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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  Less than Pacifica, but best of the vans - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By C. Paske - April 6 - 2:00 am

  This car is smoother than 04 Sienna & MUCH quieter than the Honda Oddity. (But not as quality as the Navigator, Pacifica, or Lexus.) Very versatile,and therefore quite addictive. Highway manners are stable& predictable. Styling is nice; fit & finish - excellent. The feel is quality; but the look is boring. A dependable work van; able to trudge through snow & muddy construction sites with ease.

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  One of the best Ive ever owned - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By hwp34 - April 6 - 2:00 am

  This truck is outstanding! I got over 60K miles on my brakes before they needed servicing (machine, pads, etc., not rotors!). I have not had to put a nickel into this car outside of fluid changes, one tuneup, and 4 tires. Awesome. Ok, it guzzles gas but which SUV does not. Its fun to drive and can tow really well. I wish Chrysler were still american so I could continue to purchase their vehicles.

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  staratus-most underrated car - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By grammabef - April 6 - 2:00 am

  Stratus has been underrated for years now. It drives great, is roomy, gets good gas mileage and looks like a sports car for a portion of the cost.

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  dodge stratus - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By natcheew - April 6 - 2:00 am

  i bought this car new (68 miles)it drives and handles good.some vibration in steering wheel,car has 11000 miles on it.uses some oil 1/2 quart in 1500 ml.gas milage 22 1/2 mpg,gets about 26 on interstate,cruise works good as all power equipment.the seat gets "Hard"after about 100 miles,on a scale of 0-10 i rate the car at 7.5

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  All that I expected - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By truck fan - April 5 - 2:00 am

  The truck is all that I expected. Great performance out of the 4.7L V8 engine. Solid feel and build. More comfortable than many sedans that I have ridden in. More than enough interior room. Mixed driving mileage around 17 mpg, therefore increased gas cost. But all in all, I love this truck and couldnt ask for more, considering its a mid-size truck with a big engine. I had a tacoma double cab just prior to the dakota and the only thing I miss is that Toyota quality feel. Other than that, Im happy that I ended up with the Dakota.

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  Thumps Up for the Intrepid - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Joe Hudon - April 4 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Intrepid (my first new car purchase). I was drawn to the Intrepid mainly because of the price and the size. I found that the price was very affordable compared to equivalently-packaged Camrys and Accords. (However, the low resale value is going to come back to haunt me.) Being that Im 64" tall, the Intrepid provides me plenty of room without cramping the rear passenger. Overall, my Intrepid has treated me very well. It performs very well on the highway, its very comfortable to drive in, and the repairs have been insignificant.

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  Get the most - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By Christina - April 4 - 10:00 am

  I love being able to get the engine to respond when I need to move quickly or just show off what an R/T is all about, but youve gotta get the manual, that auto-stick thing is a joke. I was considering an Eclipse as well, but once I realized all my friend actually HAVE legs, I thought itd be nicer to get the extra 4" in the back. Plus, being a young adult, I researched car insurance and found that the rates are much higher for the Eclipse.

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  Fun Car - 1994 Dodge Stealth
  By Eric83 - April 4 - 2:00 am

  Very reliable and fun to drive, gets a alot of looks.

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  I Like my Intrepid - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By Daniel L. - April 4 - 2:00 am

  Overall nice car. Looks good. Gets off the line quick. Roomy interior.

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  My Neon - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By Tina - April 4 - 2:00 am

  Never had any problems or complaints with this car! Dealer and manufacturer service has been excellent! Had lots of compliments on my car - would recommend owning a car like mine to anyone!