2015 Dodge Journey Five-Point Inspection

4. Fun in the Snow? Yup!

Strapping myself in behind the wheel of the Journey, I expected a predictable, dull, driving experience. With a front-wheel drive bias AWD set-up and stability control system that can’t be fully defeated, how much fun could this family hauler be?

Well, a lot apparently. Using an older AWD system, the Journey will send 50 percent of the torque to the rear wheels when it detects wheel slip. This allows for big sideways slides to occur in the snow.

The stability control cannot be fully defeated, but in the “off” position, the beefy 283 HP 3.6-liter V6 engine has plenty of power to override the system and pitch the crossover sidewise. The older AWD system is very predictable in its power distribution and sideways slides can be controlled for long periods of time. It is worth noting that too much sideways action will overheat the Journey’s electronically-controlled center differential. When this happens, it will flash a message stating the AWD system needs to be serviced and the Journey defaults to front-wheel drive only. Usually, after the Journey cools down and is reset, AWD returns.