2015 Dodge Journey, Durango Honored with Active Lifestyle Awards

Both the 2015 Dodge Journey and Dodge Durango won their categories at the recent Carspondent "Active Lifestyle Vehicle Awards" event, a recognition program that lives up to its title by including not just auto journalists, but also athletes and outdoors enthusiasts as part of its judging panel. Also, with the diesel-powered Jeep Grand Cherokee earning a trophy as well, the Chrysler Group was the only automaker with multiple winners:

• 2015 Dodge Journey—Best Value On-Road
• 2015 Dodge Durango—Best Value Family
• 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee—Luxury Off-Road

Said Nina Russin, who co-founded the awards program and also is a long-distance runner and automotive journalist herself:  "Jeep and Dodge resonate with our audience because of the brands' outdoor focus, versatile yet stylish interior designs and strong powertrains.

"The EcoDiesel engine in the Jeep Grand Cherokee is excellent for towing and extends range between fill-ups on long road trips. The 2015 Dodge Journey gives growing families the interior versatility they need in a relatively small vehicle at an affordable price. And the Dodge Durango combines the truck attributes sport-utility enthusiasts crave with good fuel economy and excellent road manners."

More specifically, the 2015 Dodge Journey is among the least-expensive mid-size crossovers in the country, with a starting price that remains under $20,000 and a three-row model that opens at $21,695. To put that price point into context, the new Honda CR-V, which is a compact, two-row-only vehicle, currently shows an MSRP of $23,320. And although the 2015 Dodge Journey isn't exactly loaded with cutting-edge content at that benchmark, it does provide standard features including air conditioning, LED interior accent lighting for the driver and front-seat passenger, six-speaker display audio with 4.3-inch screen and remote USB port, 17-inch wheels, and power windows and locks.

Added Reid Bigland, head of U.S. Sales for the Chrysler Group: “Winning these important Active Lifestyle Vehicle awards is truly a proud accomplishment for the Dodge and Jeep brands. The Dodge Durango, Dodge Journey and Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel offer functionality and performance for any adventure, so they're an ideal fit for customers with active lifestyles.”