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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  Id by another one if Chrysler still made them! - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By sharong61 - March 5 - 5:09 pm

  2By sharong61 on 03/05/11 14:30 PM (PST) I also purchased mine new in 2005 and have 92,000 miles on it as shes still going strong! I love how she hugs the curves, for a little 4 banger, she goes! I went to Tennessee and back last summer (1100 miles totalled) on 2.5 tanks of gas (30 gal. aprox) which averages out to 32-33mpg!! My stereo is kickass! I love the seats folding down in back (almost like a hatchback)and have had to put very little maintenance on her! Did get new tires 2 years ago and replaced brakes once and of course oil changes. She starts when its cold, the a/c works great even after almost 6 years. Some lady slid into my rear at about 30mph last year, she even picked me up off the ground as we were both going down a hill! She demolished the whole front of her 2007 Ford Fusion, my bumper had 2 very small scratches and she put a dent in my muffler! I never even had it fixed to this day and people cant tell! My only gripe at all about Neons is that they slide easy on packed snow or ice as they are lightweight. Mine will be paid off in a few months and am debating on weather to sell her too as I dont think Ill find as good a car again! Chrysler was crazy to discontinue them! Theyd be selling them like hotcakes right now!

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  After 5 years 85000 miles of ownership - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By mrcrow2u - March 5 - 10:16 am

  Overall very good SUV. Ride is smooth but can get bouncy on rough roads. No major mechanical issues, sporadic stalling has happened a few times per year, EGR had to be replaced under warranty. Check engine light will come on if gas cap is not on properly. Average 17.6 mpg in mixed driving. Incredible in bad weather, made many long trips in bad weather to hockey games. 3rd row seating not very comfortable to anyone over 12. Lose all rear storage space with 3rd row in use. Rear and middle rows can be folded down which is nice. Sound system is very good. No build quality issues to report. Overall very happy with the Durango and would consider buying another one in the future.

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  Done with Dodge/Chrysler - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By maximusminus - March 2 - 8:24 pm

  I bought a 2004 Dodge Stratus SE almost new and paid $11,500, well below what I would have paid for an equivalent Japanese make. I was willing to look past its relatively outdated powertrain and somewhat sluggish performance in stop and go traffic until I hit 57k miles on the odometer. After that, I was taking this car in for costly repairs on a regular basis. For instance, I was replacing brakepads every 10k miles, the shocks needed replacement every 20k. After coughing up about $13,000 in repairs & maintenance in six years, I had enough. Im back driving a Toyota Camry with no issues. My advice: invest a little more money in a Toyota, Honda and save yourself time and money down the road.

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  warranty with U.S fidells? sorry but love our durango - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By leadfoot54 - March 2 - 6:55 pm

  We love our durango poor gas miles replaced all the door locks and now the transmission has whent out we had U.S fidells and what a joke they are payed them for over year and got the run around with the transmission we ended up pay for the rebuilt transmission

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  Perfect car for a midlife crisis - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By fproctor - March 1 - 11:34 am

  After 5 years of driving a 1500 Ram, I was ready for a change. The TV commercial of the Challenger burning out on pavement in slow motion really hooked me. Dealership had a good discount/incentive for buying a 2010. Absolutely fun car that gets compliments daily wherever I go. The 13 speaker kicker stereo system with sub is awesome. Handling is quite good imo but of course this is coming from a guy that traded in a pickup. The SRT8 seats and interior as a whole looks much better than the bland gray of the lower models. No regrets... fun fun fun!

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  The Best Car I ever have (CRD version 4x4 SXT euro) - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By geetee2 - February 28 - 4:28 am

  I do not know why US people hate this vehicle so much. I have it for 2 years now - the UK/Euro version with 2.8crd VM diesel and it is just great! It is the sort of vehicle I was looking for years - 4WD, station, spacefull, strong but economic engine and looks great. I do bit of DH so I use to take loads of stuff with me when heading to the Alps. All my previous vehicles - scrappy jap MPVs were struggling with the load, sitting low, going slow(especially uphill) and the fuell consumption extremely high. Never have any mech problems, not even with the interior. yes, the quality of plastic is not great but this is workhorse not range rover, ok? problem with roofrails sorted by recall free

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  my dodge journy - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By nothappening - February 26 - 9:09 am

  Bought dodge 2010 (new) was good in start, but have had prob in the last month. Engine light has come on twice from no where and wanted to die on me. shakes crazy going down road, have had it at dealer 3 times. now when lights are on , the dashboard goes dim and resets itself. brakes squeek, and the bumper sliding out they have temp fixed. when i accelorate, it kicks in a lower gear and doesnt want to go, and if i stop completely at stop sign, it sputters and act likes it want to die. Been in contact w/ chrysler and so far they are ok, but now i will try and see if they can purchase my car back and offer diff, express my concern to dealer/chrysler. HELP!!

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  315 Miles into it - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By brian31508 - February 22 - 9:29 pm

  Well ive had the Brand new 2011 Dodge Charger for about 3 days so far. Its red which is an extra $941. This car is pretty damm nice. I love the new touch scree with the Garmin nav system. The only thing I can see that I would like to have so far would be to be able to use the voice response system to adjust the climate control and the heated wheel and seats. I love the camera that senses rain on the windows and turns the bright lights on for you thats a great system. One problem ive had already is the infrared sensor on the door stopped working of i couldnt open the door with the key in my pocket. The dealership is ordering a new handle I guess. This car is awesome so far buy one.

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  Looks Great But Look Elsewhere - 2011 Dodge Nitro
  By hu5k3y - February 22 - 8:57 pm

  It has a sharp body with aggressive lines but that is where the great qualities end. It has the potential to be a great light SUV with its size, sharp turning radius, and rear-end that refuses to loose grip but thats where the good qualities end. To create a light SUV dodge has made the front and back seats very compact so its far from roomy. The Nitros suspension transfers most every bump in the road to the passengers but doesnt have body roll like some SUVs. As the driver you feel unattached to the Nitro with the vague steering and throttle response. Fuel mileage is also a problem since its no better than its larger Dodge counterparts. In review, light SUV with no real feel or perks.

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  1987 daytona shelby z - 1990 Dodge Daytona
  By turbododge2 - February 22 - 7:13 pm

  My 1987 shelby z is 24 years old. i bought it brand new in sept. 87. it has 76.000 hard driven miles on it and has never let me down. by hard i mean i raced it at englishtown nj for four years and alot of racing in north jersey. and the drive train is all original except the clutch. this car is way fun to drive and VERY FAST with a few simple mods. the 2.2 intercooled turbo is a great bullitt proof motor and way underrated by ford and gm guys. if you are lucky enough to find an 87 in decent shape buy it! the 87 motor has the 2 piece intake manifold. the 88 and up have the one piece cast manifold.