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:

• 

  2009 Dodge Journey RT 2WD - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Norfolk, VA - October 22 - 1:23 am

  Love my car but...There is not enough space for second and third row to each have room for their legs. The paint wore off of the ignition switch. Had to replace breaks at 20K miles. The engine began ticking much louder around 15K. The transmission makes a terrible noise on acceleration. Have been told that is ‘normal’. The power windows dont always work. The dealership couldnt duplicate or fix the problem. My key doesnt work every time. The sunroof leaked. We do not get the promised gas mileage. I complained that the car pulled to the right. Months later a recall was issued on that problem. The door trim falls off. While I love the features, I do not feel that this car is well made.

• 

  Satified so far - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Yeoman Chief - October 17 - 7:03 am

  I have had the vehicle for about a month. We really love the van. Roomy interior. Stow-n-go is very helpful with twin boys. Ride is comparable to some sedans that I have driven. I did have to take to the shop to get the emergency brake line connected. It was never connected at the plant. Also I have noticed some of the areas behind the panels and door jams do not have the same level of paint as on the exterior of the van. Overall I am pleased with the vehicle. Hopefully no other items will come up.

• 

  Neon in Neutral - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By Macadew - October 16 - 6:43 pm

  The Neon has been fairly reliable and gets excellent gas mileage. Its a five speed which helps with mileage and makes it more valuable.The car has held up well overall and now has 103,000 miles. It makes a loud whining sound whenever turning the steering wheel which is obnoxious. The ride isnt very smooth, but I guess thats the case with most small cars.

• 

  Its got a Hemi - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By ronezinc - October 16 - 9:52 am

  I got rid of my anemic performing 4.7 V- 8 Dakota that wouldnt tow worth a hoot, got a Hemi that gets better gas mileage (multi displacement technology) and tows great.

• 

  Wisp - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By William Freisinger - October 16 - 8:10 am

  Handles well. Has good pickup speed. Comfortable seating. Excellent sound system.

• 

  Great Car. Tag yourre it for problems! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By magnumagogo - October 11 - 5:59 pm

  First of all I love my car. It seems like I was chosen by Dodge to be the guinea pig for the problems that dont happen to anyone else. Tires lasted just over 22k. Was told I overinflated them, but mustve been dealership because I am never one to do it yourself. Tranny went out at 30k (its a Mercedes tranny too!) & it took forever to fix! Then the temp gauge went out (cant remember why, but they had never seen the problem in all of the magnums they had seen in the shop), window went out, key fob died, still have a popping noise when I make sharp left turns, but never can be heard when in the shop.

• 

  Next Best Thing - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By bobnrobin - October 11 - 10:33 am

  The car is a blast to drive. I have never owned a car that receives more attention than this car. Every where I go someone is stopping me to ask about the car or compliment me on the looks of the car. From ages of 8 to 80 people are stopping me to comment on the car. Either to tell me about the Charger they owned years ago or how much they would like to buy the current model. The down side is at every red light someone is challenging me to run it. Dodge got it right with this car. Its fast as a bullet stops on a dime and corners like its on rails. Some complain about the fact they made it a sedan, but from my perspective the car is the best of both worlds.

• 

  What SUV? - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Ed Salvadore - October 10 - 2:06 pm

  Brutally fast and solid ride. Long wheelbase makes vehicle less nimble for around town driving. Overall I am very pleased.

• 

  Decent.... Not reliable - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By smitty - October 9 - 9:42 pm

  I had this car for 2 years. First let me say, while the car was running, I loved this car, but For the first 6 months the car seemed to be doing great, then after that, problem upon problem upon problem. I bought this car for $3000 and put probably another $3000-5000 in it for problems. In the end the head gasket went and I was done with this car, got a 2000 Mustang, love it! This car looks great, very comfortable, when it ran, it ran great, nice power, on the 3.2 engine at least. I love the looks of the car and the size, I love big cars, but I just had way too many problems with this thing.

• 

  Great Crossover for the Money - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Bestcrossover - October 7 - 1:20 pm

  I love the Dodge Journey. I hadnt even heard of it when I saw it at the dealership! I had been looking for a car with SUV feel and room with better gas mileage than I had been getting in larger truck based vehicles. I have the 4 cyl engine, which doesnt have the power of a 6, but gets the job done for trips and work commutes. It is an attractive car that many people have asked me about, as it is quite uncommon on the road and is a new model.