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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  Jury Still Out - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Dodgefan - March 27 - 6:26 pm

  Owned new and used Dodges all my life. Have bought them from a close friend who owns the dealership. My wifes 07 Caliber SXT has many +s but the -s are catching up as the miles add up, 3000 to date. Dash pops and pieces dont match up. My 2000 4x4 83000 mile Ram has less rattles and pops. Waiting on the dealership to correct this factory mistake. Rear brakes squeak and groan like a logging truck. Waitng on dealership to correct. Sunroof leaks hadnt sprung this on the dealership yet, dont want to overwhelm them. Wife loves the car. Thats what matters, and in time Ill sure that I can learn to love it also.

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  Van needed major work - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Major work needed - March 27 - 4:46 pm

  I currently have 87000 mi, so far I have had to replace my transmission and blew the head gasket. Over $4000 in repairs and I have only owned it for 3 years. Although there are not any major repairs on the horizon (knock on wood) the van is simply falling apart with all the rattles in and out of the vehicle. It has been wonderful to have such a pratical vehicle, however I hate to drive this car any farther than 1 hour,uncomfortable on long trips. This was my second Dodge and the second Dodge that needed a transmission. Any loose bags of stuff roll around in the back, other makes have a well for the seat and that prevents the rolling of stuff. Look at the Toyotas or Hondas.

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  Great Car. Not so great price. - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Justin - March 27 - 2:06 pm

  The car is by far the best car I have driven in the 20K range. The only thing is that you can not find it for that price (at least around here). Everywhere I look dealers are selling it for 27k +!! I love the car and would buy it right now if I could find one for 21k. I dont know if it is worth 27k.

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  Long Term Friend - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By AGF - March 27 - 2:00 am

  My wife was the driving force in buying the Durango, although as an old MOPAR fan, I didnt need much persuasion. The experience over the last 84,000+ miles has been pleasureable. Reliability, availability and maintainability has been exceptional. After 75,000 miles had a ball joint and wheel bearing go bad, both covered under extended warranty. Brake wear has been phenominal. Original rear brakes and second set of front pads will last until 100K. Gas mileage could be better, but going to all synthetic fluids (engine, differentials, tranny) brought the average mpg up by 3. Durable. Interior is flexible and durable. Great truck with great support.

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  hemis are great - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By wunnabfun - March 26 - 10:00 am

  we bought a slt hemi 5.7 liter durango and we love it!my hats off to dodge.its roomy,comfortable,and the kids love the dvd.

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  A Lemon! Avoid this Car!!! - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By Brian C - March 26 - 2:00 am

  This car is a lemon. Avoid it at all costs. At 40k the transmission leaked. 50k miles, head gasket failed. 54k the engine leaked oil again. 57k the valve cover gasket leaked. This car is poorly assembled.

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  OK Neon - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By Johnny lLarue - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Solid overall performance. Dont like the frameless window

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  1998 Chrysler Intrepid: Fun to Drive - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By Jalal Uddin - March 26 - 2:00 am

  I have found this vehicle to be the best car to drive. It has good pick-up and who can deny that its really fun to drive. I love my car.

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  93 Dodge Intrepid - 1993 Dodge Intrepid
  By ahfahvoot - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Piece of crap - repeated repairs for same problem, expensive to fix.

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  2001 Dodge Intrepid SE - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Kaz - March 26 - 2:00 am

  I love my Intrepid. The most important thing that attracted me to the Intrepid was the fact that it stood out from the crowd and did not look like every other car on the road. It is a great full-size sports car for the money and lots of fun to drive.