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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  Great car for the price - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Robert - January 17 - 2:00 pm

  I leased my Caliber in May of 2007. So far I have driven only 5250 miles as I drive only on weekends and to the train station each day. In the time I have had it the car has been perfect. Great in snow, starts right up in the cold, and the ride is good. Not tons of space but enough for food shopping each week and just about all my errands. Excellent fuel economy.

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  Glad I bought it - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By dlp - January 15 - 5:00 pm

  Bought my Magnum RT in September and have over 6k miles on it as of late November have adveraged just over 19mpg with a low of 16mpg (first tank) and a high of 23mpg. Excellent ride and handling, no problems so far.....The only change Ive made so far has been the addition of a flowmaster exhaust system.

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  We love our Magnum - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Thomas Froio - January 12 - 10:00 am

  Best all around car I have owned . I have been buying new cars since 1961 and this is by far the best of all.. It is a quality not expected.. We could not be happier with our purchase.. Thomas Froio

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  2005 Dodge Magnum RT - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By macster - January 12 - 10:00 am

  The styling of the new Dodge Magnum caught my attention as soon as I got near it, and caused me to want to look and look some more. The long, low stance, the tall wheel/tire combination, the short window chopped top look, made me think this was a custom vehicle. Drove one (the hemi) at the dealership and was sold on it. Nice looking inside, but not frilly. Looks strictly business. Gets more serious when you apply those 340 horses under the hood to the pavement. This thing gets the drivers attention! Surprising headroom too! Im 6-6, and no problems!

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  Still in Awe - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By lrgus - January 12 - 10:00 am

  To pull the camper and better handle the WI winters, I switched from Gr Caravan to Durango. Great decision. HEMI power unbelievable and the ride is a dream. Seats are soooo comfortable! Hwy mileage better than I expected - averaged over 20 mpg on long trip (no towing), but get appx 15 in town. Comfortable and easy to maneuver - too easy to speed! Split 3rd row allows room for gear. Not as much storage space as the minivan, but Id trade it all for the feel of the SUV. Havent gotten to winter yet, but am sure the 4WD, traction control, and heated seats will be wonderful. Bring it on!

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  Pretty Good, all things considered - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Mighty UTU - January 7 - 9:50 pm

  Have had the Van for almost a year now. Cant beat the storage (sto n go). It is Awesome. I think it looks better than the new style. Yeah its a minivan but if you put your ego aside then it is the most versatile vehicle out there. My 3 kids love it.

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  Hate This Van More Every Day - 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By dogleg1 - January 7 - 1:26 pm

  After over seven months driving this van I cant wait to get rid of it. It has to be the roughest ride ever and the road and motor noise comes right into the car.You feel every little bump: it rides like a lumber wagon. Chrysler and the dealer (Mac Lang in Ontario , Canada) dont care. The new suspension system is a design failure. Chrysler needs to redesign this van and rebate the current owners. What a rip-off. Previously I owned five Caravans and liked them fine. Not this one.

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  New Transmission at 30,000 Miles - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Ginette - January 7 - 3:00 am

  My Caliber is now in the shop because I need a new transmission. I have 30,000 miles on the car. I thank God that it is still under warranty. I bought it before the new warranty of 100,000 miles. I am thinking about selling it and buying something other than a Dodge. I like the car but I cant afford for this to happen again since my warranty will be over soon.

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  Best car ever. - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By andreamoo - January 5 - 4:10 am

  I did not want to buy a minivan. But in 2004 I bought a 2003 with 11K on it for $11K. This car has been fantastic. It took us through the western states camping. It moved us from one house to another. It has hauled carpool kids, craigslist finds, saddles, hay, dogs, beds and building materials. It averaged 29 mpg when we first got it on the highway, it now gets a solid 21 city/hiway. It broke down once in its 150K miles-the main computer glitched. That was not a pretty $500 but nothing since except standard maintenance. Even though it is no longer shiny and new, our current crop of carpool kids still like it best. I walk by it and pat it sometimes like a good pony.

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  Good family vehicle - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By bubjack - January 3 - 10:00 am

  We bought the Grand Caravan Sport model new and have been fairly satisfied. It has been reasonably reliable(knock on wood). It now has 70000+ miles and still runs and drives good. Issues we have experienced: replaced MOPAR battery twice within first three years (warranty repair), replaced CD player (warranty repair),broken driver side mirror, phantom wipers, water pump replaced recently (not unusual for 70,000 mile car). Amazingly, the exhaust still works good (I usually have to replace a muffler or pipes by now). Car has the 3.3 liter engine and seems a bit weak going up long inclines or passing. Not enough HP and torque for this heavy vehicle.