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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  Good transportation at reasonable price - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By bob - January 2 - 12:28 pm

  We bought this car used and have owned it for over 7 years (65000 miles). It has been reliable. According to my records our total repair costs have been less than $1500. Replaced the front brake pads and rotors once, 3 blower motor resisters and the blower motor, fuel pump, and the oxygen sensor. The interior has held up very well. Leather seats and 6 disc cd player are nice. The exterior is starting to show some rust spots below the doors (winter salt) The fuel economy has been 25-28 mpg overall. We consistently get well over 30 mpg on the highway. It is not built as well as a Honda or Toyota, but the initial cost is considerably less. We are older people and are easy on the car.

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  Im in Love - 2008 Dodge Challenger
  By Hemi Mike - January 1 - 10:26 pm

  Holy cow! This truly an amazing car! The thrust off the line will snap your neck. I got 20 feet of rubber at 30 MPH by manually shifting into 1st. People really admire it every where I go. I took it to my local BMW dealer to get a part for my 540i and the entire showroom emptied out! All the salesman and service writers came out and took pictures of it. You cant get that attention from an M-5 at twice the price. The gas mileage also surprised me I get 15 around town when I drive it civilly. One of the best features is the sound system. I feel like I have live concert in my back seat. Sometimes I go into my garage to just gawk at my amazing ride.

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  2016 Dart Limited - 2016 Dodge Dart
  By AWJ00 - January 1 - 9:45 am

  I just bought the 2016 Limited and it is great! We took it on a long trip of 1,800+ miles. It performed flawlessly. The seats were comfortable. The Uconnect was great. The lane assist was really helpful on the highway. Very happy with this purchase. I also got the lifetime warranty as I plan on keeping the vehicle long term. It is well worth a test drive. The auto press pans the Dart. Drive it yourself and make up your own mind.

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  30,000 miles of hard driving, still great - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By white98d - January 1 - 8:18 am

  Had the car for 30000 miles and been in two accidents. Rearended a pickup, got it fixed, then was rearended by a Jeep Cherokee that got totaled but other than a lot of scuffed paint the Durango was fine. Only thing bad about it is the gas mileage so I put on an aftermarket intake system and exhaust now it gets 13 city 19 highway. Best thing about it is the power. Took it offroading didnt have a problem anywhere in 4wd. Also driving on the highway is a blast . I love this car and would get another after this if I can find one with low amount of miles. does great burnouts, too.

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  Looking Good - 2007 Dodge Magnum
  By blake hardy - December 31 - 10:48 pm

  I own a 1969 Superbee, 1971 Cuda, & a 1981 Corvette and I have as much fun and more comfort in the Magnum as I do in all of the other cars I own. If you are looking for a car, I would highly recommend the Magnum. Dodge has discontinued this car which I think is very foolish.

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  Best Chriswtmas present I ever received! - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By jaysonheather - December 31 - 7:26 pm

  My boyfriend bought me the Nitro for Christmas and we both love it! I dont think the gas mileage is bad at all being an SUV. The looks are great, very tough looking. The ride is very comfortable not hard like a truck. We also have the nice suspension, power sunroof and 20" chrome wheels along with all other options we could purchase. We get looks everywhere we go. I recommend anyone considering the Nitro to be ready to buy it because, youre gonna love it!

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  Awesome Caliber Review - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By 1qwalker - December 30 - 5:38 pm

  Ive owned my Caliber for almost five months now and I love everything about it. Its fun to drive and has a great style.

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  SRT-4 - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By moparfiend - December 30 - 1:01 am

  Third owner of the car. I own three old MOPARS and find that this is actually the most fun to drive. I consistantly get 30+ MPG and do not drive below the speed limit. I commute 75 miles round trip a day on the interstate. I have lowered the car, replaced the brakes, shocks, intake, exhaust and now have the T3R Mopar system completely installed. There are very few vehicles that can accelerate or keep up when the pedal is to the metal.

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  Favorable review - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Dave - December 28 - 1:36 pm

  A very comfortable ride. The car has much more get up and go than expected. It also attracts a lot of interest and attention. This vehicle is smaller than any Ive owned in many years, but it doesnt handle as such. It handles very much like a larger luxury vehicle. There is lots of foot room for rear seat passengers, which is another great feature. All in all, I would highly recommend this vehicle.

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  Great Car - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By Jerry - December 28 - 2:00 am

  Purchased new in 12/93 for my trip cross coutry. The 3.0 V6 was impressive stock, but with a couple minor changes (cold air intake, high flow cat & muffler, larger tires & wheels) it would keep up with Mustangs and Camaros of that year. Ran a 14.0 qtr mile at Maple Grove. As a soldier in the US Army I travelled and the Shadow took me everywhere from Louisiana to Alaska. Over 30K / year for the first 4 years with no problems. Went through lots of tires, but that was my heavy foot, not the car.