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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  Get what you pay for! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Bill D - March 1 - 12:56 am

  I bought the Caliber for what it is a gas miser. I did want some amenties like the power options and 17" tires which adds to the handling. This is a heck of an econo car. Yes, its a compromise of practicality and a mini vehicle deigned around a blob of clay stuck in a wind tunnel. What can you say other than $16K, full car size, ride, and comfort with the gas milage of mini-car. Yes I could get better for around $9K more but if you compare apples to apples for the money, there is no other apple. If you want the room of a real size car and the economy of a midget car plus the ability to actually haul something other than you? This is it!

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  Worst P.O.S. Ive EVER OWNES - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By William Wilke - February 28 - 12:42 pm

  This is the most unreliable car I have ever owned in my life I bought it a month ago and its been in the shop for more than 2 weeks at 25K miles. It is also a terrible highway car that tends to wander and shake at high speeds around 70 or so.

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  Nice car for the price - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By KBA - February 28 - 7:53 am

  Love the look.Radio is a little low,have to look down. Not great on gas locally. Stylish and roomy, did not want a minivan.

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  2006 Dodge Grand Catavan SXT - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By 1997Montez34 - February 28 - 3:40 am

  We leased a 2005 model and loved it, so when our lease was up we decided to get a new Dodge Grand Caravan. We looked at the 07, but the 06 was the same and we got a great deal on a leftover 06. This is the perfect vehicle for a family with children. The Stow N Go seats are the absolute best! I can go from passenger van to cargo van in a minute.

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  Our new ride - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Ric00man - February 26 - 10:56 pm

  We love the exterior and interior appearance of this vehicle. It is different and everyone seem to take notice of it. It is a mid size vehicle that makes you think it is much larger. Great leg room in both the front seating area and the rear seating area. We have four large dogs and this vehicle has plenty of room for them to spread out and lay down when we travel with them.

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  2011 Dodge Caliber Heat - 2011 Dodge Caliber
  By Chris B - February 26 - 5:08 pm

  I have owned this car for about 2 years and it has not been a problem (so far). I had expected more mileage from the car being as small as it is-it is a daily commuter and 20 minutes one way and I am about 6 tall and slightly cramped while driving. If you want great reduction in road noise this car requires the best made tires in order to get it, I installed Michelin Defenders and it made the noise acceptable level. Rear hatch has modest areas for groceries but you will need to get creative in the placement of the boxes in order to do a full days shopping with it if you leave the rear seats up while using them. I like the 120volt outlet the car offers in the middle console for utility purposes. I put 225mm Michelin width tires all around the car and it handles like it is on rails and rain and snow are much better now as opposed to the slightly skinnier tires they recommend. Albeit the mileage took a hit some but that is worth the trade to me. Overall, I think the mileage is somewhat unacceptable for the size and weight of this car. That is my biggest complaint about this vehicle. Other than that I have no problems-so far. UPDATE 2 years from review above: * I average 29mpg on summer blend gas with the tire pressure running 34psi around all tires. I notice on winter blend the gas mileage go back to 26.5->27ish for some reason. I also had a temporary issue with the throttle body indicator light coming on the instrument panel and running rough after changing the battery. This was resolved after I removed the battery again (terminals) and let the capacitors empty out and the EPROM reset while pressing the gas peddle to the floor all the way up and down to teach the computer the limits of the throttle. This solved the rough idle issue and made the warning light go out...after reconnecting the battery. Plan on keeping the car after I realized how sensitive it is with mid to low tire pressure. Keep about 35psi in the tires and it will average almost 30 if you keep the RPM below 3500.

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  Great car - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By budoinst - February 24 - 6:06 am

  I have owned many types of vehicles, including another great one, a 2003 G35 coupe, before this one. This car is safe, quality built, quick and handles well. For the price that one pays, it is the best bargain on the road in my opinion. Other than an old hemi Charger, it would blow away any of the older models. Just a super bargain overall.

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  Poorly designed. - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By wstraube - February 22 - 12:22 pm

  After having a 2000 Grand Caravan Sport this 07 SXT was a big let down. I would have thought since Daimler-Benz AG merged with Chrysler in 1998 they would have produced a higher quality vehicle. Instead they cut corners everywhere they could and made in my opinion a cheeper vehicle. Where do I start? The only reason I had to get rid of my 2000 is that the shock towers were starting to rust. A problem Chrysler knew they had but didnÂ’t do anything about. It was a safety issue. But I almost got 200,000 miles out of it. I had a little rust to fix around the drivers side wheel well. Other than that it was pretty reliable. The 07 with a little over 100,000 miles started

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  Dodge Grand Caravan eL - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Don B. - February 22 - 10:00 am

  Good ride. Good Power. Lots of room. Reliable.

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  Our second Dodge van - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Gerry - February 22 - 6:46 am

  Bought with 14800 miles on the odometer and since have driven it 2000 miles. It rides and outperforms the 98 Grand Caravan that we had traded in. This is one of the one of the most user friendly vehicles on the road. We had great luck with our old one for 5 years and 122,000 miles and expect the same from our 2004 model.