Jerry in TX Posted August 22, 2015 Report Share Posted August 22, 2015 Can anyone describe their experiences or knowledge of the upper scale models of Journeys? The Crew and R/T models have lots more bells and whistles, which while quite interesting, I'm not sure of the utility of them. For context we are in the market for a new vehicle and have decided on a Journey for their value. I would prefer to buy one a year or 2 old to let someone else pay for the initial depreciation. We also have the advantage of being able to take our time so we can pick and choose whatever we want. Trying to stay around $20k USD I can get a 2014 SXT with 15k to 30k miles or I can get a 2013 Crew or even an R/T with 20k to 40k miles for the same price. So the upper end features are the V6 engine (must have!), 8.4 UConnect screen (highly desirable), Bluetooth (would be nice), backup camera (would be nice), 19 inch wheels, and navigation (don't really care). Can anyone comment on their experiences with these? If you have a higher end model what do you enjoy most about it? dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtsr Posted August 22, 2015 Report Share Posted August 22, 2015 I think you have a handle on your needs , AWD may not be a necessity as well dependent on your destinations and whether you really have to go anywhere that urgently , I have driven thru 4 snow covered winters with all seasons and FWD only. If you have a cellphone I would say BT is a must personally with the laws/fines on distracted nowadays it's a plus. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 The Crossroad came out in 2014. It has completely different front and rear facias, 19" wheels, and a nice stitched leather interior. It comes with the 8.4 screen standard and bluetooth, but not the V6. Mine has the V6 and the third row. Winter was not an issue with me. This is the first non- 4wd truck that I have had in over 20 years! The Crossroad is priced between the SXT and Limited. I do not know what the Crew designation was for because by 2014, it was gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silenze Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 Its pretty hard to sort through all the used listings for the features like backup camera. Auto headlights bluetooth without looking at all the photos. Picking a crew will guarantee it has them. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry in TX Posted August 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 Thanks for your replies, it all helps to understand. I am finding lots of R/T's available all over the US. Even quite a few in Texas. They are loaded with everything so I wouldn't have to search thru and check which options each vehicle has. It looks like I could pick up a 2013 R/T with 20k or 30k miles for $20k to $21k USD. There are some reliability issues discussed on various websites so I would look carefully at the vehicle history. Our 2003 Trailblazer LTZ had a somewhat poor reputation as well but we have had great luck with it, so it really depends on the specific vehicle you get. Generally the DJ provides good value for your dollar. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolly Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 The big thing to watch with any vehicle is the maintenance history of the vehicle. I'm amazed at some of the laziness of some folks when it comes to regular maintenance and they wonder why they have issues. Too many people ignore warning signs until it's too late and claim they bought a lemon. I have a file for everything for my Journey. I even make a note of the mileage when I change air filters, cabin filters and even bulbs. I don't like guess work. If someone makes the effort to maintain the records, you can bet they took very good care of their vehicle regardless of the mileage. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry in TX Posted August 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 Great point, Rolly, and keeping good records is about to pay off for me! I am about to sell my 2003 Trailblazer LTZ and I have all my receipts, including oil changes, and a journal I have kept over the years with a timeline of every incident or maintenance issue. The vehicle may not be perfect but I can give some future buyer confidence that they will know the history instead of hoping for the best. And the thing is it is so effortless to keep good records and organize receipts and paperwork. Just amazing... dhh3 and rolly 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted August 23, 2015 Report Share Posted August 23, 2015 I own a 2013 FWD Crew. The primary differences between the Crew and the R/T lie in trim. The Crew is geared more toward luxury and the R/T has a sportier flare. Mechanically, the only difference between them is the R/T is equipped with the firmest suspension tuning available regardless of whether it is FWD or AWD. A Crew comes standard with Touring Suspension (softer) in FWD trim, and if it has AWD then it comes with Performance Suspension (a bit firmer than Touring but more compliant than R/T) Feature-wise, they are both loaded. The Crew (or Limited as of 2014) comes with chrome trimmed door handles, grille and roof rails where the R/T is monochromatic and features more black trim. Chrome wheels were not available on 2013 R/T models. The R/T features unique red seat stitching. As much as I love sportiness in my vehicles, I opted for the Crew since I preferred a little chrome on the Journey and I like chrome wheels - I think the chrome trim suits it well and is not ostentatious. The Journey has inherent sportiness built into its character, and even with the softer Touring suspension it