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 Little Performer - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Bryan E. Rice - August 12 - 3:06 am

  For the two months I have owned my Neon SXT, I have been very satisfied with nearly every aspect. The five speed transmission could use a little more refinement, but the engine is peppy enough to satisfy everyday drivers. Fuel economy has been very good - averaging 27 MPG. One thing I love is the virtual lack of a power lag while the AC is on. My Neons ride and handling are excellent for a small car. Cabin room is more than I expected - even my 6ft-2in tall best friend can sit comfortably in the rear seat. The interior design is clean, functional and solid, though Im prone to accidentally hitting the stereo controls when Im shifting. My Neon is a great car that Im happy I purchased.

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  Major parts good. Minor parts bad. - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Matt - August 11 - 10:03 pm

  We got this car used at 26k, and had no real issues with it for about 12 months. Since then, it has been in the shop several times for minor issues. Windshield washer pump broke. Power locks on rear doors broke. Rear washer broke. A/C leaked on the floorboards. Brake system is junk. Despite oil changes every 3,000 miles, I end up having to do an engine system flush due to sludge build-up every other time. Power steering binds. Bottom line is, that despite no real major problems with the engine, etc, it is extremely irritating to have to bring the van in for work all the time.

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  My Stratus - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Mateo - August 10 - 10:00 am

  Overall A very good car. Good looking however it is a bit underpowered compared to other cars in its class, it needs about another 50 horsepower to be competive. The power steering is way to overassisted for my taste, it leaves no real feel of the road. Braking is good and it handles well once you get used to the power stearing. Parts of the interior feel a bit cheap and the dash is comming apart at the de-fog vent aver about 8 months of ownership. The automatic transmission felt abit sluggish on take- off, thats why i chose the manual.

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  Cant beat it for the money! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By wfd146 - August 10 - 1:33 am

  I bought my wife a Caliber this week, and we both love it. The CVT takes some getting used to, but it is very smooth. Its a compact car, so you have to expect its not going to be as roomy as a Durango. The standard stereo performs very well, and the aux. jack is perfect for the Ipod. Side airbags, 17" wheels, and foglights. I paid cost for the car which was $17K, and you cant find another car with the capabilities and features for the money.

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  Comfortable Ride - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By Jesse - August 8 - 9:20 pm

  My 2000 Tundra was falling apart, and I wanted to buy a small new truck. The interior room is great for hauling the kids around. We have also taken a couple of 500 miles trips and the highway mileage and comfort are great. But, the get up and go is non-existent. I dont get in a hurry with this one. Also, it is hard to get aftermarket parts/mods for the truck. Overall, a good ride, but I wish I had looked a bit more.

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  Bad engine - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By larry - August 8 - 4:47 pm

  I have 90,000 miles and 2 pistons broke. Rebuilt engine and repairs are $7,200. I had been having problems with the engine for 6 months. The 4.7 litter engine costs as much as a racing engine. Until the problems and the price I really enjoyed my Durango. The front suspension makes noise sometimes. IÂ’ve had it checked and they said everything was tight, but it doesnÂ’t sound like it. I want to lift it but 99 was the last year I can find a decent lift kit for.2000 can only be lifted 3 inches and thatÂ’s not worth the cost of the lift.

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  Drive Over Durability. Good is Enough - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By roadrunner - August 7 - 4:34 pm

  This vehicle came off lease with a full warranty and has got me to and fro safely on many road trips on the east coast. However the warranty paid for several issues: bad lock, bad evaporator(a/c), transmission cooler lines, oil sensor, and output sensor. Nothing catastrophic yet at 92K, just annoying stuff. It was stolen and broken into twice because the locks are cheap get an alarm in the city. The motor runs great with KN Filter and regular engine cleaner additive every 4K.

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  Not Sure if I will buy a Dodge again - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By My Red Durango - August 1 - 8:26 am

  I had a 2000 Durango and I traded it in due to mechanical problems. I purchased my 2004 Durango. The check engine light has come on 3 times in the past two years and each time it comes on, it costs me more than $200 to fix it. I drove a Ford Expedition for 5 years and never had a single problem with it. I think I am switching back to Ford for reliability

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  ScatPack provides loads of fun - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Tom J - July 28 - 6:51 pm

  This car does many things great, with always a few areas of improvement. 1) Great engine, fantastic sound, well mated to the 8spd transmission so always has plenty of power. And the sound of this thing is just awesome....coworkers have told me they wait in the parking lot just to hear it start up. It sounds powerful, and can back it up. I drove up Towne pass in Death Valley (9%) in top gear (8th) at 80mph at only a 1/4 pedal. 2) Very good mileage considering what it is. I can get 27-28mpg at 75mph as long as its not too hilly and can stay in 4cyl mode. In suburbia, more like 18mpg. 3) Fun electronics. The instrument cluster has a hi-res screen in which you can display many things (even a horsepower gauge!) and it all works well. The navigation works fairly good, although Google Maps is still better. Backup camera is very clean on the 8.4 inch screen. 4) Seats are very comfortable. 5) Brakes are nice and linear, with a good pedal feel. And there are always some room to improve. Note that none of these areas are that bad, but they could be better: 1) I wish for a bit more visibility out of the car. The high beltline and shorter windows makes the car look great, but Id like to see more. 2) The tranny downshifts when you come to a stop, and at times its a tad rough. Not bad, but could be improved. 3) The styling of the ScatPack includes a hood bulge which hurts front visibility of knowing exactly where the nose of the car is for parking. Add in the fact that the car had a low nose, and is big, makes it easy to hit curbs. I wish they had either a front camera or extended the parking sensors to the front. 4) The Beats audio system upgrade is very bleah. Its not bad, but certainly not work the money. 5) The car is big. That is what it is, but I wish it was 10 inches shorter. 6) Interior materials are good, not great. But with a scatpack, you paid for the motor and had to make up the cost somewhere. Overall, a very very fun car. Its hard not to keep driving around with the windows down listening to the motor rev.... Update: Almost a year into it now (10k miles), and everything I wrote is still true. Avg 21mpg overall with 4.6 0-60 and 12.9 @ 109.3 in 1/4mi.

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  Great Value - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Greg Richter - July 27 - 2:00 am

  This is my second Durango, after putting 75,000 on my 2000 traded it for a 2003. Great performance no problems. Ourisman Dodge and outstanding dearlership for both sales and service. First time I have ever traded a car in for the same one.