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:

• 

  Typical American made car - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By test the dodge - January 11 - 2:00 am

  The data: 2000 SE, 75K miles, V6 3.3 engine. Having two kids and a lot of family visiting from Europe, we really appreciated the space and comfort. Quality, well it is an American made car - period. I allways would buy an extended warranty with the car. It helped us to deal with a broken bord computer, windor power switch and alike. The brakes are really poor for the size of the car. Disk brakes should be standard on front AND rear - it is a family car. Mileage on the highway is acceptable but in the city .... Overall its a good vehicle for long rides with big family. But drive carefull - the brakes...

• 

  Solid and useful - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Redvan - January 10 - 8:53 pm

  Just drove it for one year. Drove it in high heat. Good A/C. It can haul a lot of material with ease. It is a heavy duty vehicle. I always see the Toyota Sienna riding very low in back with a few back seat passengers. I do not think Honda people ever do work with their vans. I just do not see the point of a van if you cant haul stuff. The gas mileage is fair. 19/20 all around 23 on the freeway with A/C and going 70 plus. Good car so far

• 

  Caliber R/T ... A Bold Crossover - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By 44caliber - January 10 - 8:13 pm

  Ive had nothing but imports my whole life. Ive loved the design and reliability that Japan could offer me. When looking for a new car, I had a list of features that I needed. 4WD or AWD, a peppy engine, good handling, good styling, and around 20 Grand. I tested a lot and after testing the Caliber R/T I was convinced. It has alot of value in these catagories. The ride and acceleration are ultra smooth. The autostick and CVT feel generous and ready when accelerating, but jerky when breaking and downshifting. The handling is crisp for the size of the vehicle. But sharp cornering shows its high center of gravity. The end wants to wiggle loose. But the AWD system corrects minor over steer.

• 

  Loved it and miss it alot! - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By bmccune - January 7 - 8:56 am

  This was my first car and I paid $200 for it in 2009. During the time I owned this vehicle the only things that I had to replace were the fuel pump and the water pump. It had just about 200k miles on it and I trusted it to take me anywhere. It never died on me and always started right up. Went to trade it in at a dealership and the guy told me he wouldnt do it because the tranny was gonna go out of it because they are known for it. He got mad when I laughed in his face. The tranny had never been replaced and never gave me any issues at all. Would love to own another one. I had a 1999 Plymouth grand voyager and that thing was very solid aswell. Took a bad beating from the previous owner.

• 

  I love my Durango - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Sondra - January 7 - 8:03 am

  This is my 2nd Durango. For some reason, this one far outperforms my previous one. It is comfortable, reliable, quiet, fast. Even the mpg is not too bad - 16-18 city. There is not one thing I dislike about this vehicle except that I did not order steering wheel radio controls. Best vehicle I have owned.

• 

  OK, but nothing great - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By mike - January 6 - 12:23 pm

  The engine in this vehicle makes a lot of noise which is one of the worst parts of driving it. When the heat is on there is also a whistling noise. Not even sure why, might be a problem.

• 

  I wish I could recommend it... but I cant - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By mrpyromaniac - January 6 - 4:52 am

  Bought the 3.8L SXT version, only have 33k on it. Having the transmission rebuilt right now. My wife drives this van around our small town, and we take weekend trips. Its well taken care of. Weve had to have ALL the brakes replaced three times now, the tires are pretty much shot because of the brake problems, and there is a bad motor mount, and now the transmission. The engine is great, and the features and interior are phenomenal, but with the brake problems and now the transmission, clearly the build quality leaves much to be desired. Thats why a Toyota is 20k more...

• 

  You test drive it, you buying it! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By J.J - January 6 - 4:50 am

  Well, its this simple..if you test drive, YOU BUY.....I knew I was buying the vehicle the moment I test drove it.....The HEMI v8 RT definitely got some power to it. Its only a matter of time before I get a ticket because this car gets up and before you know it, youre doing 55 in a 35 zone. The Mustang is a cool car but it doesnt have the room inside the Charger has. When I got inside the car, I had no ideal it had that much room both for the driver and the passenger Its very comfortable. It also turns corners well and on a dime. When I buy a car, I want the best for my money. So I look for exterior as well as interior. The RT has BOTH!!

• 

  NEON SXT Sun and Fun 5spd - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By willchadfuller - January 5 - 2:00 am

  The suspention is inbetween sporty and smooth. The engine has good power with the 5spd manual and it shifts fairly smooth. I get approx. 30.5 mpg. Interior room is good and the seats are much more comfortable than import models. The cloth the seats are made of is kind of cheap. Most cars i test drove in this price range had the same type of seat cloth or even worse of a material. This car is very fun to drive. The only negative things i have to say after owning the car for 1 month is there is a slight rattle coming from the rear deck when I play the stereo loud, the transmission is kind of loud and the road noise is kind of irritating.

• 

  Very Happy SRT-4 Owner. - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Kojak - January 5 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has a great powertrain, very comfortable interior and a very sporty look. The sound system is very impressive for a stock system. You can feel the bass. The rear wing hardly takes any of the view, contrary to other reports. Buckets are supportive. Polished dress up kit looks sharp. I would recommend anyone interested in this car to take a test drive. You will fall in love. I know i did.