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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  Surprised! - 2010 Dodge Dakota
  By Elkdog - November 19 - 2:00 am

  It had been (12) years since I had owned a Dodge Dakota but I always liked them. The 2008 I purchased with the TRX package, 4.7 liter V-8, and crew cab is super nice. It rides nice, has great performance, and gets pretty good gas mileage. This truck is much nicer than any I have owned from Chevy, Ford, and even the previous Dodge Ram and (2) Dakotas. This truck blows them out of the water...what else can be said? I am surprised!

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  2010 Challenger SE - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Dave - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Driving this beast is fun. I bought her and drove her for the first time on a major highway. She ran great, very comfortable and handles like a charm. To own her is to love her! It was a great pleasure to sit behind the wheel and relax while driving around. Simply a great vehicle. I come from the 70s era and Dodge did a great job with the retro look. Two thumbs up! Lots of stares, thumbs up and waves from on lookers.

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  Dodge Challenger 2010 SE - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Dave - November 18 - 2:00 am

  I bought a 2010 Dodge Challenger SE. It comes with a 3.5 DOHC engine. I had purchase it and had to drive 60 miles to home. The trip was fabulous! It handled great, Air worked good, Radio sounds great, ABS stops the car on a dime. I must admit that I was not pushing the car. I have to do the break-in period and see what she is like. Many people complained about views. I can see all the areas I need to and if you change the right side mirror, move it so it is wide. No issues with performance and love the shifter. The dealer filled the tank with gas and when I arrived home, the gas is still full! She take command of the road and people were waving to me all the time. No complaints! Love her!

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  Yea Its got a HEMI - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By DeMo1978 - November 18 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a newer Charger RT since I first laid eyes on them. Almost bought one in 07 but couldnt afford it. When my Durango hit 170K I figured its time to go get a Charger. I bought a pearl black 07 RT with heated leather, moon roof, spoiler. I absolutely love everything about it. Its got plenty of space and power at 340 hp and it just looks mean plain and simple. It turns heads all the time. Dont waste your time on anything less than the RT 5.7. V8. The resale value is higher and the gas mileage isnt much different between the 3.5 and the 5.7. V8. They just put more time and effort into the RT. After market upgrades are plentiful and cheap plus the sound of the dual exhaust is cool.

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  Love this car - 2010 Dodge Charger
  By Bryan - November 18 - 2:00 am

  Just bought my Charger a couple of months ago and I really love it. Had an old BMW 740 that was heavy but fast, and honestly this has just as much pickup in a tight spot. I have the 3.5L V6 but I drove the 2.7. Glad I got the extra HP. Great going around turns, smooth braking.

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  Great Car - 2010 Dodge Caliber
  By denny l - November 17 - 2:00 am

  Have 1000 miles on my new Caliber. I average 30 mpg combined. It is very quiet and very comfortable. Still getting used to day running lights.

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  We love our Challenger R/T Hemi - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By David - November 17 - 2:00 am

  We bought a Challenger R/T 5.7L Hemi after a British friend told me what exceptional cars they are - hes a die-hard fan of the movie "Vanishing Point". I wanted a Hemi but frankly the Chrysler 300C seemed overpriced. Wed had a 300 V/6 Touring that was nice but not fully satisfying. The R/T is superior to the 300 in every way craftsmanship, power, handling, even comfort & ride. Its a great car for long trips and we always arrive refreshed. Very stable & quiet at speed. Nice LED interior accent lighting. Its been a real attention- getter & ppl still gather around it. Nicely finished everywhere. It has an actual top speed of over 165 mph, limited to 140. Our best car ever for fun & long trips.

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  No Snow Tires available for SXT - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Now snow tires - November 17 - 2:00 am

  Snow Tires are not available for SXT by any tire manufacturer. The car is a good design and handles the road well. I have driven 45,000 miles on the car, had to change out tires, brakes, rotors and radio along with routine maintenance. The seats are very uncomfortable, the foam is compressed after just 18 months of use.

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  Its been fun - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By poor thing - November 16 - 2:00 am

  My family bought this car brand new. We havent had any problems with it until just recently. At 60,000 miles, the radiator broke. I want to get it fixed, but the mechanic doesnt guarantee that only the radiator is broken. Cant completely blame dodge for the break down, probably just a lack in regular service. Overall, its a good little car. its a shame to see it go this way.

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  Bad choice - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By badinvestment - November 16 - 2:00 am

  Car style nice thats it. Car sound like lawn mower with bad gas, from the time taking off lot nothing but problems. Tire air leak often due to bad tire sensors which was recall and never repaired properly finally had to remove sensors to prevent from putting air in tire every 2 days. 2 sets of brakes, air condition went out, pulley belts, oil pan cracked, interior cheap, paint chips on front hood bubbling on hood and bumper chipping not considered part of warranty low resale owed more than value finally did voluntary repo credit score crashed but I am ok free from nightmare.