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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  SAFE great car for me. - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Rhe - February 7 - 8:12 pm

  As a mother with a young child this car was perfect. I recently totalled mine. I should have been a lot worse of than I was. The car is a total loss insurance wise, but it didnt take near the beating it should have hitting a guardrail end head on due to snow/ice. I adored this vehicle. I bought it pre-owned. It had been kept up mechanically and when I got it the two majorly known problems were the arms and the undercarriage frame and they were in better than should be condition. I replaced the arms right away to ensure safety but the frame was able to wait a few more years. It was a very comfortable ride as a front passenger or driver, a child would find the backseat alright but an adult not so much. Cargo space was excellent for small hauling of furniture and a great grocery run. I only had to make two repairs on it. The arms and alternator ( my fault hit a spot of road were water covered it doing 60mph cause i couldnt see it at night) but it lasted 2 months before dying on me completely. I mainly used this car for to and from work, but also a few short trips. It was a smooth drive. Im really going to miss it. I highly recommend it for small families.

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  Dodge Minis SUV - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By JB in Pittsburgh - February 7 - 2:10 pm

  I have had the car for about a month. Great radio/CD system but do not understand why there is no aux. imput. Car pull slightly to the left so I am having dealer look at alignment. AWD drive cars go out of alignment easily and chew up tires. Fuel economy is 22- 24 mpg in commuting,slightly better on highway, but no AWD car will match a two wheel drive car in mpg. The CVT seems to do better at mpg in city driving. Pick-up could be better. I would recommend that Dodge consider the Turbo-Diesel used in Europe ( 220 foot pounds of torque ) or a 30 hp upgrade to the 2.4 using a milder version of the SRT turbo. Have not driven in snow yet.

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  Not loving this car anymore! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Mindy - February 7 - 1:53 pm

  I loved it when I saw it-even though the inside is mostly plastic. It has been almost 2 months since I purchased it and my service engine light has been on for 3 days. My ESP (stabilizer) keeps coming on and I am getting a message to change the oil already, I only have 2650 miles on the car.I knew it was a risk buying a brand new model but my husband insisted we buy this because the gas mileage was supposed to be decent-I really wanted a Jeep before we saw the Journey.It is a nice looking vehicle and when it runs properly its great but I am concerned that there will be more trips to the dealer than we expected.

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  My Thoughts - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Gene E. Waktz - February 7 - 10:00 am

  I currently have a 2004 model. This is my second Dodge Caravan. The first was a 1999 which performed very well. When I traded it in on the current one it had 69000 miles. The only problem I had with it was the emergency brake unit which had to be replaced at around 20000 miles, it was covered by the warrenty. The main reason I traded was the great financial deals they were offering at the time. I did upgrade to a larger V6 engine. There is a big difference in performance. I also added the power sliding doors, great.

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  Awesome Mini Van! - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By elboricua - February 7 - 10:00 am

  You have to love the power liftgate, the smooth drive, and the stow and go. We drove other mini vans, and there is no comparison to the interior room and comfort of the Caravan. And the upgraded engine is responsive, yet quit. Definitely worth it.

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  VROOM VROOM - 1990 Dodge Spirit
  By 2.5 liter??? - February 5 - 9:50 pm

  I bought this car about 2 months ago. It has rus on the hood and trunk and under the bottoms of the doors. The tachometer likes to stick and the speedometer is off. With 179,000 miles I dont like to take it over 75 mph because it makes strange noises when I go fast. It has strong acceleration for a 4 cylinder automatic though. Overall I like it for my first car.

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  Dont make the same mistake! - 1991 Dodge Caravan
  By johnnymac - February 4 - 5:51 pm

  Stay away from these vehicles. 2 known issues - after around 80,000 miles a problem with the valve guides develops requiring the engine to be rebuilt. Next time youre at a stop light near a Chrysler vehicle, watch for a puff of smoke as the vehicle takes off. The paint will come off in sheets on some vehicles due to the use of an inferior primer called Uniprime that breaks down from UV rays. If you pay attention, youll see a lot of Chrysler white vans with paint peeling in spots.

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  Van or sports car? - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jeff Ross/ - February 3 - 2:00 am

  I sometimes forget I am driving a van as the speedometer reads over 100MPH on the ineterstate or when I corner with sports car handling thanks to those sixteen inch tires. Overall I love the van. I hate the minor break downs. Of course with 115,000 miles I should expect them. The 3.8 liter is a remarkable engine. It performs well even with a seven passengers.

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  LOOK OUT!!!! - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By i hate this car - February 3 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is a disaster on wheels! Ive had the transmission re-done twice, the air-conditioning unit re- charged countless times (I gave up trying to fix it), of course the phantom wiper issue, the rear power windows broke, speakers blown, and this vehicle was not abused. Consider anything else before looking at a Dodge. I also had a 1999 Chrysler Sebring which was also a mechanical nightmare. Steer clear of Daimler- Chrysler products!

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  think twice before buying Dodge Caravan - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Chris & Shannon - February 3 - 2:00 am

  for the most part the van is nice but it was our second new dodge caravan and we had problems with both, the main reason that we purchased the caravan was because of price. With both carvans 1999 & 2000 AWD Sports we had trouble with the transmittion and electrial problems,Once the caravan hit 20,000 miles it started going down hill fast! we are now looking to buy another van but this time we will buy a used honda odssey 1999 or 2000. I would never advise anyone to buy a Dodge Carvan, lease hmmmmmm, well maybe! Good luck hope my experience will help you make a better choice.........