Compare the2022 Chevrolet TrailblazerVS 2020 Dodge Journey

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Trailblazer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Journey doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Journey doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Trailblazer has standard Automatic Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Journey doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

The Trailblazer offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Journey doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Trailblazer’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Journey doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Trailblazer LS/LT/ACTIV/RS’ optional blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The Journey doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Trailblazer LS/LT/ACTIV/RS’ optional cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Journey doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Trailblazer has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Journey doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Trailblazer and the Journey have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Trailblazer is safer than the Dodge Journey:

	Trailblazer	Journey
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	24%	27%
Neck Stress	190 lbs.	250 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	83/261 lbs.	502/600 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29%	52%
Neck Stress	153 lbs.	164 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	409/383 lbs.	631/373 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Trailblazer’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Journey’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 22 percent more Chevrolet dealers than there are Dodge dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Trailblazer’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Trailblazer’s reliability 17 points higher than the Journey.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 17th.

Engine

The Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder produces 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (174 vs. 165) than the Journey’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Trailblazer FWD CVT 1.3 turbo 3 cyl. gets better fuel mileage than the Journey (29 city/33 hwy vs. 19 city/25 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Trailblazer’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Journey doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Trailblazer higher (7 out of 10) than the Dodge Journey (3). This means the Trailblazer produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Journey every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

For more complete vehicle control the Trailblazer offers an optional manually controlled automatic, with the available convenience of an automatic transmission and the complete gear control of a manual transmission without the inconvenience of a clutch. A manually controlled automatic allows the driver to eliminate unwanted shifts and maximize engine braking by down shifting while cornering. The Journey doesn’t offer a transmission that allows complete gear control.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder AWD, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a four-speed automatic is available for the Journey.

The Trailblazer has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Journey doesn’t offer a CVT.

Tires and Wheels

The Trailblazer has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Journey doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Trailblazer RS AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Journey AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Trailblazer RS AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Journey AWD (28.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Trailblazer’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the Journey SE Value’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.5 feet). The Trailblazer’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Journey Crossroad’s (37.4 feet vs. 39 feet).

Chassis

The Chevrolet Trailblazer may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 800 pounds less than the Dodge Journey.

The Trailblazer L/LS/LT is 1 foot, 6.9 inches shorter than the Journey, making the Trailblazer easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Trailblazer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Journey doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Trailblazer AWD uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Journey doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Trailblazer has .1 inches more front legroom and 3.3 inches more rear legroom than the Journey.

Cargo Capacity

The Trailblazer has a much larger cargo volume than the Journey with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 10.7 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS’ power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Journey doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Ergonomics

The Trailblazer’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch. The Journey

The Trailblazer’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Journey’s power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Trailblazer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Journey doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Trailblazer’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Journey’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Trailblazer has a standard locking fuel cap with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Journey doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Trailblazer has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Journey only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Trailblazer’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Journey’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Trailblazer detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Journey doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS offers an optional Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Journey doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

Bluetooth wireless connectivity is standard on the Trailblazer, connecting the driver and passenger’s cell phones to the vehicle systems. This allows them to use the vehicle’s stereo and hand controls to place calls safely and easily. Bluetooth costs extra on the Journey.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV/RS offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Journey doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.