the hole in the firewall is.

Reeeeeeaaaaaaly. That's a damn shame. Stow-n-go is great but I'd gladly pay extra for the option to swap that out for AWD. I realize that would change the chassis. Still, it's a shame Toyota is the only (expensive) option for an AWD minivan.

Same. I was a bit miffed, I'll admit, when I figured out it didn't have it. Though the well is there taking up space underneath still. However passenger seat folds flat.[Edit] I have found mine does, indeed, have the seat that flips up and the storage bin! I had worked on the speakers and lost a bit to the bin that was sliding back and forth while driving. I was poking around the forum and found that the fabric latch pull is often tucked in and how to unlatch it from the back of the seat. I went under there and flipped the latch open. The seat opened right up! This year is starting out right!!
Sorry OP. Looks like you'd have to change the seat out after all.

FYI. Not all the 8.4s have an external amp. I kept the HU (8,4) but added 4 Alpine 6x9's in the doors, swapped the dash speakers for Alpine tweeters with inline x-overs, added an Alpine "Brick" amp, and installed a Kicker 8"sub in a ported box, mounted under my seat. Neither factory system can match this!

Unless you also need AWD and are unwilling or unable to pay for a $35K AWD Toyota Sienna. If Dodge made an AWD option on the Caravan we would've gone that route.

We just got a 2015 certified pre-owned Journey SXT and one of the requirements I had was for the center stack to get upgraded (they didn't have an SXT that had the 8.5" UConnect in it). We could've gone for the 8.4" upgrade but the amp is muddy and it was $2500 without an aftermarket amp to clean it up.
Stay with me here: My wife has a 2005 Jeep Liberty, which we love, and had a factory head unit that constantly ate CD's. On the third swap she finally asked me to put in an aftermarket head unit. I did and not only does it sound a lot better on the factory speakers but it never has had an issue with the CD player (thank you Pioneer).
Back to the Journey, we decided to go with an aftermarket upgrade for $1600 instead (under warranty install). Now I've got a great Pioneer NEX head unit that I know I can trust to deliver great sound (sounds fantastic) and is reliable (this is my fourth Pioneer head unit). The only disappointment is the loss of the excellent factory climate controls which was replaced by a squishy aftermarket version that sits in the well in front of the cup holders. That's thanks to how Dodge designed the center stack guts. There isn't depth room for the head unit where the 4.3" display sits. It's a really aftermarket unfriendly design.