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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  Love it , But eh.... - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Daniel_Lee - May 7 - 9:56 pm

  well I love This van I have had multiple cravans, But this is my first ES with the 3.8 and damn this thing hauls balls it has the tow package 17 in wheels tan leather and auto headlamps, remote start(aftermarket) This van is amazing for all the family. kids love it I Love driving it personally My wife doesnt like how I drive but what can I say It corners well never got stuck love the traction control , not a fan of it locking when keys are in ignition locks when you shut any slider or passenger door its weird but oh well just make sure I have the keys on me ^_^ been problem free routine maintenance one new transmission because the other was faulty

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  Classy and Fun to Drive - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Momcat - May 7 - 2:33 pm

  Got this car in May to replace my previous SUV. So far, I love it! It has so many great features, and my kids love the comfort. I love the safety features. I would have the the R/T, but I did not want leather seats (I hated them on my last SUV) - these cloth seats look great, are comfortable, and I am quite happy with my choice. Drives beautifully,and is so very quiet. My only complaint to date is there is a pretty good blind spot in this car, but it helps leaving the extra backseat mirror down to help with this. I love this vehicle and would recommend it to anyone not wanting to be a minivan mom!

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  SRT 392 Six Speed Manual - 2017 Dodge Challenger
  By Sal - May 6 - 11:42 am

  I absolutely love this car. Its my "drive on sunny days and sunny weekends" only car. Great power, acceleration, braking, handling and looks! Yes, its a heavy car but it has more than enough power and handles fine for a car of its weight. Visibility is good from the inside and the tech features are state of the art. The six speed manual is smooth most of the time but it can be a bit clunky and temperamental at times. That might just be the driver though. The only negative I have about the car is the insane amount of brake dust coming from the Brembo brakes. I wash the car and clean the wheels and within 20 miles the wheels are covered with dust and darker than the rear wheels. It wipes right off but its a pain. GREAT MUSCLE CAR!!!

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  Special Order durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By dudemac - May 6 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I ordered our durango, because we wanted options that did not seem to be very popular. Such as: Side air bags, the 28g package, tow group, and HEMI. The special order took 4 weeks to the day to arrive at the dealership. I enjoyed the test drives, but really love it now. The cornering, turning radius and power exceed anything else I test drove. The Hemi, is awesome, it maybe too much power for some, however if you enjoy tapping the pedel and being up to speed on the highway, then i highly reccomend the HEMI, if you have no need to do alot of towing or enjoy the power the regular 4.7 v8 gives, i suggest get it instead (it will save some on gas).

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  do not buy - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By bayof3 - May 4 - 10:00 am

  bought brand new in 1997 just sold it for 6000k. this car is junk. you name it is was replaced. the trannsmission, rotars, brakes, waterpump,radiator...etc the seats are uncomfortable, the body gets dings very easily. they recalled this year of the van for the o-rings igniting a fire in the engine!!

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  my dodge durango - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By krd - May 4 - 10:00 am

  My experience with my Dodge Durango has been nothing but positive. The only problem I had was a faulty drivers outside mirror which was replaced by the dealer no charge. Other negatives would be poor gas mileage and at times the ride is truck like but it is all and all a very nice vehicle. Have cruised many miles in the Durango and it gives me trouble free driving.

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  R/T charger - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By mark long - May 1 - 3:20 pm

  My wife hates the Magnum, "no wagon no matter what it has in it". Ive liked since it came out but respected her opinion on wagons. Needless to say the Charger is no wagon. I traded in a Mercedes C240, and we bought it on first sight. The Charger is more fun than any 4door car has a right to be. With the 5.7Hemi it runs in the 1/4mile with my 68327 4speed Vette. Granted the Vette doesnt have ESP tech, but it is 1,500lbs lighter. I dont believe it has a bad angle exterior wise, and there really is nothing that looks like it on the road. I dont care what muscle car purest think about a 4door Charger. I have my toys. This is a pure driving enthusiast dream come true, only in a practical sense.

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  what a truck - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Jake Jensen - May 1 - 11:53 am

  the 91 Dodge Durango is a very good vehical i own one and i have oned several suvs before this one and this on is the most powerful and the most comfortable one i have owned. i would recomend this to any one with a family of four or larger unless u travel alot because the cargo space is massive after u fold down all of the seats this is a very nice vehical and it is fun to drive. it is also a good off roader if your into that sort of thing

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  The Value of the Century - 2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By kkollwitz - May 1 - 2:57 am

  In July we decided to pass our 157k 2004 Montana on to our kids. Shopped lots of under-$20k small cars: Fit, Cruze, Sonic, Fiesta, Focus, etc. Fun and thrifty, but nothing was moving us. We still liked minivans. Test-drove a 2014 AVP- wow! I love the no-nonsense styling, brakes, engine and handling; my wife likes the space and Stow n Go. We are both pleased with the base package, the manual seats suit us both, and the auxiliary jack makes it easy to play MP3s.

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  Grand Caravan - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By minivans - April 30 - 4:40 pm

  We have taken one long road trip since buying the Caravan--it made the trip so nice. The ride was wonderful, the driving was so easy, the sound sytem performed very well. Many comments from people we met about the "great looking van".