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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  Lots of problems - 2011 Dodge Challenger
  By spedly - May 20 - 1:08 pm

  I bought my 11 SE model with less than 7000 miles on it. (It turned out being wrecked). I have had two recalls (which came after the problems started and the dealers didnt know how to fix). Just recently, my alternator died and I couldnt find an aftermarket one, so the mopar alternator cost over $500. The radio was not at all powerfull so I had to put in an aftermarket amp which may have lead to the Alt. breakdown. Lots of frustration and disappointment! The blind spot is huge and is hard to back up to park. On the bright side I love my car when it is running. Haha! I always get compliments on it and I think it rides better than the CTX Caddie.

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  Great Value 5.7 Hemi - 2012 Dodge Durango
  By ry207 - May 17 - 5:39 pm

  So when I was looking at a 3 row SUV, it came down to these choices, 4 Runner, Explorer, and Durango. Ill Open with what I liked about the Durano, plenty of space and a usable 3rd row. the re-design is quality and refined. 5.7 hemi has great low end power. Uconnect was easy, and displays friendly. For the same year 4 Runner or Explorer, with similar miles and features, I saved 5K with Dodge. If there is one thing, I will have to take points away, is that the 5.7 hemi is a gas eater, but I knew that going in. For the other reviews that talked about the transmission and shifting, I can see what they are talking about, but for me it recovers quickly and should not be compared to a sports car.

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  Life saver - 2012 Dodge Caliber
  By xreaper101 - April 28 - 6:24 pm

  This is going to be sweet and to the point. My girlfriend has had this car for about a year now and the car has worked well and reliably this whole time. Its great on gas, has a refrigerator built in above the glove box, and has lots of capacity to carry people or items. The big reason i love this car is for today though. She got in a roll over accident at 45mph. The car rolled 2-3 times, every piece of glass broke and the car was a mess. But she came out with nothing but a pulled neck muscle and a bruised knee. I believe this car saved her life.

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  R/T Classic GWE - 2011 Dodge Challenger
  By rcatta - April 1 - 3:23 pm

  Love this car. Green with envy color. I live in NYC and get people taking photos all day long. It is just beautiful. And when I am on the highway, the engine just purrrrrs. No problems. Plenty of power, torque, plenty of room inside. My only real complaint is the steerting wheel is not the most comfortable, like they are in most modern cars.

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  Fun to drive the dart - 2014 Dodge Dart
  By wizkidvj - March 28 - 11:56 pm

  After comparing a lot of compact sedans, I settled for the 2.4L Dart mainly because it was the only car under 20K offering a 2.4L engine and an auto 6 speed. I was firstly delighted by the standard 8.5" touchscreen control. Absolute pleasure to control music, climate, nav without any distractions. The second thing that I found amazing was the interior cabin space. This C-class compact car almost goes head to head with a D-class sedan. The car has a ride handling that is zippy and fun even though a bit heavy (which is why I feel the mileage is not the best). Ive driven 2 5-hr long trips on my Dart since I bought (last 2 months) and I found it to be absolutely delightful.

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  Great car, bought new, currently at 58k miles - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By noboringcars - March 10 - 3:42 pm

  This was the first American car I have purchased and I havent regretted it. Its reliable, well supported by the dealer and aftermarket, attractive, comfortable, and has a great owner community. Dont buy this car is you want to remain anonymous. Owning a Challenger is instant rock star status. Ive only had 2 issues with the car: 1. the headliner dropped from a bracket behind the sunroof, fixed under warranty. 2. a piece of interior window trim cracked, I replaced it myself in 15 minutes. All in all, its been a great ownership experience. Parts and service are inexpensive. Lots of opportunity to customize for more performance and/or convenience.

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  Nothing more satisfying than American muscle - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By dewarsandsoda - March 9 - 11:00 pm

  My lease of a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd was expiring and since my family was expanding, I required third row seating. I was going to return to a European nameplate such as GL550, but since I had had no problems with my Jeep, I had to consider the Durango. While the Durango is not as luxurious as a Mercedes or Audi, one still gets good value for the money. My RT AWD is fully loaded (Tech Pkg, Rear DVD, etc) and costs significantly less. The RT sits a little lower than a comparable Citadel and feels firmer when on the road and while going through turns. Its very smooth on the fwy with minimal road noise and the 8 speed shifts effortlessly.

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  Value olus bells & whistles - 2013 Dodge Journey
  By janner1001 - March 2 - 6:16 pm

  I decided to get down to 1 vehicle. Got rid of a 2012 Malibu fully loaded and a 2006 Honda Element AWD. I wanted all the comforts of the Malibu and the space and AWD of the Honda. I narrowed down between Edge and Journey. For the price (and I get supplier discount for either), the Journey gave me more bang for the buck. dealer gave me a heck of a deal on a new Black version. Not a fan until I had them paint the calipers red. Only issue was the brake switch went out on a rear taillight. It stayed on or came on for no reason. It has done well this winter. I have been very satisfied as a driver. Passengers are not as comfortable in the front passenger seat.

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  2000 Dodge Neon - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By leviathaan - February 27 - 10:46 am

  I bought my 2000 Dodge Neon automatic with 40,000 miles on it, it currently has 259,000. No real issues, replaced all 4 struts, rotors and 1 battery in the 7 years Ive owned it. It has a slight tick in the engine, but other than that nothing wrong with this one, even after hearing all the horror stories, mine is still going. It still gets 30mpg in both the summer and winter.

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  Great fit for us - 2013 Dodge Journey
  By tshoe - February 22 - 5:48 pm

  We have had our Journey for 1 year now and it is perfect for us. Compared to Terrain and Sante Fe and Rav4 when we were shopping new and used. This size (need to fit 2 vehicles in 2 car garage), options and value were our reasons we bought it new. $7000 off MSRP! Rides smooth, accelerates quickly although transmission can be clunky and/or unsure of it self at times. Gas Mileage is as advertised 16-17 city, 23-24 Hwy. Wife loves deep red metalic color.