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:

• 

  2004 Dodge Gran Caravan - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By phill - October 7 - 10:00 am

  Nice driving feel, very responsive. The ease of entry into vehicle is a plus and the vehicle is very rooming for having 4 teenagers and 1 other child in the family.

• 

  most fun you can have for the money - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By redram - October 7 - 10:00 am

  Go est drive one it speaks for itself

• 

  LOVE IT!! - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Vixen - October 7 - 10:00 am

  I have owned Chevy,Ford and Jeep suvs but the Dodge Durango is by far the best! The ride is smooth and comfortable. Handles great! It feels like your gliding going up hills. Powerful engine even without getting the hemi. Takes the bumps in the road extremely well. So far the mileage is better than the Jeep I had which was only a 6 cylinder. I would highly recommend this vehicle if your looking to buy a new suv.

• 

  They could have done better - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jim - October 6 - 7:30 am

  The comfort of the vehicle leaves alot to be desired. The automatic doors sometimes dont work as they should. With a 3.8 L engine the drive could handle a little bit better. The fuel eff. is good and I like the "Stow-n- Go" seating.

• 

  A Pleasure to Drive - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ted - October 5 - 10:00 am

  This van is a pleasure to drive, especially on long trips. First, you sit up high for a good view of the road. Second, the seats are very comfortable even with manual seat adjustments. Third, it moves smoothly along at highway speeds of 75+ mph, even in the Rocky Mountains. It also is fine in the city and useful for hauling furniture, building supplies and kids.

• 

  A Pleasure to Drive - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Ted - October 5 - 10:00 am

  This van is a pleasure to drive, especially on long trips. First, you sit up high for a good view of the road. Second, the seats are very comfortable even with manual seat adjustments. Third, it moves smoothly along at highway speeds of 75+ mph, even in the Rocky Mountains. It also is fine in the city and useful for hauling furniture, building supplies and kids.

• 

  Would buy again - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Larry Zellner - October 5 - 5:00 am

  Bought van used from local dealer. Great roominess with seats stored. Handles good even on winter roads which surprised me considering it doesnt have traction control. Like exterior styling but could use a little chrome. Front brake pads squeal even after being replaced. Mileage is good for a van. Comfortable even on longer trips. Would recommend it.

• 

  Good but bad - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By loverofcars - October 4 - 4:56 pm

  This car has not been very reliable. Sometimes in the cold winter the car will not get into gear. You have to put it into neutral and the engine picks up again. The quality features of our car is that we have automatic trunk and one automatic door. The design of the car both interior and exterior are pretty well designed.Last thing is that the seats dont fold down you have to pull them out of the car.

• 

  Baby Boomer reclaims Muscle Car Memories - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By ART - October 4 - 2:23 pm

  The Charger SRT is more than I expected, especially since I never bought a Chrysler product for myself, ever! Have enjoyed Mustangs (302,Cobra Jet), Corvettes (ZR1) over the years, but this car has just about everything. Performance, looks, conveniences and amenities are excellent. Seems to turn heads at will. This one is black and beautiful. Also my wifes favorite color combinations. This is a keeper!

• 

  Well designed Durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By oilbidness - October 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Molten Red Durango Limited with the Hemi. It is extremely well made and welld esigned. Very powerful engine, fun to drive. The fuel economy around town is about 13.5 mpg; on the highway it is 19-20 mpg. I have only one complaint. the front seats are too narrow and I get a cramp in my legs on long trips. (Im 62" and only a little overweight) The seats need to be about two inches wider; there is plenty of room to do this. Other than that, the fit and finish is excellent; quality is much better than I expected. (this is my first Dodge)