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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  Nice Car - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By RaiDeRz - June 19 - 10:00 am

  The car is fun and has good handling going around curves. The car also has a decent sound system.

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  awesome vehicle - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By impalassman - June 19 - 10:00 am

  this car rocks!!! Power and kick ass styling...

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  Extreme - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Charles Barnes - June 19 - 10:00 am

  This car is comfort, style, and extreme all rolled up in one. The 2.7L has more than enough power for the open road.

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  New Benchmark - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Fletcher - June 19 - 10:00 am

  My RT has only 1800 miles so far.But so far so good.I have never owned a Dodge and I am still concerned about the longterm reliabilty of this car. However, for now I am very happy with the purchase and like so many others on this site I cant get over how people are breaking their necks to look at this car.After driving the car off the lot there was a problem with a loose upper control arm bolt which the dealer promptly fixed.It also had an alignment problem which the dealership promptly fixed.Now things seem to be working as designed.I am getting about 24 MPG on the Hwy and about 19 in town which for this type of car is good.

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  buy a honda! - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By donnnnnn - June 19 - 2:00 am

  looks good - reliability is low

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  My 99 Dakota - What was I thinking??!! - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By Bman99 - June 19 - 2:00 am

  Here is the scoop: There are countless sqeaks and rattles coming from under the hood. The right front wheel has not been right from the start as I constantly hear a thump when I turn. When applying the brakes the truck shutters like an out of whack washing machine. The tires, oh the tires, they are HORRIBLE. Even on dry blacktop, when turning I slide. The interior is less than impressive and the gear selector blocks the temperature controls. The extended cab seat is only good for people with 12" legs. Do yourself a favor and stay away if you value your life.

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  Good Value - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By NMchop - June 19 - 2:00 am

  I really wanted an SUV or truck, but found I couldnt really afford one and got a great deal on the Stratus ES, V6, loaded (except sunroof). The car rides smooth as glass. I had two minor problems with it that were fixed under warranty right after purchase (A/C leak and fuel gauge sent bad readings). Both were fixed quickly. My only gripe with the car is that its cupholders are inconvenient for me, they cant hold the bigger drinks of today. I could use a bigger trunk too but for a midsize car, the trunk and cabin size are good. Its comfortable and rides excellent. The gas mileage isnt bad either for a V6.

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  SOLID PERFORMER - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By antelucio - June 19 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle used with 30,000 miles one year ago. Had to have the spark plugs changed. Put in a drop- in K&N air filter which did improve gas mileage slightly. No noticeable performance increase. Overall very pleased with the car. Fairly comfortable on long trips. Put Dunlop SP Sport A2 tires on it 6 months ago which significantly reduced road noise and improved handling slightly.

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  Too many problems - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By dodr33 - June 18 - 11:16 am

  We liked this van alot to start but after the many problems we have had I think we should have held off. sliding doors kept re-opening on thier own- scraping in sliding door windows- remote key fob had to be replaced/reprogrammed- rubber body stips on roof falling off- 3 trips to dealer to fix trans leak- AC broken, defective high pressure line- radio would not upload music, had to be replaced- brakes squeeling at 12000 miles- tire pressure monitoring warnings on cold mornings- traction control warnings on cold mornings- difficult to operate radio/dvd system

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  Biggest Piece of Crap Ever - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By Stay Away from Neons - June 18 - 2:00 am

  DO NOT buy this car. I bought this car with 60,000 miles on it. At 65k I had to replace the head gasket, then again at 73k, and again at 84k, and once more at 98k. A/C went and the whole thing needed to be replaced $1,500. Transmission problems at 100k, but it did have 100k.