rides firmly enough and does not wallow over bumps or in turns, yet is very comfortable on road trips. We have 44,000 miles and love the car. The only defect was with the navigation maps which became corrupted and necessitated replacement of the radio to correct. Otherwise, it has been perfect. My wife was in a major collision eight months ago and was uninjured and the car continues to perform flawlessly even after being repaired. daddyRT, dhh3 and rolly 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry in TX Posted August 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 @Journeyman - Your post is timely! Tomorrow morning (Monday) I was going to call about an R/T that has everything - but about 4 hours from me. I decided to go to an R/T because other vehicles didn't have all the features and I figured an R/T would guarantee that. But with your post I see that a Crew could have everything I want plus a not-as-firm suspension. That is the first I have heard of that! And your thoughts about the upgraded chrome trim and softer suspension are just what I am thinking. So then I did another search on a bunch of websites and I find a 2013 Crew that appears to have everything and it is right here in town at a local dealership! So you may have saved me a lot of hassle dealing long distance on a purchase! Can I send you a beer?? rolly, dj cowboy, dhh3 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted August 24, 2015 Report Share Posted August 24, 2015 Heineken Light please Happy to be of service. I have pictures of mine in the Member's Gallery if you'd like an idea of what they look like. jkeaton, dhh3 and rolly 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B4ZINGA Posted August 27, 2015 Report Share Posted August 27, 2015 Comes down to personal taste. I test drove a used 2013 Crew before I got my R/T and it was comfortable, but I couldn't get over all the ridiculous chrome trim plastered over the car. Personally, I can't stand chrome. Satin in limited quantities (window trim, wheels) I'm okay with, but things like door handles and grilles I can't stand. I was also drawn to the Rallye appearance package (black headlight buckets, slightly darker 19" alloys, roof rack deleted) as I like the headlights better, and the deleted roof rails make it look more like a sport wagon than a family car. My family is my animals. I'm glad I got the R/T also for the stiffer suspension. It doesn't compare to my old Road & Track Charger or my 300M Special, but it does allow me to take certain interstate junction ramps at speed. My R/T can handle the 696 east to 94 east ramp near Detroit at 70 MPH without much issue. If it wasn't for traffic, I wouldn't need to slow down at all on dry warm days. When I get 20" wheels with thinner sidewalls and stiffer tires, it should be perfect. I noticed some flex this morning in the factory tires, which should be corrected when it's time for new tires (currently over 16,000 miles, so that should be a while). I rented a 2015 SXT (not SXT Plus) for a trip to Toronto in June, and it could not pull the same maneuver without some scary body roll. Again, all personal taste. Unfortunately the R/T Rallye in Pitch Black is common around here, so I'll need to make some exterior changes at some point... jkeaton and dhh3 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted August 28, 2015 Report Share Posted August 28, 2015 To make it really stand out, paint it Copperhead Pearl. Journeyman425 and rolly 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry in TX Posted August 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2015 I just love it! Everybody loves THEIR Journey, whatever the color, year, model - THEIRs is the BEST!! It's like Lake Wobegon where are the children are above average! dhh3 and Journeyman425 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted August 28, 2015 Report Share Posted August 28, 2015 Copperhead Pearl is the best! Journeyman425 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted August 29, 2015 Report Share Posted August 29, 2015 I just love it! Everybody loves THEIR Journey, whatever the color, year, model - THEIRs is the BEST!! So true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journeyman425 Posted August 29, 2015 Report Share Posted August 29, 2015 It truly does come down to one's own personal tastes, as B4ZINGA points out. He and I both own a Journey and a 300M. When I ordered my 300M new in 2000, I purposely skipped the chrome Razorstar wheel option and instead chose the standard painted Razorstar wheel because, at the time, chrome wheels were all the rage on everybody's clapped-out Chevy Cavaliers, Ford Escorts and other similar vehicles in that genre that were otherwise falling apart and rusting but had nice, shiny chromes that were worth more than the car. However, the look of those beautiful chrome 300M wheels began to woo me after a couple of years, and in 2005 I upgraded them. But that car would indeed look awful with chrome door handles and other ersatz chrome trim. There is a narrow band of chrome around the grille which is otherwise a matte gray, and with the exception of the Chrysler wing badge, that's it. Yet on the Journey, the chrome door handles are just enough to break up the huge swath of sheetmetal that makes up the sides of the car. and they pick up the wheels nicely. I usually love the monochromatic look but on the Journey, not as much. And in my hometown, we have the only Copper Pearl Journey so we never see ourselves coming and going. That could very well be because everyone else hates the color! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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