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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  Best Large SUV on the market today - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By bluespruce - July 12 - 10:00 am

  After thorough research, I ended up purchasing a fully loaded Durango 4X4 Limited listing at over $41,000 and paying under $32,400 excluding taxes. The vehicle looks great, rides better than my Lexus car, accelerates well and the 335 hp Hemi engine cannot be beat. Interior styling and ride are better than any GM vehicle today including the Tahoe and Surburban. The Ford Expedition is dated and too big. GMCs Denali interior is cheap looking and the Toyota 4Runner was an additional $5,000 for only a 5 passenger vehicle. Mercedes Benz has done wonders to the ride comfort and quality of the Dodge line of trucks. My hat is off to them, a former Ford man from Dallas.....

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  A grand Grand Caravan - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By sjmiller - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Were very pleased with the features and functionality of this new Dodge van. The 3.8L engine performs very well, its powerful and gets good mileage. The interior is silent, the stereo/CD/audio quality is great, the Stow-N-Go seats and other features are well thought out and handy.

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  Transmission hard shift up and dn - 2007 Dodge Caravan
  By Robert - July 11 - 11:24 pm

  Just the facts: Vehicle bought new enjoy driving but transmission has been problem from start. Hard shifts up and down but not 100% of time. Happened so much now that Im picking up squeaks from the fact that the front end is jarring so much. I had rented another new vehicle in 07 from a car rental co. Enjoyed it much which cause me to desire one. I put over 5000 miles on the rental. I bought the current one new put over 4000 miles on a trip. It started having troubles with the transmission that was noticeable at probably 500 miles. Enjoy driving it but HATE this problem. First new Chrysler product purchased ever and last!

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  Magnum SXT - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By David Hayman - July 10 - 6:03 pm

  Love the styling inside and out. Generous room inside for passengers and cargo. Great RWD chassis, brakes and steering, fun to drive too. Some build quality issues - Choice of plastics inside a bit too cheap looking, also the way some of them fit is a little dissapointing. I have some wind noise issues with the car but overall am very pleased with it. Oh one thing, the dealer network varies from very good to absolutely frustratingly lousy.

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  We love it. - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Jim - July 10 - 1:01 pm

  This is a great mid-size car. It handles very well and I really like the way it corners. It handles better then I thought it would. I know that I gave up some mileage, but it has good power and the AWD will be for the winter weather here in Missouri. The transmission takes a little getting used to. It has a slight delay in pickup speed when you floor it, but it has a very smooth transfer up to speed. The cab forward is a little hard to get used to. Also, the way the front end slopes down makes is a little tough project where the front corners are until you driven it a while. Mostly made in USA. Foreign cars in this price range feel cheap. This car has a big car feel.

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  Love of my life - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By maxposner - July 9 - 9:59 am

  When I bought this truck, I needed a backup truck for my business, and a car to haul my children around. I was asked many times how I liked it, and always replied that I needed to put more miles on it. Well It has been over 10 years, and 193k original exhaust, 4 sets of tires, and very little maintenance. The tranny finally gave up(plugged cooler line),and I need to replace the blower motor.This truck has pulled everything, hauled everything(Ive bent the springs), driven hundreds of miles in 4wd through blizzards and drifts, it could quit and I wouldnt fault it, I dont baby anything, this one has been used and abused, it will last forever. 22 mpg, 65 MPH lightly loaded. 13 MPG, 75 mph, heavy load.

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  13 years of love. - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By Mark - July 9 - 12:31 am

  Bought this car new Dec, 95 at the age of 21, and am about to trade it in (180k miles) this month for a used minivan for the wife and 2 kids. I LOVE this car. Being an irresponsible 21 y/o, I punished this vehicle (top @135 mph, hard redlines, etc) and havent maintained it like i should recently. Therefore some things are my fault. Problems: transmission rebuilt @ ~80k miles - currently slips & leaks, oil leaks, blown radiator hose, bad right front shock (my fault), bad driver window track (wont roll up), O2 sensor, visor lights, emergency brake cord stretched & catches, stereo power glitches, blown front speaker (my fault), paint on spoiler faded. Not a lot if you considering its history.

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  Great Value for Your Buck - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Franksean - July 8 - 12:20 pm

  Ive had the car for a few months now and its been a good experience so far. Ive had friends drive it and not believe it was a 4 cylinder. Great gas mileage and turn radius. Im 6ft and 285lbs and I fit comfortably. However, the door roof is a bit low - I can easily bang my head getting into the car if Im not careful. Theres also this weird thing that happened twice. When Im doing a K Turn, if I take the car out of reverse and into drive to quickly the car shuts off. I know, its a quirky issue and I know its not a high performance car but my 1982 Gremlin never had that problem (-:

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  Im a Bit Disappointed - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Dave - July 6 - 10:20 pm

  We bought this vehicle because my wife saw one on the highway and liked the looks of it. I would have preferred the styling of the Chrysler Town and Country, but this was better bargain because it came with so many extra features, including one I didnt especially want--the 3.8 engine. I noticed a few days ago that the rear seat back have rust stains on them. We have had absolutely nothing in the rear well that could have done that. Under each stain, I can feel some sort of metal bar, which I believe may be the source of these ugly discolorations. I will check this out with my dealership the next time I go in for service.

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  Would buy all over again - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Happy Owner - July 6 - 8:47 am

  This is a great family vehicle. Reliable, comfortable, safe, and economical. The gas mileage is great and it handles well. Highly recommend the 2008 Dodge Caliber.