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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  An American Car I Can Love ! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Jack_ - April 30 - 10:00 am

  Finally I am back driving and loving an American car. The Styling is what brings you to this car, the performance is what keeps you loving it. Minor electical problems had the car back at the dealer in the first week, but all seems well after repair. I love the way this car drives and am delighted to run all the errands. It is a substantial solid and fun machine!

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  Lovin the Red! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Mrs G - April 29 - 8:43 pm

  After looking for more than a month at different vehicles, we happily chose the Caliber. We have been very happy with the mileage, but we have noticed a "shift" when we slow down. At 15 mph there is a change in speed or shift or something. We are very happy with all the bells and whistles, even if they dont all make sense. The "Chill Zone" does need a latch, and doesnt cool down a bottle of water, but will keep it cool. The tire pressure feature worries me, as I know some day, someone is going to steal my valve caps.

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  Caravan ES Good So Far - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By embien - April 27 - 2:00 am

  I have had very good luck with this vehicle so far. I would buy another.

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  BEST SUV OUT THERE!! - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Heidi Matney - April 22 - 2:00 am

  This has been the absolute driving machine! Dodge has outdone themselves with the 5.9. The 360 is awe inspiring. Easy to drive and great for hauling the soccer star and her teammates. With four kids at home and extras always around, its third row seating is more than handy. And hey, lets face it, minivans are UGLY!!

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  Dodge Durango - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By firecatman - April 22 - 2:00 am

  I love this SUV, its much better than a mini van

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  Never buy anymore - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By dltrautmann - April 22 - 12:33 am

  We have had 3 Dodge Grand Caravans will never have another. We dealt with Chrysler on problems and they never repaired or fixed them. We traded and still had a problem. The last Caravan we had, the transmission went out at 49000 miles and then we had two more transmissions put in still had problems. We are done with Dodge, Chrysler, etc.

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  Cant get outta its own way! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Jaclyn - April 17 - 5:50 pm

  I own a 2007 Dodge Caliber R/T AWD. This is the baddest gas guzzler yet of the Caliber models. I swear I get 15 miles a gallon w/ it. The window ticket claims 32 highway miles a gallon...yeah right. If I pull out into traffic I am so afraid Ill get T-Boned cause it doesnt GO! It goes when it wants too. I blow threw tires like mad! On my third set in 2, yes I sad 2 years. Dealership wouldnt even see if there was anything wrong w/ the car. Blamed it on on the tires. "Its the tires, NOT the car." Gimme a break already. Now Im at 46K and my warranty is up, but I got the 3 year extended that Chrysler has no info on!!! Ill never by another dodge.

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  Good Value - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By tomurban - April 17 - 3:13 am

  We only have this vehicle for two weeks. It seems to be a vast improvement over the 2007 that we turned in. Good ride quality as well as good build quality. No squeaks or rattles. Gas mileage is acceptable for a 3700 lb vehicle and four speed auto.

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  All Dodge! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Dodge Man - April 14 - 4:26 am

  I love this car! I have had 2 Durangos and still own a 92 Dodge truck, but this one is by far the best looking and most fun to drive. It has an amazing ride, is very quiet, has a great sound system, and what a honey to look at!

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  Worst vehicle I have ever owned! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By wjwheeler - April 13 - 1:43 pm

  My transmission has had problems since day one and the dealership has been unable to duplicate the problem. 2 weeks ago it stuck in first gear. I drove it about 3 miles to the dealership and let the service manager ride with me to verify that I had a valid complaint. We drove several miles and it would not change out of 1st gear. I left it at the dealership and returned several days later only to learn that the transmission was working fine. Normally the transmission will slip and jerk in to gear after a delay. The Journey also will "die" for no apparent reason. The seats are uncomfortable and the ride is terrible! I would not recommend this vehicle.