This is going to be a shorter review than usual, but the much updated interior on the 2011 Dodge Journey no longer has me as wary of Chrysler products!
EXTERIOR: The 2011 Dodge Journey has an exterior that is largely the same as the old 2010 model (and in need of a refresh), although it does feature new rear and LED tail lamps.
The major changes are under the hood, with a new 3.6L Pentastar V-6, producing 283 hp.
Acceleration is pretty decent, braking is also good, and handling is pretty light for a vehicle of this bulk (about 4200 lbs). I did notice that the brake pedal tended to shudder under hard braking, not exactly confidence inspiring.
INTERIOR: The biggest improvement is in the interior, with a much more liberal use of soft touch plastics. The driver's instrument gauge cluster is now easier to read, and offers a much better display.
Huge downside; somehow, the Journey does not come with standard autolamps, and I drove off into the night on more than one occasion forgetting to turn on my headlights.
Noise dampening is much improved, and the Journey is pretty quiet on the highway.
My particular Journey was the Journey in the "Mainstreet" level trim. It featured two significant options; the remote start/stop button with keyless entry, and the upgraded audio head unit with 8.4" touchscreen LCD display. Egads, I think the touchscreen LCD is even larger than the one featured in the Ford Edge. The touchscreen LCD was very sensitive and featured excellent response times. I also have to praise the LCD unit for featuring an extremely easy method of programming preset radio stations.
The manual claims a 368 watt amplifier, but somehow it did not sound as powerful as described.
The remote start/stop button with keyless entry automatically unlocks the car doors if your key is in close proximity to the door sensor. This worked better than the Hyundai Genesis I rented recently, which required me to actually press the door button sensor to unlock/lock.
CONCLUSION: I will no longer avoid Chrysler products like the plague, but only if they're 2011 models. Props to Chrysler for improving the interior so dramatically. Makes me interested in driving the updated 2011 Chrysler 300.