Brucebotti

As a side note, I'm glad that you can open the hatch with the motor running. With my '05 Jeep Liberty, it wouldn't allow you to open the hatch with the key in the ignition. Bruce

That makes sense. You wouldn't want to be cruising on the highway and have the vehicle shut down because the battery in your key fob went dead, shorted, etc. Bruce

I got the black. I ordered them through an Amazon vendor. They were $92.88 with free shipping. Bruce

I agree. You really have to take it all "with a grain of salt". From what I see, the ealy DJ's suffered from a lot of growing pains. The later ones seem to have mnostly minor issues. I have only owned my 2012 SXT for about a month (1,000 miles) and all is well so far. I believe that I made the right choice for me and my family.....only time will tell. Fortunately the dealer I bought it from is great. Bruce

I got my front WeatherTechs today and they fit like a glove. I love the look and the protection. Bruce

I replaced the timing belt on my wife's 2001 300M a few years back. Fortunately, the motor was mounted front to back. After taking off the bulk of the front fascia and the radiator, etc, it wasn't too bad, just time consuming. I can't imagine doing it on a transverse mounted engine. Good luck. If anyone does this on tehir own, please update us! Thanks, Bruce

I just ordered a set of the Weathertech Floor Liners for the front of my '12 DJ. For the second and third row i'll pick up some universal slush mats from Autozone or Advance Auto and trim them to fit. I had the Weathertech in my '05 Jeep Liberty and I loved them. Bruce

Hello, After much looking and research, I picked up a new Silver 2012 SXT two weeks ago. We wanted a vehicle with three rows of seats so that we could take our three Grandbabys with us from time to time. It was a tough competition between the Journey and a Chrysler T&C. I really didn't like the minivan anywhere near as much as the Journey, but it would have been much easier moving the Grandbabys in and out of the minivan. Plus, we all loved the rear DVD player! We finally decided on the Journey because we realized that we don't have the Grandbabys all the time, so why not go with the vehicle you really want. The other thing that sealed the deal was that there was a $4500 rebate, plus the knocked $1700 off the sticker. They also gave me a great trade-in on my 2005 Jeep Liberty Renegade. All in all we are very pleased so far. I will write a review after I have had it about a month or so. I will try to post a photo or two. 2012 SXT 3.6 w/6 spd Third row seat w/rear air Power Group Option 19" wheels

Hi Mcgusto82, Thanks for the response and helpful info. I could set my car seats up similar to yours and live with it. The minivan seems to be a better deal and would work much better, but I like the look of the Journey so much better. Decisions! Decisions! If anyone else has any opinions, please share. I'll keep you all posted. Bruce

Hi, I'm a newbie here, looking at a 2012 or 2013 Journey. One of the key issues I have is car seats. I have a 5yr, 3yr, and 6 month old Grandsons, and the wife and I would like to be able to take them all with us. We are looking at the 7 passenger version. My questions are: 1. Will three car seats fit (one is a rear facing infant seat)? 2. Assuming that they will fit, how easy will it be to access the rear? I want to leave the seats in permanently and not have to take one out each time to access the rear (third) seat. I know I could eliminate the issue by purchasing a mini van, but the Journey looks so much better. Thanks, Bruce

Thanks again to all for the info. I consider myself pretty car savvy, but I learned something new. I never knew that the window stickers were printed locally and could be edited. I guess that explains why the base prices on the window stickers that i printed out for the different models were different than what it shows on Dodge.com. All that being said, I have my eye on a new 2012 Black SXT v6/6speed with the popular equipment group and the flexible seating group (for the three Grandbabys). I'll keep you posted! Bruce

Thanks for the info. If I line up window stickers from a 2013 SE Versus SXT, there is a difference of $4,000 ($18,995 versus $22,995). They both have the same 4cyl / 4-spd auto. The only differences shown for standard equipment on the SXT versus the SE are: - Sirius sattelite radio for one year - Cargo Net - F & R Floor mats - Aluminum wheels - Fog lamps - Body color exterior mirrors - Deeper tinted glass I must be missing something, but that doesn't seem to be worth an extra $4,000 . Just my $.02. Bruce

Greetings, I have been looking at the Journey for awhile, and I have been lurking here as well. One of my questios is, what is the real difference between the SE and the SXT? I have looked on the Dodge.com site and looked at dealer literature (sales brochure). I printed out window stickers for each, and I can't see a big difference, especially to justify the $4,000 upcharge. Is there a list somewhere that will allow me to compare and see the differences? Thanks, Bruce