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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  Damn fun SRT-4 - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Tom Wyse - October 7 - 1:03 pm

  Just plain fun to drive! Nothing like performance AND mileage. I have gotten as good as 29 MPG and as low as 22 (driven with fun and gusto). Id read a complaint about poor visibility with the rear spoiler, but find it fine unless I want to see over a 1/2 mile back. Now I want the SRT-10 pickup. The biggest single modification I made was to replace the engine mounts, that ELIMINATED any wheel hop.

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  Slap in the Face - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Das Kootz - October 7 - 2:56 am

  Its appearance is what drew me to it. However,I dont think they put a lot of thought into the interior design, no creativity, no toys really,doesnt reflect the exterior image at all. I opted for the 6 CD/DVD player, expecting a screen to accompany it.It didnt.Not that I dont like listening to movie. Its just not the same without the visual. No response yet from them on whether or not there is any video output. If not,why offer it? Exterior? The tires look wrong (I opted for the 17")they should be bigger/wider. They are cookie cutters. The luggage rack shakes at around 95 km or in wind. For me the only saving grace lies in the aftermarket.

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  My First Dodge! - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By David Nolen - October 2 - 10:06 am

  I was initially captivated by the bold, muscular and clean curves of the vehicle. I took the vehicle for a test drive at the urging of my sales representative and before I made it onto the highway, my wallet started looking for a place to hide. It was time to bury my ambition to purchase another Nissan. I settled on the ST 4/2 with the 4.7 Magnum engine. It has the right blend of power and smooth acceleration. The interior is spacious and well appointed with the appropriate luxuries which include power windows, side mirrors, power locks and an AM/FM radio with CD.

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  A good sporty car for the price - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By R/T fan - October 1 - 1:51 pm

  I got my dark blue (great color) R/T coupe about a year ago and have very much enjoyed it. Has plenty of power without having so much that its wasted, very precise handling with little roll, great looking and pretty good standard 4-cd sound system and moonroof. The shifter is in a great location with excellent feel although the clutch is a little heavy and tricky in first, and bravo to Dodge for actually offering a manual with the V6 version of the coupe (unlike GM Grand Am or Alero which had no manual with V6 nor Toyota for the Camry Solara the Mustang has one but the 03s are primitive and I have yet to find a used Accord V6 coupe with the manual). Great mileage (25/30) too!

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  Good solid car - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By dab - September 26 - 2:14 pm

  Now over 6 yrs old, has never given much trouble. Have had 2 wheel bearings, one covered by warranty, and heater fan lost 1 speed. Also a tie rod replaced. FM portion of radio just stopped working. Thats it for repairs! Have driven coast to coast. Average mpg lifetime around 31 mpg with 2.4 liter engine/automatic. Original tires went over 76K miles.

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  60K mil Report - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By lhowie17 - September 25 - 10:00 am

  We had the water pump go out about 56,000 miles. The tires on the car wear down very fast. Seems like every quarter we are buying a new tire. The air controls dont blow when putting the button on air at the top and feet for some reason. Same problem was happening on our 99 Dakota. Dealer ordered the part but never called again to say in and then it was out of warrenty. The truck drinks gas like crazy!

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  2006 Dodge Magnum SE 2.7L 4CYL - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By DE - September 24 - 11:42 pm

  I had this car for 6 months now and have had no problems at all. It runs and drives great. I would like to see a little more power but that is my fault for buying the one with the small engine, (for gas mileage reasons), and it does get excellent fuel mileage.

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  Different & Fun, Esp. for a Ford Man - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By BigE - September 23 - 4:53 pm

  I enjoyed the fact that I could still have room not like a Excursion but like leg room. It is not a Ford Flex but the dealer was willing to work with me and my situation. Not that it was bad. Larger wheels came with the R/T package and it is a lighter ride then the traditional Larger SUVs

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  Occasional user - 1999 Dodge Ram Van
  By Camper - September 22 - 4:20 pm

  Good hauling capacity, got the 6 way adjustible seats which are the cats pajamas, used mostly n the summer, fishtails on the slightest ice. Smooth riding for such a big vehicle. Would have liked the 3500 if I knew about the lower cargo capacity

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  Back on the Road - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By wrench1 - September 18 - 7:24 am

  After driving for 3600 miles I was hit by a Peterbuilt truck in rush hour last June 19th. Just got back yesterday afyet numerous repairs from accident. This truck saved my life as If I was hit in my car I would be dead. Only frame damage was left rear rail which was pulled back on fram machine. Outstanding crash protection. I walked away with no injury.