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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  Best Kept Secret for Mid-Sized SUVs - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By f_black - August 27 - 7:50 pm

  All in all after 2 months of ownership this vehicle has been absolutely outstanding. For my needs (suburban tasks, weekend fun) its exceeded my expectations. Very high quality, ergonomic interior that is comfortable and utility orientated as a daily driver. But for me the clincher is the road dynamics - taut handling and the Hemi that kicks in at all the right moments brings a smile every time. I do know its not a mid-engine exotic (at 5300 lbs) but for a domesticated male this is superbly satisfying! Do not take my word for it - test drive it if you can find one (R/T).

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  LOVE DODGES! - 2003 Dodge Intrepid
  By becca1984 - August 27 - 12:54 pm

  I recently purchased my 2nd Dodge Intrepid. They are very dependable cars,as long as theyre taken care of. My 1st Intrepid was a 2000. Owned it 3 years and only replaced a tire rod and the power steering pump(previous owner neglected it). I accumulated alot of miles on that car. When I let it go it had 215,000 miles and still going strong. My current intrepid is a 2003. Sitting at 146,000. Excellent car. I change my oil every 5,000 miles. 4qts of synthetic blend oil and 1 qt of Lucas engine treatment. These cars are CHAMPS as long as theyre taken care of!

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  2015 Dodge Journey Limited - 2015 Dodge Journey
  By brandich - August 25 - 10:06 am

  Weve had out New 2015 Journey Limited now for 4 days and LOVE it! We DO MISS the 1 and 2 Power Seat Adjustment that we had with our Town & Country Limited! We also MISS the POWER rear hatch feature. At 68 years old this WOULD have been nice to have...like our Town & Country Limited. All in All we do my Wifes new car and LOVE the White Tri-Coat exterior and the White Pearl and Black interior.

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  First New Car - 2014 Dodge Dart
  By bradley_gt - August 23 - 12:53 pm

  It is not as easy to find good used car at a great value any more so I finally looked at what around $200 a month could get you in a lease. I wanted something that got around 30 MPG but had some features. I have owned many domestic vehicle as well as Honda Civics. The new Dart is very attractive thus the initial interest. Wow I was surprised at what you get for your money in both the STX & GT models.

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  Great Truck Overall. Going good at 65k+ - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By carlovernyc - August 22 - 8:03 pm

  My review is being posted for someone seeking user experience data to make a decision to buy/own a used Dodge Nitro or not. Our Nitro was bought New from the Dealer. After nearly 7 years and 60,000 miles, the problems have been limited to minor issues. Check engine light has come on a few times requiring a trip to the dealer. Either it was nothing, or something covered under wrrty. A power door lock broke, and a tire sensor broke. Aside from this the car is reliable.

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  Great value! - 2014 Dodge Dart
  By mlex1978 - August 20 - 1:57 am

  Originally went to check out Chargers but came across the Dodge Dart GT and went for a test drive and totally enjoyed the Dart more!! Plus you got more for the money and a similar equipped Charger was closer to 40k then 30k! So I purchased and have about 2k on it and still enjoy driving it! Heated leather all the way to push button start for under 25k and looks great to boot and gets decent gas mileage!

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  Dart SXT Manual - 2014 Dodge Dart
  By jhbremer - August 15 - 3:07 pm

  Seems like the professional reviews on this site and others find some way of knocking the Dart, but I dont see what they are talking about. I researched and shopped extensively (looked at the Veloster, Mazda3, etc.). The Dart, by far, was the best driving experience of any of those. Superb handling, good acceleration with the 2.4, quick braking, and it just feels solid. Interior is high quality and spacious, exterior is beautiful.

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  Owner of a 2004 Dodge Durango SLT 5.7 Hemi - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By durango_owner - August 10 - 8:21 am

  I am a former Marine that purchased my durango brand new on September 1st 2004, with only 18 miles. It has been a truly excellent ride for nearly 10 years. I have put over 227800 miles on this truck, the only thing The first major repair is when I replaced the EGR valve which was three years ago. Didnt do schedule maintenance on time, may have went an additional 2000 miles before changing the oil, transmission fluid. etc. Now after 10 years I was told that my transmission needed to be replaced, I have read all the complaints others have experienced But I only will purchase American cars except Fords. I wont be buying a Dodge Durango SUV do to the change in body style its too femin

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  amazing. - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By chrisbates - July 29 - 1:18 am

  So I guess Im the only person who had no problems with this car. I bought it used at the end of 2009 with 30k miles (it was a company car for its previous owners) the only thing that was wrong was the plastic that covers the spedometer had a crack, that didnt effect visibility. It was just a crack. I drove this car daily and love it I had the SE so only a 4 cylinder. But it was enough to have a quick start and handled great for me. I made plenty of 1000 mile trips and was great. I skidded on ice and smashed into the side wall twice at 80mph and walked away without a problem. This car is amazing and it saved my life. The trunk never leaked and I had no problems at all. I loved this car.

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  My favorite car I have ever owned. - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By kshizzle - July 9 - 4:38 pm

  This is the 6th car I have owned and I can honestly say that I am finally driving the exact car that I wanted to be driving. Before I bought my Avenger I had always settled for what was available (hand me down cars) as well as what was cheap and reliable. I drove a Corolla for 12 years and that made the decision to settle for nothing less then a 6 cylinder engine that much easier. I drove most the cars in this class (G6, Malibu, Camry etc...) as rental cars but when I rented the Avenger I was sold. Most people on the road do not understand that it has a 3.6 liter 283 hp engine inside. Easily enough to beat all of the cars in its class. Fun car for sure.