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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  Dreading the Day - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By keys8864 - August 6 - 7:07 am

  I am dreading the day when I will have to replace this car. There is simply nothing currently on the market that can replace this cars interior space. Also despite its size, it drives like a much smaller car. I currently have in excess of 100,000 miles on this car after purchasing it new in 2002. Mechanically, the transmission had to be rebuilt at 80,000 miles, and have had no other problems. The interior is still excellent with no visible wear (two children). I also replaced the 17" chrome wheels with Vox aftermarket aluminum wheels due to corrosion causing rim leaks. This has been the best 4 door sedan I have ever owned including Volvos, Mercedes, and Toyotas I owned in the past.

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  Im hurt - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Maddie - August 5 - 1:02 pm

  My doors unlock by themselves, windows roll down, lights come on without me even starting the car. Ive been to the dealer at least ten times to be told they cannot find the trouble. My car has been broken into 4 times because people walk by and see my open. They are hoping to find money. Family Dodge Please help me.

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  Dodge Caliber - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Chris - August 5 - 9:33 am

  Dodge Caliber is a good above basic car and has an affordable price tag. Its performance is based on the maintenance of the CVT, you need to have it cleaned every 15,000 miles, then the car snaps when you accelerate. It could use a turbo version with the 4 cylinder, but the cost of the vehicle can reflect the turbo enhancement (Volvo does this - I own an S40 1.9T and love it). The car handles well in the snow, minus the all- wheel or 4 wheel option, due to the 17" tires and wide wheel base. The warning sensor are a flaky, but its due to the cable harnesses and connections. The car could use a little better suspension for a better ride. We like the car, just tweak it a little.

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  2.7 is expensive to maintain - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By mark f - August 5 - 6:36 am

  Bought ours used and we thought we got a great buy. Then the problems started to hit us. Thermostat went out was $160 to replace it because a normal man without a car hoist cant get to it, REALLY! Then 1 of the 2 ELECTRIC fans that cool the motor went out. Then it kept over heating anyway. Come to find out, its the water pump. It is made to leak a tiny amount of water as it starts to go out. Causing you to over heat. $600 minimum to replace as it is inside the motor. Since they have to take off the timing belt, might as well replace it too, another $125 in parts. My mechanic said to use 5w-20 synthetic oil only! Other oils cause build-up in side the motor causing them to blow!

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  I am spoiled! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Marti - August 4 - 12:08 pm

  I got this car in 2006, the RT model. At the time I wanted a mustang but I had to have a car with roomy backseat for my babies (furry ones). Also i am afraid of big bridges and this car flies over with ease. My stepmom loves the backseat roominess (she drives a cozy mercedes and I can tell she likes mine better). I drive like an old lady a lot but I love the pick up when I am passing and annoyed with other cars:) It is a large frame though and parking it is troublesome, have had a few dings. I was sold on the leather interior and heated seats. I dont like the gas mileage though. Overall I am pretty happy with this car. Watch out for me on the road at least once a month:)

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  Stay away! - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Kip - August 4 - 10:59 am

  Car is Extremely slow Do not ever attempt to pull out and think you have enough time this Car will not get out of its own way, Car Loses 35% Value as soon as it leaves the Lot I took Mine back and wanted to Trade for a R/T I paid 27,550 for the car they offered 18,000 for a car with 1500 miles. Really Stay away!

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  Love it - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Tracy - August 4 - 10:34 am

  Purchased car it had under 8K miles. I love the hemi engine and almost everything about the car. I do not like Continental tires. I also did not like the difficulty of locating part for awd. Other than that I love my car. I will buy another

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  Miss my Pacifica - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Ben - August 4 - 9:55 am

  Traded "05 Pacifica Ltd. and am having regrets. I forgot how much the Mercedes input meant! I like the Journey but am disappointed in interior. The seats are narrow and stiff. May be too many hidden storage units for a kids grown couple. I purchased black leather and it looks and feels like vinyl. Mileage is better but it will take a while to forget the luxury of the Pacifica.

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  Good Small Car - 1992 Dodge Shadow
  By Glenn - August 4 - 9:24 am

  I had one of these I bought new in 1990 and put 100,000 trouble free miles on it. I bought a new one in 1992 for my mother-in-law and she drove it until she passed away. She loved it and it has sat the last few years as we just could not sell it. I started driving it again recently and it runs like the day we bought it. These were good cars for the money, this car has 77,000 miles on it without a single problem.

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  Its been a great vehicle - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By DrivinTexas - August 3 - 10:11 pm

  Beyond some difficulty with the front suspension in the first few years, this has been a dependable vehicle. I really like the size -- it is big enough for dogs, garden equipment, and moving. Compared to the newer (bigger) SUVs it is pretty nimble. I was surprised by comments on fuel usage. On my last long trip I got 18.3 mpg, and because the throttle body needed cleaning, it wasnt even running that smoothly. Some efficient driving habits will probably drive up anyones mileage, because Im not doing anything special.