Overview & Reviews

One of America's most storied automotive brands, Dodge has been around since the early days of the auto industry. In the past couple of decades, it has revitalized itself to be a producer of aggressively styled and performance-oriented vehicles.

Two brothers, Horace and John Dodge, began the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicle company in 1914, after having worked as manufacturers of bicycles and automotive parts. Their first vehicle was a touring car that proved a fast favorite with car buyers; it was soon joined by a roadster and a four-door sedan. By 1917, the company's model line had grown to include trucks. Dodge cars and trucks were used as staff vehicles and ambulances in World War I.

Dodge was briefly owned by a banking firm and subsequently sold by its new owner to the Chrysler Corporation in 1928. From there, the brand slowly evolved into the division responsible for trucks and performance-oriented cars. Post WWII, Dodge introduced vehicles like the military-inspired Power Wagon truck, Hemi-powered Coronet and the Royal Lancer; in addition, the manufacturer began offering dealer-installed air-conditioning.

Vehicles like the Dodge Dart and the Coronet kept the manufacturer in American driveways throughout the 1960s. That decade also saw the launch of one of Dodge's most iconic vehicles, the Charger. Dodge's muscle car was based on the Coronet platform, and featured a fastback roof line, hidden headlamps and a full-width taillamp panel. Best of all, the Charger could pack one heck of a wallop under the hood. A 318-cubic-inch V8 was standard, but buyers seeking maximum brawn could upgrade to a 426-cubic-inch, 425-hp Hemi V8. The company also introduced a Mustang-fighting pony car, called the Challenger, in 1970.

As with other American auto manufacturers, Dodge's fortunes started to slip in the '70s due to changing tastes and increased competition. The company was saved from extinction in the early '80s thanks to government loans and the sales success of its Omni and Aries economy cars (the former an attempted copy of the VW Rabbit). But 1984 was when Dodge made its mark in the history books with the introduction of the wildly popular Caravan. Ideal for families and able to seat up to seven, the space-efficient Caravan started a whole new vehicle segment -- the minivan.

The early '90s saw the company wow the public with the V10-powered Viper roadster and an all-new Ram pickup that set a new standard for big-rig-like styling. A few years later, Dodge came to be part of DaimlerChrysler, a result of the merger of the German company Daimler (owner of Mercedes-Benz) and Chrysler.

The merger never really worked, however, and Daimler sold Chrysler and Dodge to a private equity firm in 2007. Soon after, America's economy slid into recession. Due to poor sales and debt, Chrysler had to declare bankruptcy. The federal government intervened and eventually Dodge came under control of Fiat, a European automaker known for its small cars, an area where Dodge's entries had been roundly criticized for mediocre build quality and unrefined performance.

More recent years have seen Dodge concentrate on the more practical vehicles in its lineup, making notable improvements to the performance and overall quality of its midsize Avenger sedan and Journey SUV entries. Dodge also spun off its truck line, making it a separate Ram brand. But make no mistake; Dodge is still considered Chrysler's performance division thanks to cars like the Challenger and Charger. Time will tell how successful Dodge's latest makeover is.

User Reviews:

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  I love It!!! - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By Baxinator4 - June 30 - 2:00 am

  I am a proud owner of a 94 ES V6. Ive had it for 7 years and have over 100,000 miles on it. There have been no serious problems. My only complaints are the noise that is typical with older Chryslers, and the overall fit and finish is very simple. On average the car gets between 20-24mpg in the city and I always get around 28mpg on long trips on the highway. The car feels quick and has lots of torque for a car of its size. DO NOT buy one with an automatic transmission. My brother had a 92 Duster (same car as the shadow) with an auto that was replaced 3 times and is typical of Chryslers. This car is definitely a great buy.

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  A great Sport Van - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Larry Baran - June 30 - 2:00 am

  This is the 3rd generation Dodge Caravan we have owned. (1985, 1992, and, now, 2003). Much to our kids confusion, we have kept the 1992 Caravan as our in-town vehicle. They BOTH are easy to drive. It is fun to drive, for me at 62" and my wife of 50". We both can feel comnfortable, see well, drive long trips (a periodic requirement for us) and arrive after 12 hours of driving without feeling fatigued. It is interesting that we have come from driving a VW Combi-van in the 1960s to Caravan in the 00s!

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  lemons - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By lemon dodge - June 30 - 2:00 am

  dont buy any dodge or chrysler products. they are all lemons!!! my durangos transmisson is no good and dealership(security dodge of amityville ny) refuses to honor the srvice warranty last time i buy an american car. japanese car better build. after i pay it off i will trade in. buy a honda!!!

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  Good for chicks too - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By sep188269 - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Its a definate dude magnet too! Arent you sick of seeing mustangs and eclipses everywhere? Its a head turner, I couldnt even begin to tell you how many compliments Ive gotten!

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  Wow.... - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By New Durango Owner - June 30 - 2:00 am

  Just got my 04 Durango 4WD Limited that was ordered in December. I am WAY impressed. It is fast, comfortable, well built, quite, and much better than the 02 Durango I had. I love this car.

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  Phenominal - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Grizzly Grey - June 30 - 2:00 am

  The ride and handling is suburb for such a large vehicle. It truly handles like a much smaller SUV. I rated the 4.7 but actually the Hemi is truly a great engine and well worth not getting the best gas mileage. Comfort is unparalled.

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  So far, so good. - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By joel770 - June 29 - 8:26 pm

  It may be a bit early to tell, but I just bought the 2007 Grand Caravan SXT and so far I really like it. You can feel how well she handles and the engine runs smooth and quiet. The stow and go feature has already paid off and my kids think the brilliant black pearl color I chose is "hot". So far the gas mileage is proving to be a thousand times better than my old 1996 Chrysler Town and Country. That van ate through gas like termites on a toothpick. I hope this van keeps up the performance because so far its been a good buy.

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  Good vehicle for the price - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Satisfied - June 29 - 4:13 am

  I have a had my Journey for a year now and so far, no problems at all. It is a comfortable ride, reliable, reasonable gas mileage for its size, lots of storage and plenty of leg room for back seat passengers. Quiet, and has good visibility when changing lanes.

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  Intrepid - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By drrice opinion - June 29 - 2:00 am

  Sporty, Well-designed vehicle! Decent gas mileage for this sporty a look. 3.5 litre with 24 values runs great.

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  1996 Intrepid - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By Smith Family - June 29 - 2:00 am

  The original paint job was poor. We will have to re-paint the hood, top and hood of the car. Other than that, very dependable and fun to drive.