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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  Everything a V8 SUV should be... - 2007 Dodge Durango
  By Denny - July 26 - 2:15 pm

  Let me start off with the obvious: Fuel Economy. I gave it a 9. Not because it is superb in fuel consumption compared to the average car on the road, but because it handedly beats everything in its class. The MDS which turns off 4 of the 8 cyclingder while cruising along really does save alot of $$. The 5.7L V8 is powerful 345 hp and efficient 24 MPG highway 14 City and 18 mixed driving. Thats darn good for this sort of vehicle in my opinion. It seats 7 comfortably and the long wheelbase is very comfortable at highway and around town speeds. Service costs are avg.

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  My favorite car ever! - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By eagle20000899 - July 25 - 9:54 am

  Hello. I bought this car to be my "family" car and I have been very happy with it. I have already been on some long trips and a lot of city driving and it just does everything for me. I have only had a few problems, but I plan on keeping it for a long time.

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  Love it hot - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By 2007 RT nitro - July 25 - 8:43 am

  Its six weeks old love every thing about this SUV. Take time to research the vehicle first after that i choose the RT model. It has power to spare the handling is great for suv the 20 inch wheels are gorgeous. The gas mileage is according to foot pressure,easy and average 21.5 little harder about 19.I have owned three chevys prior to the nitro it is equal all areas, this vehicle is not for every one.Suv,s are not sports cars or luxury cars. But this SUV has passed my requirements

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  This is not your family wagon - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By pfeiffer - July 24 - 11:41 am

  I purchased the Magnum with 1500 miles on the odo. It is loaded. Tarted the boring dash up a bit and put a K7N air intake on it. I have thoroughly enjoyed the car. It drives great accelerates like mad and sounds like and old school muscle car. Only two issues sent it to the shop: rear hatch struts failed and the sat/nav joystick went dead. Minor issues that were replaced under warranty. My dealer, New Century Dodge in Paola, KS, is the best. Only two complaints: The stock tires (Continentals) were terrible. lated 10,00 miles. Class Action suit pending. Sice Crysler tanked, my resale value took a dive. Im glad I dont want to sell it. Too bad they pulled the plug on this car. Its Classic.

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  Great car for the firs 150k - 1991 Dodge Stealth
  By Rick - July 24 - 2:11 am

  Great car and super fun to drive. Perfect dimensions for a sports car - short and wide. Received looks everywhere! Sold it after eight years and it was losing compression and getting harder to smog in California without extensive engine work. Also had to replace first gear under warranty. Mitsubishi sold as a Dodge so it was fairly reliable. Wish Dodge would make another Stealth with new technology!

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  Excellent for a young family! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Yellow Cube - July 23 - 5:33 am

  I bought this crossover to replace my good ol Plymouth Neon. I was looking for a Patriot, loved it in the test drive but waited a few weeks... and bam! The Journey went out! I just couldnt thank myself for waiting. For about $5,000 (Canadian) less, I could have about everything a Patriot Limited Edition could offer me (except for the leather finish, which I didnt want anyway). I was happy for being able to buy my familly a new vehicule, but with the Journey, I managed to get options I would never think of at this price with the SE Plus and the Family Pack options. I am very pleased with it and even made a lot of noise when going to friends a family with this beautiful beast.

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  Feel Like a Celebrity - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By johndm - July 22 - 11:34 am

  This is a great car, probably the best I have ever owned. The car is quiet, runs smooth, gets a lot better gas mileage than I anticipated, and has power to spare. The most fun is that I feel like a celebrity. I have had this black Challenger R/T for about 4 months. I have met more people who just want to talk about the car. I constantly get the thumbs up. The Japanese cant design and make a car like a Challenger with this styling, power and performance, and at a great price. This is American automotive know-how at its best.

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  Just what our family needs.... - 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By mikesr11 - July 20 - 3:32 pm

  We have owned a windstar, and odyssey in the past, this 2012 grand caravan has them beat. This van has everything we need without breaking the bank. The SXT package is well equipped for our daily needs. The van drives more SUV like, and seems a bit wider than our 04 odyssey. The stow away seats are amazing, and are easily labeled: 1,2,3,4 so anyone who is not familiar with the van can follow the steps to put them into the floor. The stereo has excellent sound quality and is voice activated. The black seats look really nice and modern, and I prefer not having the 8 seats, and keeping the traditional captains chairs in the middle- Its much easier for the kids to get around this way.

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  Excellent Car/Great Value - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Jim Pennington - July 19 - 4:10 am

  We purchased this car for our 17 year old son and have nothing but great things to say about it. Originally, we set out to purchase a used 2004/2005 Nissan/Honda/Toyota with less than 30,000 miles. The price range on these cars was $15,000 to $17,000. We then checked on the all-new 2007 Caliber and found we could get the SXT version for $17,800. That was three months ago and the car now has 5,000 miles on it. There have been no problems whatsoever; the car averages about 30 miles per gallon; theres loads of interior space; more than adequate power; and excellent bulid quality and design. My wife and I wish we wouldve bought one for ourselves!

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  I have 2.0L SXT - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By xjerseygirlx - July 18 - 2:19 pm

  Im also not sure why Edmunds hates this car! I have a SXT 2.0L CVT trans - red with black & red sport seats & red around the stereo. I LOVE MY CAR!! In my opinion, & also that of those whove been in my car, the interior DOES NOT look cheap. I took this car on a small road trip to go camping the day after I took it home & it was perfect for that. The seats were comfortable on the drive, it fit everything in it that we needed, we didnt even notice any road noise with the awesome stereo on (oh & to those of you complaining about not being able to see title & names on the radio/Sirius all you have to do is press the "info" button & it shows that stuff)...all in all this is a great car