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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  left me stranded at 37k miles!!!!!! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By agraham6582 - February 22 - 7:04 pm

  Bought this car in june 2010 and it is a 2007 car - 8 months after buying this car it left me stranded in a parking lot - thank god i did not have my 18 month old daughter with me! we only got 6k miles out of this car before it died on us. currently has 37k miles on it and died in a parking lot. after calling different numbers for an hour to get it towed somewhere which cost us $70 out of pocket, we were told it was the electronic control module in the steering column that went dead. pretty much this "module" in the steering column tells the car to start the ignition when you put the key in to start up. the warranty company refuses to pay for it saying its an "electrical" issue.

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  70k here. No significant problems - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By jeff_98563 - February 21 - 11:31 am

  My car is a 2007 SXT with the CVT transmission. I dislike the blind spots, but otherwise, its a great 30mpg car.

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  Good but Im getting something else for College - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By mariahemily - February 20 - 4:51 pm

  This car rides SO smooth. BUT it has horrible blind spots from the back side windows. The gas mileage is Awesome and so is the sound system. The acceleration is really slow. My parents say thats a good this for me but I beg to differ.

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  2011 Dodge Journey SXT - 2011 Dodge Journey
  By journey_sext - February 19 - 6:33 pm

  Bought thi vehicle brand new and have only 250 KMs but can say that it is very nice for a family of four. I love the new 3.6 L engine which provides a very smooth ride. This vehicle feels solid when it drives and very quiet compared to the Honda CR-V that I previously owned. It is still early to give an honest review but up to this point.....I love it!

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  DONT BUY A DODGE/CHRYSLER VEHICLE - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By sunheat79 - February 18 - 11:50 pm

  I purchased this Journey SXT AWD in August of 2010 with the Premium Sound Package, and Bluetooth hands free calling option as well. At 3,000 miles there was a violent shake in the front end...the rotors had to be replaced. At 4,000 miles there was an awful whistling noise, which turned out to be the mirror. That was replaced and at the same time I started having problems with the facotry installed options...had the vehicle in 4 times...is now at the dealership for the 5th time for the issue. Ive tried to work with Dodge on replacing the vehicle and theyve been nothing less than outrageously disrespectful with no concern of customer satisfaction. There has also been a recall.

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  Way ahead of whatever is in 2nd place - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By 1992viper - February 17 - 5:17 pm

  Had an 04 Porsche Cayenne Turbo and just loved it! Thought wed like a Mercedes - bought an 08 E350 4-Matic. Super car but missed the SUV. Wanted 3 row seats for grandkids, reasonable economy, comfort, conveinence, versatility, etc. Looked at everything out there within reason. Thought the Jouney is the best bang for the buck. The Mazda CX-9 was nice but too big for the wife. This Journey does not disappoint - super quiet, very comfortable, and easy to enter and exit. Would like memory seats/mirrors and a heated steering wheel that we had before but.....all else is excellent. Black R/T AWD, NAV, back-up camera, DVD Player, everything. Best move we made in 46 years of marriage!

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  My Baby - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By 172mph - February 16 - 12:20 am

  First off I love this car to death. Unfortunately it has left me with a hunger for something even faster...Why?...Why NOT?!! They are very fast, too fast to let the wife drive it in fact. They are VERY customizable...take a look at the Diablo Tuner, CIA and GetRag rearends...cheap upgrades and you can take SRT8s especially after a custom tune. I have a fair amount done to mine and I dont know why people are complaining about the MPG. I figure Im turning nearly 400HP at the crank now and can STILL get 25-26MPG out of her with the MDS still active (you can shut it off with the Diablo if you want). No problems with it at all...None, its kinda strange not to have problems.

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  Fun and reliable - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By dsueoka - February 16 - 12:16 am

  We shopped for vehicles for about a year. The wife did not know what she wanted. We looked at trucks, vans, SUVs and cars. She finally settled on the Dodge Journey, Chevy Equinox and the Ford Fusion. I liked the Fusion more, but she won. The fuel mileage is not the best for in town driving, but for a 6 cylinder is OK. We are still playing with all of the accessories. It is a great car to drive. Just wish we got AWD for the snow we get here.

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  Great Purchase!! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By sonyam2 - February 12 - 7:16 pm

  I recently purchased a 2008 Dodge Avenger SXT two weeks ago white/gray pinstripe with tan cloth interior, heated seats. I am so glad I did not refer to the reviews I read when buying. I am having the most fun out of my car. I agree about the blind spots, but those little mirrors do the trick. I have the sporty SXT with sunroof, spoiler on the rear, and all the chrome trimmings. I love the way the car handles. I traded in my Saturn VUE and I really got a GREAT deal on my Dodge. I previously owned 2 Saturns and decided to go with a car and something sporty. Dodge did again, I love my baby charger!!!! As some have wrote on here, you have to go with your gut sometimes, and I did just that!!

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  After 5 years worth of abuse, its still a fun car... - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By wy_themoparguy - February 11 - 2:58 pm

  Mines actually an SXT 2.7 V6, not an R/T V6, but Edmunds didnt have an entry for SXT 2.7 V6... Anyway, I bought this car used in June of 06, and have enjoyed it every day since. It has a very sporty feel, handles well, and is built pretty well overall.