Even a healthy 138bhp isn’t going to make a huge impression on something this heavy (1895kg) and bluff-shaped. But the Journey still steps away from the lights pretty briskly, thanks to its ample low-end torque (229lb ft between 1750 and 2500rpm). That urge keeps the Journey feeling superficially brisk provided the turbocharger is stoked up, but ask any more of it and there isn’t much.
You can eventually wind the Journey up to a claimed 116mph before airflow defeats it, and cruising is restful with gearing around 30mph per 1000rpm in sixth.
Acceleration is still useful at motorway speeds in top gear, but when you work the engine harder and faster the constant clattery drone starts to gets to you.
Clutch take-up is smooth and the gearshift is accurate enough, if clonky in its across-gate motion. The brakes feel fine, too, and have the right level of progression and sensible weighting.
The Journey looks like an SUV and that’s how it feels to drive. You sit well above the roll axis, so you’re conscious of an SUV-like top-heavy motion and movement as the body leans.
Not that it leans too much, thanks to stiff anti-roll bars that have the side effect of setting up lateral rocking over lumpy surfaces. This roll stiffness makes the steering quite precise, and the Journey can be hustled through twists with more vigour than you’d expect.
Most of the time it goes where it’s pointed and has fair traction out of tightish corners. The suspension’s tautness inevitably makes the ride fidgety on poor roads, an irritation that becomes more obvious the further towards the back you sit, but fundamental body control is good and the rubber-mounted subframes do a fine job of filtering out road roar.
Opt for the MyGIG sat-nav, though, and you get a ParkView reversing camera to make life easier.