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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  A good value - 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By 04quadcab - October 6 - 3:32 am

  2013 Grand Caravan SXT; currently with about 10,000 miles on it. I really wouldnt consider any minivan that didnt have some version of Stow&Go. I have the second row seats folded down almost as much as I have them up, and I wouldnt like having to remove the seat to free up that space, since you then have to leave it at home and cant haul passengers in that area. Other likes: Great power, good gas mileage-I get 27 at 70-75 mph (town mileage is not great, tho). Quiet, smooth ride. Much less expensive to buy than Honda or Toyota. Dislikes: 6 spd tranny is OK, but not as smooth or predictable as could be. Drivers seat needs more rearward travel; legroom is limited.

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  The amazing Neon SXT - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Lonelyrider - October 5 - 10:00 am

  This is my second new car, used to own a new Saturn SL2 , which I trade-in for this new Neon. I took advantage of a 25 hundred bucks rebate. So far, I just made 12 hundred miles with it, and its really fun to drive with plenty of power, even though this one is an automatic one vs. the previous manual shifted. The seats are very comfortable, the stereo is amazing -dont need to spend extra money on another - So far, breaks are pretty good.

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  durango - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By fishscout - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Picked it up from the dealership and never brought it back for any problems

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  Wonderful Vehicle - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Satisfied Customer - October 4 - 11:30 pm

  The van is solid. Very comfortable to ride in for extended periods of time. The ride is smooth and quiet. It is a fun vehicle to drive. There is nothing in here that I am not satisfied with.

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  Second review - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By KBA - October 4 - 5:26 pm

  I wrote a review in June of 08 and have had some problems since. The driver seat shimmys and the dealer doesnt seem to feel it. It also had a tapping noise coming from the engine. Brought it in and they had it for 3 days. Said there was a recall on tabs for the rocker arms.They put these tabs in and it didnt solve the problem.They ended up replacing the rocker arms.I have also had a prolbem with the express window feature on the driver side not working, and the doors auto locking on there own once Ive closed the doors. Ive been locked out twice. Really thinking this car wasnt the best choice. I now know why the give a lifetime powertrain warranty.

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  Unimpressive - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By CDubya - October 1 - 4:13 pm

  Havent even had this van long and many problems have happened. Electrical has been a problem from the start. Power flickers off and on when it gets wet out, including the wipers stopping while driving down the highway in the rain. The dealer has worked on it twice, but it happened agian last night. A/C compressor also went out yesterday and guess what? The engine wont run if you dont get it fixed which costs $1000.

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  2004 Durango Limited - Great SUV for the money - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Tom Herd - October 1 - 2:32 pm

  My Durango is now 14 years down the road - still in great condition - except small area of rust on drivers side rear wheel well, and Ive seen this on a number 2004 Durangos - could be a minor defect in water deflection, directing it to that specific area. Overall - a great vehicle - great in snow or rain, comfortable on long drives and reliable

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  ANNIVERSARY EDITION - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ANGELA - September 28 - 10:00 am

  THE CAR IS AWESOME TO LOOK AT. HAS ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES I WANTED IN THE LIMITED CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. MY KIDS ARE THRILLED WITH THE DVD AND 6 DISC CHANGER. A BEAUTIFUL CAR WITH NICE RIMS TO MATCH. A GOOD PRICE ON THIS CAR.

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  Nitro is Rightro! - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By NitroBilly - September 28 - 12:46 am

  I try not to drive my Nitro everyday, but I cant help it to be honest. It has enough power to keep me interested, but could use a little more. Handling is smooth, a guy comes up on my tail with a *cough* GMC Envoy, and thats all he got to look at.. my tail! I had the Nitro going around a 30 mile hr curve at 45! But I also have those 20 inchers!

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  Magium 2005 - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Warner Mclean - September 27 - 5:40 am

  Fun to drive. well finished, power to burn, plenty of room, easy to drive, good bargin. concern that lower price versions will hurt resale valve of RT