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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  Great until 100k miles - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By Melissa42781 - January 7 - 12:28 pm

  I bought my Dodge in 8/04, 3 months later I got pregnant. The truck was great with a baby, though no room for all the stuff that goes with a kid. The power is great, I pulled someone out of being so stuck that the rope broke. Gas mileage was terrible. Once my truck reached 100k miles it basically pooped on me. it was one thing after another. to make a long story short I had to get rid of it. I could not afford to keep fixing it and paying the car payment. No one knew what was wrong with it. But other than that I loved it.

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  SRT8 Power House - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By William Miller - January 6 - 3:02 pm

  I first owned a 2005 SXT Magnum, black w/tinted windows and 17" alloy rims, I loved that car. My daughter said it looked like a hearse. It could have been an instant muscle car but the 3.5 L V6 just didnt have it.I mean the 3.5 is a great motor just not the Horse power I wanted. So I bought a 2006 SRT8 w/ the 6.1 L Hemi. Wow! Its balck just like the one before and a whole lot faster. The power is almost unbelivable between the two. I miss the all leather seats and moon roof the SXT had. The 20" rims make for a little more bumpy ride but the handling is superior. Lots of power and good looks!Its what I wanted when I bought my first Magnum.

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  Good All around workhorse - 2001 Dodge Ram Wagon
  By Dave V. - January 5 - 4:43 pm

  Bought used w/ 18k. Has big V8 with OD and HD rear gearing/ tow package. 14 MPG hwy - 13 city. Pulls 8k+ trailer with no problems. Little slow from 0- 30, but adequate above that even when towing. After 4 yrs and 70 k, no major problems. A bit large for maneuvers in small spaces.

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  I love my Neon - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By jessicaann2005 - January 4 - 11:13 am

  My 2005 Neon SXT came with the SRT4 exterior package. It is awesome looking and great on gas mileage and fits my whole family. I have looked forward to finally getting one for the past few years.

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  Love My Nitro! - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Allie - January 3 - 2:18 pm

  I love my new Nitro! I got the Nitro in the Red, it is very eye-catching and handles really well. Plus it is quiet, much quieter than my 2001 Honda Odyssey. I wanted to get away from the minivan now that my kids are getting older but really didnt want a car or big SUV so this was an excellent compromise! I am looking forward to seeing how it handles in our winter weather. Would recommend this car to anyone. The only complaint I have is that the gas mileage isnt the greatest, but I am hoping this corrects itself as the car gets more "broken in". Love the looks, have gotten many comments already, and my stepsons would love to drive it for me

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  LOVE IT! - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By hotwire71 - January 2 - 1:13 pm

  This is my second Dodge Gr. Caravan. I bought my 2001 in June of 2003 with 67,000 miles. I now have over 210,000 miles on it. Other than a CV Boot gone bad in 2004, I have had little in the way of maintenance. Ive had the A/C looked at, but no one can find the leak, so I have it charged every Spring and have had no problems getting through the summer. In the 7 years Ive owned the vehicle, Ive replaced the break pads twice, so about every 75,000 miles. The front blower resistor/transistor or whatever it is called, went bad a couple weeks ago. In fact thats how I came to find this site. The part $13.99 and its definitely a DIY job, took me less than 10 minutes. I LOVE MY VAN!

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  Poor Paint - 1998 Dodge Dakota
  By Poor Paint - January 2 - 12:47 pm

  I ordered the truck with everything I wanted and was blown away when I went to the dealership to pick it up. So far, overall, its been a very good reliable truck. The 318 V8 has plenty of power, but with any V8(and 4WD larger tires), fuel economy is poor. The interior is functional, durable and neat. Mechanically, its been solid overall. Ive had multiple ball joints replaced. No major problems with mine other than delamination of the paint which is very common for this Dakota. Ive seen many others with the same problem.

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  Alot of bang for your buck! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Mike - January 1 - 9:13 pm

  I love my 2006 Charger. For the money- (I paid $29,995)-I got a black RT that is an absolute head turner. The only gripes I have are the placement of the cruise control lever(GOOFY), and the rear spoiler should have been standard- I had to buy mine off of EBAY. The review in Car & Driver does not do this car justice. There is no car out there that can give you Hemi power and "4" doors besides the 300C. I own a 2003 Ram 2500 with this same engine. I knew it could move my pickup in a hurry. I just had to see what it could do in the Charger. Wow!

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  Why did Dodge discontinue this model? - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By jrb - January 1 - 5:58 pm

  We operate this car in our courier business. It has a 5 speed manual trans. (Had been using Nissan hardbody pickups because of their reliability.) We have owned this car 2 years & 3 months it has 225,000 miles on it. We are saving a lot of money, compared to the Nissans, on insurance, fuel, and maintenance. We use synthetic oil. Only maintenance we have had to do is spark plugs and wires and one timing belt. We use it city and highway driving over 400 miles per day at 32 mpg. This has probably been the most reliable "American" make I have ever owned. I cannot believe Dodge discontinued this model. It is too good to believe except that we have used it and seen it. Why did you end it Dodge?

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  Get the warranty - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Groot - December 31 - 7:46 am

  I had my Durango for 5 years, in fact I got it right before gas prices went nuts! After about a month filling the tank wasnt fun anymore, but I still loved driving it. I loved this car and put it through its paces during the time I had it. Great handling, lots of power, and really nice and comfortable interior. I loved having this car.