Dodge has made some pretty strong vehicles, in the past, but its Journey has seen several problems during its time in the SUV lineup. Its good points weren’t always enough to overcome the problems that plagued its Dodge Journey. 

Dodge is now offering some sweet new deals for the brand-new version of the 2020 model, but what’s happening with the newer model is there one? U.S. News gives an overview of the 2020 model and what you can expect if you choose to buy one off the lot. 

What is Dodge doing to the 2020 Dodge Journey, and what kind of deal are they offering?

Since Dodge is discontinuing the Journey line after the 2020 model, dealers are keener to offer great deals to get rid of the current stock of the last brand-new units they have on hand. With these incentives, you can save quite a bit by choosing the Dodge Journey over other SUVs. 

Dodge.com currently offers a $2,250 consumer retail cash deal that comes with a $1,000 Chrysler Capital bonus cashback incentive to give you $3,350 off the price tag, which isn’t too bad. 

It’s also offering an alternative deal of 0 percent APR for a total of 84 months if you qualify. It’s an either/or situation, but it will add up to some pretty good savings no matter if you choose the cash back or take the 0 percent APR financing. 

What you can get with the SE trim and Crossroad trim levels

The SE trim is the base model for the Journey. At $23,675 MSRP, minus the $1,495 destination fee, it offers a 2.4-liter four-cylinder motor and a four-speed automatic transmission. This combination offers 19 mpg when driving in the city, and 25 when traveling on the highway. 

Dodge’s Crossroad trim starts at $28,595 before the destination fee. It has the same motor and transmission as the SE does. It also gets the same gas mileage as the base model does as well. This version has 19-inch wheels, while the SE trim offers 17-inch ones. 

The base model also comes with cloth upholstery, heated outside mirrors, push-button start, proximity keyless entry, satellite radio, and tri-zone automatic control. When it comes to the Crossroad trim, you can expect much of the same features, but it adds leather upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. It also comes with fog lights. 

The Dodge.com website shows that if you add the Popular Equipment package to the Crossroad trim, you’ll get heated front seats as well as a heated steering wheel. It also adds an 8.4-inch touchscreen, remote start, and a six-speaker premium audio system. 

Will it be worth it to buy the 2020 Dodge Journey?

While there are some great points with the 2020 Dodge Journey, there are quite a few drawbacks to it as well. One area that could’ve used improvements, if the Journey were coming back another year, is its four-cylinder engine. It just doesn’t compete with similar models from other automakers.

The 2.4-liter motor only produces 173 hp, making it pretty weak when trying to pass on the highway. The 2019 model had a V6 version that had a bit more zest than this engine does, but Dodge dropped it for this model year. Even the six-speed automatic transmission was dropped, and now you get a four-speed instead.

Another problem that drags the journey down is its poor reliability rating. J.D. Power gave it a two out of five stars. The Journey has rated poorly in this area for several years, so it’s not surprising to see it be on the below-average side. Crash testing results weren’t anything to write home about either. 

Buying the 2020 Dodge Journey, even with the great deals offered, is not really recommended. Despite the savings, this model is one of the few vehicles that people tend to regret buying. You could end up with some hefty repair bills, cheap interior parts, and a vehicle with overall poor engineering.