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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  SRT-4 - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By CL20472 - November 4 - 2:00 am

  GREAT TO DRIVE.HAS MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER TO PUT YOU BACK IN YOUR SEAT. HANDLES GREAT EVEN ON THE BANKS OF HOMESTEAD RACEWAY.

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  Performance & good gas mileage - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By jrjcloud - November 4 - 2:00 am

  When driven at 70 on level ground, I have gotten 48 mpg. It has plenty of power when I want it. Best shift points for performance are 30, 55, 85, 115. It would easily do 120 in 4th, but no tachometer. Dont want to over-rev.

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  awsome car - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By richard you aint got - November 4 - 2:00 am

  handels great nice suspension

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  Best Sports Coupe for the Money - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By RandomHouse - November 4 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car. Ive owned many sports coupes in the past and none had the handling like the Stratus R/T. The drivers cockpit is roomy and comfortable. The cars exterior is sleek and sporty. Cant say enough goods things about the car in this allotted writing space.

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  my dodge - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By nate mac - November 4 - 2:00 am

  this is an awesome truck. it is great for towing a 4-wheeler or taking the family on a trip. i have a 6 month old baby and this truck is more convienent than our car.

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  Dont buy one - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By morticiahobbs - November 4 - 2:00 am

  It is in the shop every other month for something different. Loose wires, catalytic converter, ignition, name it and it goes wrong. I wont buy another one and as soon as I can I will trade this one in. I cant trust it to get me anywhere.

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  Americas Ultimate Family Vehicle - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Glenn and Cindy - November 2 - 10:00 am

  I must admit it was hard to move into the group of mini-van owners, but since doing so my wife and I are pleased. After researching our options, we settled on purchasing a Dodge Grand Caravan. Sure, we could have spent thousands more for the Odyssey or Sienna, but Dodge met our needs...and, we have money left over! So far, we have been extremely satisfied with the vehicles performance, comfort, reliability and design. The fuel economy isnt great, just average (18 mpg for city driving). The Dodoge Grand Caravan, so far, is our recommendation for mini-van buyers. Our only request, add the hide-a-way third row seats.

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  Gas Mileage 2007 Caliber - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By SHELLY YAWS - November 1 - 6:40 pm

  This car handles well.It is a nice comfortable ride. The hatchback is nice for groceries and childrens things.The issue that I have is the gas mileage.The sticker said that I would get 26 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway.I cant even get 26 mpg on the highway. One day I drove it alot of highway miles for a test and emptied the gas tank. Do you know that I drove about 65 mph and I only got 21.7 mpg for highway miles. I just didnt go by the calculations off of one tank of gas. I have calculated almost all of my fill-ups. They range from 17.0 to 21.7 mpg for a 4-cylinder car. That is terrible. The dealership tested it 3 times and said that the gas mileage is what is normal for these cars.

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  LATER MAGNUM - HELLO CHARGER - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By DREW WELDON - October 29 - 10:16 am

  Traded in a 2005 Magnum RT, the wife couldnt get used to a "wagon" look but loved the looks of the 2006 Charger. The interior seating is a lot more comfortable than the Magnums and the torque is greater. Upgraded sound system is unbelievable and the dual climate control is a plus since the wife is always freezing! The steering feels much softer, ie: caddi style. 20mpg isnt bad considering the power involved, but I didnt buy it for mileage. Its an awesome ride and if you drive an RT version youll pretty much have to talk yourself out of purchasing it. Thats a promise. Color-Black Model-RT Stereo-Upgraded + Satellite (worth it) Interior-Dual Climate Zon

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  Great minivan - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Bettyboop3375 - October 29 - 2:00 am

  Superior power at 210 hp. Responsive out of the gate. SXT comes standard with all wheel disk brakes. Seating for six but long haul is comfortable for only six. Drives like a car. Cornering is no problem. DVD rear seat video is great for long trips or keeping children/grandchildren quiet. I truly love this vehicle.