ChrisPollard

Today I bid farewell to our trusty 2003 Sebring and said hello to our shiny new 2012 Journey CVP. 7 passenger in the Brilliant Black Crystal Pearlcoat paint that looks absolutely amazing in the sun - or in the dark with a streetlight hitting it. Added the extended warranty, and a 30 month waiver on my insurance to get a full purchase price payout in the event of a write-off. Peace of mind is worth a few extra bucks a month. My wife is a big fan of the Journey. Didn't see any other vehicle anywhere that she liked more. My almost 8 year old daughter just LOVES it, and so do I. Managed to get all the glass but the windshield RainX'd tonight, and put some Meguire's tire shine on the rubber. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough this weekend to get some wax on before winter. (And vacation in 11 days.) It IS going back to the dealership tomorrow though. They didn't get the remote start installed before I took delivery. LOL I'm also going to ask about a flash update - I experienced the blasting radio on startup today. Shouldn't go from 22 to 9 with one tap of the volume control. I also talked my sales guy into throwing in a free Dodge hat ... black and beige, to match my interior. Can't wait to hit the road in a couple of weeks to see how it is on the highways ... got about 1400km to our destination, and I drive it all in one day. Was never much of a problem comfort-wise in the Sebring, and I'm hoping the DJ is even better!

My iPod Touch works GREAT with the 4.3. I love that it's hidden out of the way. Haven't tried a USB stick though. Honestly, I'd never even thought of doing that. Might be a test for another day.

And as was pointed out, Subaru is the undisputed king of AWD. If AWD is what you want - or demand in a vehicle - they should be your first choice! I'm curious to see how the stock Hankook's on my DJ handle this winter vs. the Tiger Paws on the Sebring I traded in. A/S vs A/S. Also curious how often I'll find myself turning off the traction control. Never having had it before, I'm not sure if I'll find it a hazardous distraction to my driving or not. But I'm sure my wife will like it.

I would have said, judging by that big round dirt imprint right at the center of that rip, something nailed that sidewall. It is NOT a dry rot crack. If it's not flat, I'm amazed.

I'm getting a hand shake, a wave, and a Dodge hat. They wouldn't throw in a free remote start, but I did talk them into a hat. I'm calling it a win! lol

I won't have the bill of sale until Tuesday ... but I am going to be sure to check it closely. I was going from the listing on the dealer site, which shows the build/options. The one that was parked next to it DOES show the SE Plus option (22G) where mine just shows the 22F CVP option. So my guess is whoever put the listing on their website did a copy and paste, not noticing that it was NOT an SE Plus. Armendegga - I'm with you there. What's the point of going through the trouble of making two sets of parts ... other than to make it easy to spot a base model driving down the street? But like many things in life, it's best not to think on it too much, lest your brain begins to hurt. LOL

Nope, they sure aren't. They are NOT standard equipment on all models. Hence the good old fashioned light bulbs in the tail end of my 2012. SE+ and higher maybe ... but not the base model CVP versions. Logically, you'd think they'd just put them in everything, so there is only ONE set of parts throughout the lineup, ONE set of engineering, etc. But I guess it must still be cheaper two double engineer the parts than to make LEDs standard on all trim levels. My other disappointment with the LED setup from the factory - it's only the tail/brake lights, and not the turn signals as well. Oh, and yes, the 17" tires are an upgrade. I do recall reading the sidewall and seeing 16" tires on the steel wheels with caps.

Well, my window sticker said SE Plus, just like the 5 seater beside it on the lot ... but one had the LEDs and tinted windows, mine does not. Which I'm good with. But maybe it's a misprint on the window sticker. Hmmm, just went and compared the build sheets to the other one ... order codes are different. Apparently it's just the CVP, no SE Plus group. 22F vs 22G. Guess I'd better update my profile. Oh well ... at least if a bulb burns out, I don't have to take it to the dealer for replacement!

I'll admit it - I'm and LED fanboy. But the DJ I've purchased doesn't have that option. So being me, I've been searching to see if anyone offers up LED replacement bulbs. I've found a couple. Best I can tell from reading, one version is brighter than the other. http://www.autoanything.com/lights/65A5617A0A0.aspx?green=3952BEFF-B5F0-5E9B-91E9-5F607C47BE0B There are red, white, and amber ... to cover brake/tail lights, reverse lights, and turn signals. Has anyone tried something like these on their Journey before? Any luck? I noticed in the comments on that site that the turn signal needs a resistor added, otherwise you get a super fast blink, but other than that, good reviews. When it comes to lighting, I'm all about brighter and better ... and LEDs.

Hmmm ... the 2012 I'm picking up on Tuesday did the radio thing on us during the test drive. Good to know it's a common thing ... even if it's less good to know it's a glitch in the system.

