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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  The only car Ill buy now! - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By alimay23 - March 19 - 10:05 am

  Absolutely love it! I bought it three years ago and now it has over 200,000 miles on it. Still runs like it was brand new. I havent had any problems with the engine. Everything is original. It sat for over a year due to having no license and the only thing that had to be replaced was the battery. I have heard that if you dont look for a specialist of this type of car you are dooming yourself. I live in the very bad wintering midwest. It runs awesome in the snow. I have driven on ice covered and completely snow covered rodes. Of all the many cars Ive had this is my favorite!!!!!

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  Great Ride - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By moparmoma - March 17 - 11:30 pm

  We Bought the Caravan without the stow and go seats for the comfort of the second row captian chairs. Took family to motortrend car show and made them sit in seats for half an hour. Teenagers appreciated the comfort of captain chairs and the entertainment (DVD) system. This is a life saver on long road trips. Have 100,000 on the van with ALOT of road trips. No problems whatsoever. Replaced Battery once, brakes every 40,000 miles, and the ERG once at 85,000. OEM tires lasted 65,000 miles, replaced with Michelins. Good value and no problems--would buy buy again if they didnt switch to stow and go seats.

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  2010 Dodge Charger Rallye Rocks! - 2010 Dodge Charger
  By dpr8810 - March 15 - 8:32 pm

  Ive only had the car a few days, but I already love it. I traded in a 2005 Dodge Neon, so this is a serious upgrade. This car has plenty of power. Highway passing is accomplished with ease. I love the size of this vehicle as well. Its huge, which is great for me as I have 2 kids. I can easily get my daughter into her car seat, and theres still room for 2 adults in the back seat. Trunk space is great too. This is really a great family sedan. And this is a good looking vehicle as well. I got the optional 20 inch chrome wheels and it really makes this car standout. One thing you might have to get used to is people coming up to you and asking you about the car. It is a head turner.

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  Who woulda thunk it? - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By bigskeptic - March 12 - 8:16 pm

  I have a good friend who sells Dodge and Jeep vehicles, and I have wanted to buy a car from him for years. Unfortunately, I have not been enamored with the vehicles in the Dodge/Jeep stable for a long time. But after reading a review of the 2011 Dodge Journey, I decided to take a courtesy test drive before buying an Equinox, RAV 4 or Versa. Wow...an Everymans Lexus. I bought one and am thrilled with everything but the mediocre gas mileage (an unfortunate trait of the entire segment). My Journey is simply a great car. Period.

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  Love the heat! - 2011 Dodge Nitro
  By gypzboyz - March 12 - 7:16 pm

  I have had my Dodge Nitro Heat for three months and I could not be more happy I love that it looks like a Hummer and people look to see what it is love the ride very sporty for a 4000lb suv the 20" rims set it apart and the price could not be beat from any other suv I looked at all before I got the Heat.

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  2011 Charger RT (AWD) rocks! - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By kmingis - March 11 - 9:07 am

  Ive had the 2011 Charger RT AWD (Max bundle, meaning fully loaded) for just under two weeks and am blown away by it. Ive put just over 1,000 miles on it so far, and the Charger has surpassed every expectation I had for it. (And I set a pretty high bar.) The styling is totally standout and wows every single person who has seen the car -- even those who arent into muscle cars and/or care about gas mileage. The interior design is outstanding, the fit and finish are of Audi levels -- Ive had several Audis including most recently a 2005 Audi Allroad 4.2 -- and the Hemi, is a blast. The handling is solid and flat on curves and turns, and the pick-up, of course, is phenomenal.

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  dont get rear ended in this car!!!!!!!! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By sfoglio - March 11 - 8:29 am

  my father was in an accident in this car. he was on the highway in kentucky and some lady on her cell phone smacked into the dead center of the back end at 70 mph. needless to say the car was totaled, however this car burst into flames immediately! reason... not the speed or force... but the fact that dodge decided to put a battery right on top of the fuel tank!!seriously?? the highway patrol said the only reason he is still alive is because he had a FULL tank of gas. sound strange? yes. but the fact is there was no oxygen in the tank to ignite an instant explosion. if there had been 1/2 or even 3/4 a tank he would have been killed instantly... hey dodge,,, think its time for a recall?????

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  Incredibly Surprising - 2010 Dodge Caliber
  By bsavoie93 - March 10 - 11:33 pm

  My parents got this as their loaner car while they were having their PT Cruiser worked on. They werent going to drive it so I did. I was incredibly surprised with this car. It rides very smooth even on the freeway. It picks up speed quick, but when you floor it nothing happens. I took to 110 MPH no problem and it didnt feel like it was gonna fall apart. It handles and drives well. When you go around a corner quickly there is barely any body roll. I thought something was wrong with the transmission but then I realized it had a CVT. The base stereo sounds amazing and the standard features are unbelievable. The interior needs some work. There is cheap battleship grey plastic everywhere!

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  Love it! - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By dba22 - March 9 - 6:40 pm

  I just bought a leftover 2010 Avenger on 2/22/11. I looked at all the cars in the class, Malibu, Altima, Fusion, Camry, Accord - but I kept coming back to the Avenger. This car was by far the best value! All the "professional" reviews seem to hate on the Avenger, but I dont know why. This car has it all: looks, features, great mileage, plenty of room. I could not be happier with my decision. I got a new car with great warranty for the price of used. Everyone that has seen and ridden in the Avenger cant believe what a great little car this is. Definately worth a look if your in the market for a midsize car.

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  New Pentastar V6 Shines Bright! - 2011 Dodge Challenger
  By gepfund - March 6 - 9:44 pm

  The New 2011 Challenger Rallye is now the car to buy. I held off buying one until now because the old V6 engine was a slug. This new Pentastar V6 engine with over 300 HP and over 260 lb-feet of torqe is the smoothest thing since satin coats, which by the way would look great on anybody driving a 70s flashback car like the Challenger. lets also talk power! This engine will throw you back in your seats all the while growling like a angry puppy. This engine is loving this car. Hemis are great but lets talk insurance premiums and 5 dollar gas plus city traffic. The Challenger Rallye is the complete muscle car of the future because it lives the part and gets 29 mpg on highway.