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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  Man Van - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By cntlose92 - February 16 - 5:53 am

  This large step in purchasing a "Man- Van" was the result of our third child coming into this world. It replaced a 2003 Ford Taurus. I like the sporty exterior look, if you can say that about a mini-van. The interior is OK, but we did not opt for the leather seats so its what we paid for. We did get the "Stow-n-Go" seats which are great! My wife drives this primarily as I drive a Hemi Durango. For long trips I prefer the Durango for a couple reasons: It can get out of its own way on the highway, and gets better gas mileage with the MDS.

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  SRT-4 - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By SRT4Mom - February 15 - 5:10 pm

  I have fallen in love with driving my SRT-4. I am not quite the target demographic, but have had many comments made on how cool the car looks. I enjoy driving it, and love the power, and still am able to enjoy reasonable gas mileage. I have never had a problem with this car, and love the performance. It works well as a family ca,r as well as a fun car.

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  One great car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Scott L - February 14 - 7:33 pm

  I liked this car from the moment I saw it in the show room. We decided to test drive it. They only had an SXT with the middle engine. A little underpowered for me since I already owned an Intrepid R/T. We next test drove the Caliber R/T. We bought it that day. Every day I drive it I like it better. It took a little getting used to the CVT transmission but now that I understand it, I like it even more. Power is there when I need it. The interior is really nice. Different. The exterior is funky. But a nice funky. I have a red Caliber and I am literally a driving bill board for this car. Everyone wants to know more about it. Great job, Dodge

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  WAAAAAAY BETTER THAN EXPECTED!!! - 2017 Dodge Durango
  By Dev Null - February 12 - 9:38 pm

  We bought a new 2017 Durango AWD RT after having an accident in our trusty Jeep Commander HEMI. I drive a Corvette with 465hp and must say, this thing is a BLAST to drive (Keep sport mode on and "eco" mode off). For a family car, you just cant go wrong. The Commander was nice, but so much improvement in engine/transmission/electronics over the past 6 years means a MUCH smoother, faster, better sounding beast than I could have imagined. I love this truck and am truly happy with it. Highly recommended! PS, the kids love the extra room in the 3rd row over the Commander too. Great work MOPAR.

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  great cheap car - 1993 Dodge Shadow
  By gsxrter1994 - February 12 - 6:02 pm

  runs great

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  Changed mileage estimate - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Dave - February 12 - 12:06 pm

  It came down to a Caliber or Focus. I bought the Caliber because it claimed 26/30mpg and looked more comfortable. Big mistake. On a recent cross country trip I averaged 25.1 mpg. It ruined the whole trip. I spent more than budgeted for gas. As if this wasnt bad enough, when I returned home I wrote to the local dealership and DiamlerChrysler HQ to report my opinion. That was over 2 weeks ago, and as of yet I have not heard from either. I had a PT with the same engine and averaged almost 28 mpg over the time I had it. Should have kept it. It may have been the one exception to the rule, but it worked. My Caliber may be the bad apple, but it still stinks. The failure of Dodge to reply also stinks

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  I <3 caravans - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By hhuhuy - February 11 - 10:00 am

  Our van was hit within the first few months we bought it, so my family thought it was going to be cursed. But we got it fixed, and have not had any problems with it since then. It has been on trips to New Mexico and many times to Pittsburg and back to Chicago. I am really happy with my van.

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  Great Car to Own - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By kenwd - February 11 - 10:00 am

  Its our third Chrysler minivan. Looked at Toyota & Honda, but this car had much greater value for the price paid.

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  Dodge Grand Caravan - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By coleb - February 11 - 10:00 am

  I was a little nervous about taking the leap to a minivan, but no Im hooked.

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  Dodge Grand Caravan - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By marilynh1 - February 11 - 10:00 am

  It drive great, very comfortable.