My dealer said there's no Mopar/factory version to install, but they have an aftermarket unit that they've done lots of installs on and have not received any word of problems with. They're adding it Tuesday morning before I get delivery. Not sure what the brand or anything is, but it's $500 at their cost ... guess we'll see how it is when I pick it up!

34, married 12 years, one daughter turning 8 next month, one neurotic old Shih Tzu I inherited from my mom, who inherited it from my aunt, who inherited it from her son's girlfriend when she went away to school. He amuses us, so we keep him around. Didn't hurt that he's one of those breeds that's good for people with allergies, which are in our family. I've been in radio for 15 years now, but only a couple of those on the air. Moved into the office 13 years ago, writing commercials ... then added webmaster to my title. Probably still be doing it another 25 years from now. Deckster - you must be in Red Lake! :P

Dryden, Ontario ... about 180km from the Manitoba border, north of Minnesota. The part of Ontario on the back of the map, in the Central time zone that most Ontarians don't know exists. Take possession of my 7 passenger Brilliant Black CVP on Tuesday, right after the turkey! ---UPDATE--- Got my Journey, had the remote start installed, and the whole family agrees that it is absolutely FABULOUS!! Couldn't be happier with our purchase!

Wow. That is a truly horrible dealer experience for what should be an exciting day!! I hope mine is better on Tuesday! Make sure you remember it on your next vehicle purchase - and go somewhere else. Then drive in and point out that you didn't buy from them - and remind them why. It's one thing to talk with your wallet and not give them future business ... it's another to make a point of TELLING them you're not going to deal with them and why. That's speaks much louder.

I believe a part of the 'new fascia' play was to get rid of the old Dodge logo with the Ram head in it ... which is becoming the logo for the Ram lineup, which is being spun off into it's own brand. That's why you don't hear "Dodge Ram" anymore - just "Ram". Personally, I really like the new look for 2011/2012. And the updated interior that goes with it.

I dropped my deposit this afternoon, they're cleaning it up this weekend, and installing the remote start Tuesday morning. (Stupid holiday Monday slowing things up!) Picking it up, and saying goodbye to my trusty old '03 Sebring at lunch. Can't wait to get it! I've already downloaded the owners manual and read it front to back. Honestly, black wasn't our first choice, but it was already on the lot, with everything we wanted. Which essentially means Canada Value Package with the Flexible Seating Group. While the Pentastar V6 is a great engine, and the 6 speed attached to it is nice, the 4 is plenty good enough for bootin' around town, and the occasional road trip. My daughter (8 next month) loves it. All I've heard since we did the overnight test run is, "Are we going to get it? When are we going to get it? Are we getting it?" She was impressed with it anyway ... which I found odd. I think it was the rear seat heating and cooling controls that won her over. We've had silver or grey vehicles since 2003, and while there's nothing amazing about it, it just never seems to look all that dirty. So with black, the washes will have to be significantly more frequent!

We only have one child (about to be 8), and I was leaning towards the 5 seater. Wife was hell bent for the 7. Not only because one day we're probably going to need to haul around 5 of her closest tweenage friends, but because of the rear heating and AC. Spending the night with the 7 seater this week, and seeing how my daughter took to having those controls in the back, I am completely without doubt that the 7 seater is the way to go - and that the rear heat/cooling controls should just be standard on all Journeys. I didn't get in the 3rd row, but did buckle into the 2nd row to see how it was. I'm not small (6', 240lbs), and found it to be quite roomy and comfortable. And if I had to spend any sort of trip in there, I'd be bent to not have heat and air back there. And like someone else mentioned, that way you can also leave the front vents pointed where they should be. The extra storage in the 5 seaters is really nice ... but the heating and cooling for the rear seats is totally worth the extra money. I'd spring for those even if they didn't come with a 3rd row.

Obviously something changed between the earlier post stating Brilliant Black was discontinued ... I'm currently looking to take delivery of a brilliant black 2012 Journey CVP/SE Plus on Tuesday. Although, to be fair, I sure don't see many of them around in black. I think I've spotted one R/T this week in black.

I've had aftermarket remote starters in other vehicles (older, and lower tech than the Journey) cause starting problems. So I'm leery of them. With the level of programming that goes into vehicles today, I believe there's a bit of voodoo in any installation, let alone something not designed specifically for the vehicle. A cheap aftermarket in an 80's vehicle was one thing ... but the computers then literally just controlled the fuel delivery. Not like today's management programs. I think the cost of a dealer installed remote starter is worth it. One may also want to check and see how an aftermarket unit could affect your warranty. If the install gets botched and electronics get fried, I'm willing to bet the warranty would be void.