CDNGeer

My eyes hurt... no caps in future please. Interested in hearing how you made out.

Many things can impact tow ratings such as suspension, tire size, gearing, tuning, wheel base, vehicle weight, etc... When changes occur,such as the redesign of the Journey for 2011, the tow rating can be impacted. You cannot simply look at horsepower ratings and determine the tow rating. Towing over the manufacturer recommendations can lead to premature component failure and can result in unsafe control of the vehicle.
Dodge would love to say that the Journey can tow many more thousands of pounds and use it in their marketing campaign but Dodge creates the rating it does after countless hours of testing so the vehicle will last as long as possible even when a customer tows often and for the safety of the passengers and the other drivers on the road. Not to mention getting your warranty claims rejected when the trans fluid fails because it overheated. If anyone at the dealership told you that you could disregard the owners manual they are wrong.

Hi CDNGeer,
To get to your 30 posts quicker just do what several forum members have, simply post to the test area until you have your quota.

The vehicle we purchased was a new Silver 2012 SXT with 3.6L / FWD. The options on it are, the third row seating, the Popular Equipment Group, and the 19" wheels. So far it has been absolutely fantastic. We bought it in November. The sticker was $27,885. They knocked $2,200 off of the sticker, plus there was a $4,500 rebate, so it ended up being $21,185 + tax & registration. We were quite pleased.
Likes:
- Great in snow
- Smooth and powerful
- Very quiet and comfortable
- Handles very well for the type of vehicle that it is.
- Love the wheels
- Decent gas mileage. Worst:17.9 mpg Best: 25.4 mpg
- Took it on a 500 mile round trip with four adults and three kids in car seats. We fit comfortably, and averaged 25.4 mpg.
Dislikes:
- The A-pillar and mirror combo are huge and hinder vision. I'm sure it would be the same on similar vehicles. It just takes some getting used to.
- The rear view with car seats installed is limited.
- The transmission takes some getting used to, especially on steep hills where it takes forever to downshift. I am getting used to it, and overall, I am pleased with the tranny's performance.
- Our vehicle was built in Feb '12, so it has the smaller brakes. So far this hasn't been an issue for us.
I hope to have a similarly positive report at 12 months / 12,000 miles!
Thanks,
Bruce

Both models are excellent choices. Its just a matter of personal preference and how you envision using your Journey. I'm glad Dodge gave us both options.

Hi All, I bought my 2009 Journey AWD V6 used about 2 months ago and noticed from day one that there was water on the garage floor under the right muffler (looking from the rear). Today decided to go under the car and clean out the drain hole that is on the underside of muffler/s towards the front of the vehicle.
Was I in for a surprise after using an awl to gently clear the small hole out on the muffler, a steady stream of water came out and was still draining "an hour" later, then took the Journey for a drive to warm up the engine/exhaust and then parked in the garage and it is still dripping out of that muffler, so how much water was in there? heaven knows.
So if any of you have the dripping under the muffler try opening up the clogged drain hole, the other muffler (left side) was fine just wet around the drain hole.
2009 SXT AWD Stone White 63,000 k/m = 39,000 miles

Welcome to the forum! Lots of good info here.