mic414

Do you know why was the factory retooled? Are they also changing some components/making a facelift?

OK, I know most people in the US would go for AWD without thinking. But it is not a straightforward decision for a crossover/family car in my opinion. First of all, in my opinion, AWD superiority in safety and stability shows only in circumstances which are not typical use for a Journey. Sure, if you're rallying, driving offroad, or like to drive hard in a powerful, sporty car, AWD is better. But actually a lot of "regular" AWD cars are not handling any better than their 2WD variants. Next popular reason is snow: some people buy AWD for this reason, so that they don't have to buy winter tires - well in this case it's a poor decision as the same vehicle with winter tires would own AWD with all-season in every situation (and would be much cheaper). AWD doesn't help you at all with stopping in slippery surface, in fact it may be longer because the car is heavier. Then there's the performance advantage: 2WD weighs 300 lbs less, so performance and milege should be noticeably better. On the other hand, 2WD would have more torque steer and high output engines would spin the wheel, but my guess is that it shouldn't be a huge issue for the Journey as it's heavy enough. (My Saab Viggen on the other hand is a different story ) And then there's the price, 2WD is about 2 grands cheaper. So is there a case for buying AWD? IMHO, not. But I can be convinced, and I would be truly interested in others' opinion who drove both variants.

On the 2010 models.... I'm confused over Dodge Detroit announcement: "Dodge announces upgraded lineup for 2010 ..." (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/08/dodge-announces-upgraded-lineup-for-2010-including-nitro-detonat ) They say the new 2010 Journey models will have packages like Express, Hero, Heat. Does this essentially mean that there's a new 2010 model line-up/pricing now? On the official website, there's no mention of these packages though, if you go to pricing. Bonus question: which model has the black facia around the temp control and radio unit vs the relatively ugly light metallic one?