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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  A quick, sturdy, wonderful car - 2015 Dodge Dart
  By Phil Perkins - May 23 - 4:07 pm

  I recently purchased my 2015 Dodge Dart GT as a replacement for my old commuter, a 2006 Mazda6. So far, I have not regretted it in the slightest; it is an upgrade in almost every way. As a 67", 250lb man coming from a mid-size sedan, the switch to a compact had me worried. I am the kind of person to do as much research as possible before a purchase like this, but for my particular circumstances there is really no alternative to actually going to the dealership and test driving the car. I am pleased to report that this is the first sedan I have ever been able to sit completely upright in, without hitting my head on anything. My particular vehicle was purchased in 2016, but as a 2015 model I had to take what I could get since I was shopping for a manual, and this car just happened to have a sunroof. That only adds to my headroom, and the cut-out from the room (even with the sunroof closed) adds an extra inch or two for those even-extra extra headroom needing people. As far as legroom, I positioned my chair in a comfortable driving position, then moved to the backseat, and was able to fit behind myself! In a Compact Sedan! If you are a large person, you will understand how impressive this is. Headroom is a bit tight in the rear seats, but the legroom truely impressed me. My personal needs aside, this is a fantastic car. The 2.4 engine in the GT and SXT is extremely competetive for this size car, and with many other larger cars as well. It is a somewhat heavy compact, but the GT holds its weight well. It corners -very- flat, and can pull out of corners with almost no back end feedback. If youre in for a more leasurely roll down the country roads, the GT suspension may be a little more stiff than people are used to, but it is hardly the toughest Ive driven. The clutch is smooth and responsive, and if you can aptly shift inside the power band, it will have no trouble finding and keeping revs with you. In my opinion, the interior is the best in the class. For under 20k, You have leather everywhere. Seats, Steering wheel, Console, everything is well built and has no wiggle or give. The doors close solidly and you feel extremely safe inside the cabin. Visibility is high, even from my vantage point at the ceiling, and backing up is a smooth breeze (even without the backup camera). I feel that interiors are an extremely personal opinion kind of thing, but that is mine. After a lot of research with engines, and considering I was restricting myself to a manual transmission, I test drove a Mazda3, Chevy Cruze, and this Dodge Dart. There was little feeling of competition. I have been through many brands of cars in my (relatively short) life. This car is so good that I feel like I may turn into a Dodge man.

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  Burned Again - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By Mr. Mini Van - May 23 - 2:00 am

  I was one of the people who got burned by the bad transmissions on the mini vans a few years back. Hearing that the problem was fixed I went back to Dodge and after 4 years (just after warranty lapsed) I now need a valve job. Fool me once "Shame on you". Fool me twice "Shame on me". Fool me three times .... NOT A CHANCE!

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  intrepid owns the roads - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By hotdudefromMI - May 23 - 2:00 am

  excellent car inside and out. the only probloms i had was the check engine light came on all the time for pointless reasons!!!! love the stock stereo system and the 3.5l v6 paired with the 16 in. tires.

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  Engineering and Quality control joke - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Waste of Money - May 22 - 5:43 pm

  My wife felt she needed a van to haul the kids in, she now can not wait to get rid of the thing. It has to have tires replaced too often, brakes are poor design and undersized, causing often replacement. Both power slide doors had to have motors replaced under warranty, passenger side motor has failed again and I am not paying to replace. The transmission shifts vary hard. Front suspension joints had to be replaced at 45,000 miles. ABS control module fried at 47,000 miles. The heat is always on unless you turn the fans off, good thing it is winter now. Fuel economy is less than impressive, and if anyone is wondering, neither one of us drive fast or push the vehicle hard.

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  SUV/Sedan replacement. - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Gueri - May 22 - 12:46 pm

  For those who dont like SUVs and SUV prices, and need the extra room not found in sedans, this the the perfect pick. Add to that, plenty of power and distinctive styling and you are set to go. Manufacturers rebates are also welcomed. Oh, did I forget to mention the Hemi, and upcoming Magnum SRT8. The car is heavy and youll feel it. the seats are comfortable all around, MP3 6 cd sound system w/satellite option is a nice feature. Visibility stinks but thats the price you pay for the styling. Overall, I might just replace it with the Hemi once the lease is up. This is my 3rd Dodge and Im satisfied. My advice. Test drive one. Youll either love it or hate it.

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  More Than Just A Blast - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By rohler04 - May 22 - 9:33 am

  Dodge has done it again. After being a new model buyer of a 2004 GMC Envoy XUV, I had no hesitation to try another protocol vehicle. This was a gift for my wife and I had to find a ride comparable to the Envoy but in a smaller package for gas milage improvement. Our Sunburst Orange Nitro has fullfilled and exceeded our wildest dreams. Not only is it a blast to drive, but having all the options available , we are extremely impressed. Not a single flaw in performance nor in the assembly of this vehicle. We highly recommend this to anyone looking for downsizing their guzzling suv and not sacrifice the drive and ride. The color scheme accented with chrome creates a lot of looks as well.

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  DODGE STEALTH ES - 1991 Dodge Stealth
  By Jason Wampler - May 22 - 2:00 am

  WOW

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  awesome car - 2002 Dodge Viper
  By seth parr - May 22 - 2:00 am

  this is one of the best cars that you could ever want to by you will be amazed by the ability of this car wow

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  Big&Beautiful - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By chris huffman - May 22 - 2:00 am

  since I ve bought it in December 2001, I have enjoyed every mile in it. Ive only had to replace the water pump on it, but I am still waiting for other problems to occur. It rides very well for a 4 wheel drive. The drivers seat is really comfortable especially if you have back trouble. It is very spacious and is awesome and practical for kids and even to haul friends around. The option to put up or down the third seat is great. The cargo area could use more head room for bikes and such and is not really meant to move big furniture as we have found out. Rear air could blow out harder than what it does and could have more versital air vents.

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  Fun little car! - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Osoler - May 22 - 2:00 am

  This is a car for people that are on a bugget!Its all around a performer.