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 little car. Anything but cute - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Nancye - October 17 - 11:06 pm

  After 13 months of owning a Ford 2005 Mustang, I decided to go back to a Dodge after I had owned a 2000 Intrepid for five years and never had a problem with it. The Mustang was hot, but my girls were not comfortable in a 2-door car, plus the gas prices skyrocketed right after I bought it and I was paying $120 to $160 in gas per month. My girls and I like the Caliber because it has four doors, still looks good, is better on gas (even buying premium gas, only $100 per month at the max), easier to see out of, and I used it to take my older daughter to college without having to rent an SUV. It has so much more room than the Ford (which is great for a single person), and is enjoyable to drive.

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  Great price - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By brandon - October 17 - 9:10 am

  The engine is fine getting around with amazing jump and even highways but when in upstate New York and the steep hills, I had to hold the pedal to the floor to get decent pick-up. Handles great on sharp turns. Radical gated shifter that leans down when in park is the easiest gated shifter to use and does not move into another gear if hit into easily. Interior is amazing with the YES essentials stain resistant cloth and DVD players and built-in booster seats. Great value and looks

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  3 years of no trouble - 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By RJX - October 16 - 3:20 pm

  The most comfortable seats of any vehicle I have driven. I drive the vehicle for work and typically 4-5 drives 1-way. Great comfort for long trips. Passing on a 2 lane highway is never a problem, the engine has plenty of power. Stow and go seats are great when you want to haul things, nice flat and low floor allowing for drywall or plywood for home projects. This 2013 is my third Grand Caravan, and by far the best. I drive 35k miles a year in all kinds of weather and always feel safe even on snow packed roads. It is a shame they are discontinuing the DGC after 2017, now that they have it perfected.

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  Dodge Neon - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By westernmeadowlark - October 15 - 2:00 am

  I just bought a 2003 Dodge Neon SXT. What a great, fun car to drive. Plenty of features with plenty of zip. Great Buy for the price!

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  Bad choice... - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By RSTENN - October 12 - 6:40 pm

  This car is very comfortable, and has a nice feeling to drive, but it is extremely unsafe, the visibility on this thing is the worst of any car Ive ever driven.

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  This was not the car for my wife. - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Joseph Machlitt - October 10 - 3:13 am

  This car has gone beyond my expectations. This is the true combo of Mercedes Benz and Dodge performance cars. This drives like a very expensive European car. Lots of good legroom and loads of storage space. We like the look outside. My 8 year old daughter calls the car her limo in the Cool Vanilla color.

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  2009 SXT Dodge Journey - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Rich Gordon - October 7 - 9:13 pm

  Ordered it from dealer. Got the SXT with all of the options at 3000 less than an RT. Hi Quality SUV for a low price. Good "value" car. 24mpg on the Highway, 18 in town. Super Crash rating, quiet, and comfortable. 20000 miles on it and absolutely no problems. High Tech car on inside. Would definitely buy it again.

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  Review - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Minivan - October 7 - 4:13 pm

  Please dont buy this minivan I bought mine used a few weeks ago and already the transmission is gone. It has poor gas mil. It shakes and rattles at a slow speed. I must admit the price is what lured me in.

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  I like it - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Michael Greico - October 7 - 1:43 am

  I have been a Dodge fan for many years. This car has not changed that. The performance is awsome. With the all wheel drive the handling in any condition is crisp and stable. Fit and finish is very good. Gas mileage is what I expected considering it has a 340 hp Hemi engine. I have not owned the car long enough to judge reliability. So far I would recomed this car to a friend

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  Stay Away - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Disgruntled - October 6 - 7:40 am

  The worst vehicle I have ever owned. Been to the Dodge service department 18 times in the past 18 months. 40,000 miles and on 4th set of front brake rotors. Dealer cannot figure our why brakes wear out so quickly and told us that the brake parts are made softer so they dont squeal. Whatever! Have motorized side and rear doors. All motors have been replaced at least once. I purchased the largest extended warranty and already used it 3 times in 4000 miles. Cant wait to get rid of this one and will never purchase another Chrysler product again. I was hoping the merger with Mercedes would increase quality, but thats not the case. Dodge has great looking cars, but cant overcome poor build quality.