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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  Want to drive this one off a cliff!! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By dj - May 3 - 10:16 pm

  I bought the car brand new. I regret this purchase everyday. Since its purchase I have had nothing but problem. Its needed new struts, tie- rod ends, has electrical issues, tires are shot after 20,000 miles, and at 30,000 the starter and relay is bad! This is just a bad car!!! If it would do me any good....Id park it right in front of the bank!! No need for the repo man....Im giving this one a special delivery!! Big ticket item with BIG PROBLEMS! Dodge went wrong on this one!

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  A fantastic vehicle - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Magnum_Olie - May 2 - 10:16 am

  What a great vehicle. The gas mileage is better than an SUV, and the SXT version is very comfortable with the leather heated seats. Very fun to drive also. No complaints, I got mine for $19k brand new.

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  Great van for Moms Taxi - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By jenn - April 30 - 8:20 pm

  I love my Caravan, loads of room for the kids and all their junk. Trunk is good for groceries. Seats easy to manuver, except for removal, that is a pain. They are heavy and awkward. Had brake trouble at 40k miles. $600 worth of trouble, but it was a rental prior to my owning it, so I wasnt too surprised. Overall good, reliable vehicle. Easy to drive. Would definitely by another.

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  Its a Cool Little Car - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Cheekymonkey478 - April 30 - 4:50 pm

  I had to replace my 1999 Ford ZX-2 due to electrical problems, so I did not have time to do a lot of car shopping. At first, I was not very enthusiastic about the Neon until I drove it. I love the body style, its not the Neon I remember from the mid-90s. Its a great looking little car. I was pleasantly suprised with its smooth ride and peppy 4 cylinder. I am a tall girl (510)and feel very comfortable behind the wheel. The interior is suprisingly roomy and the seats are very comfortable. Overall, the car is fun to drive and very stylish(it has a really cool front end and check out the spoiler). It is a great value for the money and its sporty good looks makes it a very cool little car.

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  Grand Caravan conversion - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Barbara Johnson - April 29 - 5:43 pm

  My husband had a stroke and we needed to find a van that could be converted for handicapped use. We were so lucky to find Rollx Vans in Minnesota and they deal only in Chrysler products. We are very pleased with our van and our conversion features.. We have our life back! The passenger side back slide door works great, the car kneels and the ramp folds out in a matter of seconds... all by remote control. The remote that controls the conversion equipment is very handy and works great!

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  ILL NEVER AGAIN BUY A DODGE !!!!!!!! - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By DODGE HATER - April 28 - 3:33 pm

  IVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE WITH THIS VEHICLE.. ITS A LEMON ! THE DEALERSHIP ( SECURITY DODGE )AND CHRYSLER ARE NOT IN THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BUSINESS. ONCE YOU BUY THE VEHICLE YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.A BUDDY OF MINE ALSO HAS A DURANGO BUT WITH A 318 CI AND ENGINE BLEW AT 34,000 MILES,DEALER GAVE HIM A HARD TIME REPLACING MOTOR TRYING TO SAY NOT UNDER WARRANTY.

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  Worst new car ever! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By T - April 27 - 12:56 pm

  Within the first few months the thing that squirts windshield wiper fluid broke (twice), the stick that holds up the hood broke (dangerous!), and both cover over the visor mirrors broke off. I need to replace a tire and it was extremely difficult to locate a Kumho. After 2 years I needed to replace all 4 tires at $250 apiece. And the brakes needed replacing. The stain resistant seats are not stain resistant. Still had 3 years left on my loan - took a loss and traded that sucky lemon in!

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  My panda "D" - 2017 Dodge Charger
  By Angel Anguiano - April 27 - 6:03 am

  All shoppers out there, look for the best value for your dollar, dont allow unnecessary upgrades, extended warranties, you can get these items later on your own. Take time to decide what you want.

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  Beautiful Minivan - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By jcchem - April 25 - 10:16 pm

  We have had this minivan for only three weeks so keep that in mind. So far weve put 1100 miles on a few road trips and no complaints about the performance. Not great gas mileage in the city, but hey, its a spacious minivan. With the stow n go seating you get a lot of cargo space, great for a trip to home depot. I think the exterior styling of this minivan is better than any other in the market. Cant wait to take it on an extended trip with the family.

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  Bias Review - 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Will - April 24 - 11:20 am

  Generally, I trust Edmunds for good reviews. I do, however, feel that Edmunds bias towards the Dodge Grand Caravan. We looked at the Odyssey, Sienna, and Kia Sedona. The odyssey at the price we purchased the fully loaded model R/T DGC blows the odyssey out of the water. The Sienna is a goofy, heavy, unattractive minivan with expensive models. The Sedonas second-row​ captains chairs cant be removed, so it is sort of comical that they bash and go after the DGC for its outdated or design, when it has amazing cargo space, and very handy stowngo features. I have a hard time trusting Edmunds anymore.