One month later

[RodOracheski]

We got our Journey at the end of October and it's just over a month old now so I thought I'd post some thoughts on it as we roll into winter (expecting a big dump of snow here tonight, the reason we switched to this over the Mazda Protege we had prior) and I've had some time with it.

Overall I'm really happy. I haven't had any of the issues people have mentioned here and there - cooler works fine, wraparound rear seat mirror stays in place, that kind of thing. I'm thinking of getting the rear bumper guard I saw posted in the accessories forum, as it's taken a couple hits already. No damage, but I can see the potential is there. Mileage has been good, though I haven't hit the road with it as much as I expect to in the next few months so we'll see if that holds up under heavier use.

My daughter absolutely adores the rear seat DVD screen and it keeps her quiet for longer drives - which I adore in turn. I wish I could choose to View Video on the front screen when in motion though, as having to pull over and stop every time I need to start the show over or change episodes of a Little Einsteins DVD is ridiculous.

I'd love to find some snow mats for the front that fit the Journey's floor pattern though. I could get some cheap mats that can be cut to fit, but what I want are the 'deep dish' ones that will actually hold the snow and water instead of just dumping it onto the floor. I don't really see the point of the mats that let all the slop get onto the floor under them anyway.

As for the vehicle, the only thing I wish it had was driver settings for the seats and mirrors. A friend has an Avalanche with it and it's so nice to just get in and hit the button corresponding to yourself and have all the settings done for you.

So far, so good. Absolutely no regrets about buying it over the other choices we'd looked at. It still feels miles ahead of the competing vehicles in terms of space usage and storage - two things we considered very important.

[RAV]

Bought these mats:

http://performancedodge.stores.yahoo.net/dojoslma.html

And this cargo cover mat:

http://performancedodge.stores.yahoo.net/dojomocaartr.html

Husky makes what you want but the wife did not want this "deep style":

http://www.huskyliners.com/ShopResults?act...&model=6800

This "Lock Pick" device will enable all of the features you want on your front screen:

http://www.coastaletech.com/

[04redmach1]

I highly suggest Husky mats ^_^

[BLM]

Husky Liners!!! We get lots of snow. They are terrific!

[RodOracheski]

Husky liners look perfect :D

[bxman180]

rav?

[bxman180]

i have a question?

[bxman180]

about hids

[RodOracheski]

Okay so it's now coming up on nine months since we got the vehicle, and it's just past the 10k mark. Mileage has improved a bit, doing the two hour highway drive from Edmonton it sits at around the 7 L/100km range when we hit home. Town driving, especially when it's my wife doing it, is rougher on the economy - 12-14 L/100km, depending how much she's left it running with the AC on to cool down the interior. :rolleyes:

No mechanical problems at all *knock on wood* and we're about to do a long trip down to Calgary and into the mountains with it, so hopefully that trend continues. Replaced the driver's side wiper blade ages ago, and I'm going to replace the passenger's one before the trip. It's a shame they put such cheap ones on out of the dealership - the streaking is ridiculous.

I never did put the rear bumper guard on, and it hasn't taken any damage. I got the floor mats though, and they were a huge help in the winter and a muddy spring. Going to start making some changes to it, starting with a K&N CAI that I saw someone talking about. Deciding if I want to change the exhaust at the same time or not - probably won't. Never unlocked the front screen for use while driving, but still might.

Anything to watch out for as the vehicle rolls into 10,000+ km territory?