2018 Jeep Compass vs 2018 Toyota RAV4
Posted on July 30, 2020
The 2018 Dodge Journey akes on the 2018 Honda Pilot in the mid-sized SUV Category
While it might be tempting to compare the 2018 Honda Pilot to the 2018 Dodge Journey purely on price, you're likely to miss how competitive the lower-priced Journey is to the popular Honda mid-size SUV in many areas of comparison. Consider the following:
Engines
The 2018 Honda Pilot offers only one engine, a 280 horsepower 3.5 L V6 engine. The 2018 Dodge Journey offers customers the choice of an economical Tigershark 2.4 L four-cylinder engine or the more powerful 283 horsepower 3.6 L Pentastar V6 engine, the most popular engine in Canada based on sales.
Safety
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducts a series of tests on new vehicles. Those include a 35 MPH front crash tests, and a 38.5 mph side impact test. In the front crash tests both the Honda Pilot and Dodge Journey achieved a Four-Star rating. In the side-impact test the Pilot and the Journey both achieved Five-Star ratings. In addition, the 2018 Dodge Journey offers over 40-safety features.
Seating
The 2018 Honda Pilot comes standard with three row seating. The 2018 Dodge Journey offers consumers the option of two-row seating with a larger, unobstructed rear cargo area, or three-row seating with fold-down seats. The Journey features greater front headroom with equal front legroom versus the Pilot.
Warranty
The 2018 Honda Pilot and 2018 Dodge Journey are on equal terms with their warranties. Both offer three years or 36,000 mile basic warranty, a five year or 60,000 mile powertrain warranty, and a five year with unlimited mileage corrosion warranty. The Journey exceeds the Pilot's Roadside Assistance program, five years or 60,000 miles versus three years or 36,000 miles.
Infotainment and Navigation
The Pilot features the HondaLink infotainment system, which has not received great reviews from the critics. For example, car and Driver wrote that "A frustrating and difficult-to-use central touchscreen is one of the Pilot's weakest links," and "The system can be maddening to use due to its slow responses and a fussy touchscreen volume slider." HondaLink was rated 3.5 stars by Car and Driver. By contrast when the Uconnect 4 system, same as what's installed in all Dodge SUVs, was evaluated by Car and Driver in a 2018 Ram pickup, the rating was 4.5 stars with the comment (it) "features the Uconnect infotainment system, which is one of our favorite setups. Not only is it one of the easiest to use, it's one of the most responsive systems on the market."
Paying For Unneeded Features
Depending upon who you're hauling around, there are standard features in the top-of-the-line Pilot Excel that you're paying for whether you need them or not, that are optional on the equivalent Journey, features like Rear DVD Entertainment System or a built-in navigation System. If you have no children in the back seat and rely on your smartphone for directions, why pay extra for features you don't need. But if you do need them, they're available as an option on the Journey.
Purchase Price
The lowest-priced Journey starts at over $15,000 less than the lowest-priced 2018 Honda Pilot, by comparison of published MSRP. Further Kelly Blue Book calculates monthly payments for a top-of-the-line 2018 V6-powered AWD Dodge Journey Crossroads at almost $200 less per month than the premier 2018 AWD Honda Pilot Elite, based on equal financing terms.
Cost to Own
Kelly Blue Book calculated the five-year cost to own for the premium 2018 Dodge Journey Crossroads and the top-level Honda Pilot Elite and the difference is nearly $8,000 in the Journey's favor. The Journey is rated by KBB with an "average" cost-to-own, while the Pilot Elite was rated as "higher than most."
Don't take or word for it. There's much more to the 2018 Dodge Journey than a great price. Even when compared directly with the Honda Pilot the Dodge Journey could hold its own. Isn't it time for you to drop into North York Chrysler and take a Journey out for a test spin? Four-cylinder or V6, RWD or AWD, there's a Journey that's perfect for how and where you drive.