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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  Neon interior - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Chris Gordon - March 12 - 2:00 am

  I enjoy this car very much, its got power when I need it, runs fairly quite ging down the highway. However, the interior can leave you with desire though. The side to side room(for us long legged people), is not quite enough, and the gas and brake pedal could use a little more seperation. But after 4 months, thats really all I can complain about.

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  Hemi More - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By forestgump14 - March 12 - 2:00 am

  Best looking vehicle in class. Ride is as good as or better than Toyota Sequoia. Wheelbase increase did wonders for interior room. Hemi gives great power and towing capacity. Ltd offers many conviences. Mileage is very good on highway driving (18-19)and very bad in city driving (12). Great front seat legroom and stereo system. 4 Wheel drive is wonderfull.

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  Huge Disappointment - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Big Disappointment - March 10 - 8:33 am

  Dont buy this car! I bought this car 8 months ago. Its been in the shop 3 times! Major work - leaking head gaskets! Brakes were bad within 6 weeks of purchase. Gas mileage is not good for such a compact car. Very bumpy ride, lots of noise. Cant unlock doors from passenger side (??) Very inconvenient. I love the look of the car; I hate the performance. Very undependable. I will be trading it in now (warranty is almost up @ 35,000 miles and I cant afford more major repairs that wont be covered). Big disappointment because now I will be upside down in my next vehicle. Thanks Chrysler!

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  Great value, very good vehicle - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By former GM guy - March 9 - 12:00 pm

  Weve have about 16,000 on the Journey now and still love it as much as we did when it was brand new. Great road vehicle, innovative interior. One issue, the groaning steering was a recall that was promptly fixed.

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  2016 Charger RT - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Warren Rodrigues - March 7 - 4:51 pm

  Nice mix of performance, particularity, comfort, technology and value.

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  worst car Ive ever rented - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By lessbs - March 7 - 11:13 am

  This car is unbelievably bad. Steering wheel is hard to get under when getting in even when in its highest position, the low top of the side-window area is easy to hit your head on when you get in and out, the cup holders are in a lousy position and too far behind the driver, the visors are in the way even in their highest position, the seats are uncomfortable, and the locks make an obnoxiously loud noise when they self-lock after a minute or so when driving. These are just first impressions since I probably havent had time to find the things really wrong with the car. I have recently rented Ford Fusions and Chev Malibus which were much better (I own a Lexus GS, but am not comparing it).

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  Would buy another one! - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Bryan B. - March 7 - 10:00 am

  We bought this car just after the birth of our third child. The sliding doors on both sides were the best feature at the time. It has been reliable with the exception of having to have three speed sensors , a water pump, and a belt tensioner. The van rides great and the seats are very comfortable. We get about 24 mpg on the highway and 18 to 19 around town. With about 65000 miles on it, I have no major complaints.

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  Good - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Hung Chung - March 7 - 10:00 am

  ....

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  I love my avenger - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By michelle - March 7 - 8:03 am

  I just bought my avenger 2 weeks ago. I love this car. I average about 22-23 miles to the gallon - all in town. My car had 10,000 miles on it when I bought it. I love the sporty look. I wanted a new car, but couldnt find anything at all I liked. I have the 4 cylinder, and to me it has no problem getting up and moving.

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  Dodge + Mercedes = Magnum Hemi R/T - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Jay Brown - March 7 - 2:00 am

  All I can say is that you must drive this car to fully appreciate it. I was granted the opportunity to drive a production ready version on a race track under the instruction of a professional driver named John Paul Jr. This car is built like a benz, handles like a BMW, and accelerates like a Viper. This thing is just DAMN fast for a full size wagon. The build quality both inside and out was as good or better than anything Ive seen. They claim the body gaps are only .116 inches. I could go on, but it would take days!!!