Phil

Glad you are okay as well Mary. When I test drove the Journey last spring I felt very safe in it - and that was before the safety rating came out.. BTW, Ace, $1600 is about he price of new left rear driver's side door, when a little old lady backs into it in the grocery store parking lot!!! At least the insurance paid for it -- but the vinyl appliqués for the vertical window jams is not right.. Phil

I did find out that you can not lock the car using the door button, if you leave the key in the ignition.. However, drop the fob on the the floor and do it, you are in trouble!!! Phil

Actually, I rather like the cargo cover. After years with mini-vans trying to cover-up cargo with a balnket, the cover is rather nice... It also cuts down on the glare in the rear-vier mirror if you have light colored items int he rear area. I only wish I could use it when the Journey is really loaded down with cargo...or cover the whole back when the middle seats are down (only have the 5-seat FWD package). - Phil

I also have SXT FWD with 19" cast wheels and Kumhos. I have made several highway trips and have not noticed a shudder, but I will listen/feel for it next time I get it up to speed. I did note too how uncomfortable the seats on a long drive. I have to stop and stretch my right leg every couple of hours. I miss my old Caravan seats - my trick knee would lock up occasionally, but not my whole leg - Phil

In reading the manual. they say postioning the cross bars in slots 4 & 8 (from the front) you will be the most optimum location when not carrying any cargo. I have not remeoved them yet because I have a very short work communte and on longer trips, I figure to need to have them handy... But I may take them off in the winter, when I don;t drive as much, to easy snow removal and cleaning... -- Phil

I just saw a site with $10 off the price on the rear mat... Will give my dealer a chance to match, which I doubt they can, though Mopar says they are free to set prices..... Phil

Since I only wanted the front ones, I got aftermarket best-fit ones from Autosport. Not perfect but okay and far less money. I needed to cut whole in them to push the little "hook" on the carpet through on the driver side, but it worked. Could not find a correctly sized gromet to reinforce the hole, but I made one so small and the rubber was really strong -- I don't need one. - Oh, I have Light Pebble Biege interior and couild not find a good match, so I went with black. With all the black trim in there anyway, they look good. I am getting the Mopar rear cargo mat for the upcoming winter -- Phil

Sounds like there is. My old Caravan had the low fuel indicator light come on with 1/8 of tank (20 gallons). I have no idea when the Journey indicator actually comes on -- (With these gas prices, I had been filling up more often.... now I am inclined to wait, so you never know......) - Phil

I discussed this rather extensively with my dealer. This key-thing was a "brilliant" idea that they got from Mersedes. It is a real deterant to keep someone from stealing your car -- but God help you if you loose or misplace your key fob! I got a duplicate access key made to keep in my wallet. All it does is get me in the car if I lock the key fob inside.... it would have been real nice if that spare key could start the car & get me home!! Of all the things on this vehicle, it is the what I dislike the most. It makes me very uncomfortable becasue I no longer have that saftey net. (The 2nd thing I hate is the tilt wheel does not swing up high enough to get out of the car cleanly. 3rd is no random button in the CD player. 4th is no cassette player (but at least there is a work-around for that)) Phil

As I wrote in my intro, w/my FWD 3.5 I was easily hitting 28 MPG on my last highway trip -- provided I held it in gear. Shifting of the gears with changing traffic condtions and going up and down hills will rob you blind! ..and yes, you get better MPG at slightly faster speeds... so vote no on 55MPH! - Phil

Found forum on a Google search last week outta dumb luck. Got a SXT FWD 5 seater in Light Sandstone in May (built 4/15/08). 19" wheels. Very happy with it. Hitting 28-29 miles/gallon on open highway if you stay in gear. Was a Plymoth/Dodge mini-van driver for 20+ years. (Dodge robbed out of $500 insentive sent to current Dodge owners, becasue I was on the "mini-van" list.... Dealer was prevented from giving it to me.... Will not drive another Doduge until I get the $500) Claim to fame #1 - burst a soda bottle on metal runner on back seat. 2nd week I had the car!! Soda everywhere!! Jury is still out on the Esentials fabric. Should work out fine, though... Claim to fame #2 - Parked in grocery store lot. Multiple spaces all around.. and on old lady still found a way to back into left rear door. Luckily she only hit the one door! 1800 Miles! All fixed now. Plastic pillar appliques did not dry properly before they gave me the car, so they need to do them again... but that is only a minor inconveniece.. at lease my "wow factor" has returned and no more "what happened looks." Hoping this is not a look at my future with this vehcile. B)