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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  Dodge - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Dave - October 28 - 7:00 am

  Just purchased the Caliber a couple of months ago for my wife. The steering wheel feels different! So far its been pretty reliable and I do like the CVT, it just feels weird to not feel the gearbox shift. Im giving Dodge an oportunity to impress me. Dont let me down Dodge!

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  My SRT - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By DodgeRacer - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for about 6 weeks, and I am loving every minute of it. Dodge really knows how to design and bolt a car together. The power is awesome. The interior is better than I expected on a economy car. The car looks awesome.

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  What a car! - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By gary luaders - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Lets be real, in the $25k coupe range you have some pretty poor performers. THe dodge Stratus R/T is not the norm, it has all the power you would want/need from a car that is not an all out sports car. I have seen about 25 mpg and am not one to shy away from getting on it every once in a while. The interior is well appointed and the style of controls with the brushed aluminum accent are incredible. I love this car and especially with the incentives, to be able to purchase this kind of vehicle for under $25k its a winner in my book Good Luck

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  2008 Caliber SXT - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By hotrod85 - October 25 - 5:43 pm

  The engine seemed pretty weak below 2000 rpm until I got a few thousand miles on it. Now at 6000, it does pretty good for such a small engine. I am a tall person and I still have to put the seat up a notch or two. I like that. Over all I find this car/wagon/whatever quite comfortable. The handling is very good with a very short turning radius. At first I thought I had made a mistake but now I am glad I bought it. The mileage could do better but, you do have to rev the engine to get the best out of it and the cruising rpm is high compared to other cars. Perhaps the 2.0 engine would have been a better choice but I am happy with this one.

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  Love this truck - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By rbickle1963 - October 25 - 2:00 am

  A lot of people drive SUVs, only a few drive a Durango! Spare me the label identity and mini-van-SUVs...those are for the people who would pay thousands more to show up the rest of the neighborhood. Dont talk to me about over priced foriegn luxury SUVs are tinker toys that claim to fit 5 adults if you like sitting in a car that fits you like a 60s VW. I owned the Toyota (being 64", it wasnt a "fit") and the Fords (And explored the service bay and lost my car in a sea of lemmings), and this is the best. Forget the hype, go for the performance, quality, and VALUE of Dodge!

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  My Second One - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By HotTopMan - October 24 - 4:13 pm

  This is my second ES AUTOSTICK, and like the first one I love it. Great car, no problems. Made to take the abuse. Just minor repairs, like any other car. People do not remember that you do have to replace parts they wear out eventually. I have 196,000 on it now and it is going strong. Still as powerful as a new car. One suggestion to people, this is not a good car for a first time drive, too much power, too large.

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  challenge this - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By tguy - October 24 - 3:23 pm

  I purchased this car two weeks ago and have put just over 2000 miles. "use it for work and pleasure" Everyone is impressed by the car looks and asks the usual questions, what size motor, how fast, blah, blah. I traded in a Mini Cooper S works car so the first thing I noticed is the roomy interior. A bit more power would be nice, but opted for better mileage. Handling was a surprise for this size of car. Much better than I expected. Road noise, what road noise. Electrics are smooth and quiet. Comfort and driving position superb. Yup, happy I got it...

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  Bobs Review - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By MAURICE R MILLER JR - October 24 - 2:46 am

  The first two thousand miles we had tire monitor problems, engine vibration at idle and windshield delaminating. All of the discrepancies were corrected by the dealer with no hassle. Since then, the van has been doing fine and think it will do as well as other makes.

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  Best Car I have Ever Had - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By blndbrm727 - October 22 - 3:36 pm

  I bought my Intrepid ES new in January of 2001. It now has 143,000 miles on it and have had to put only $1,000 into it -about a month ago. I love my Intrepid and wish they still made them! Would buy another one in 1/2 a heartbeat! Mine still has a good 30K- 40K miles left in it. My original goal was to get 150K miles. My secret has been this: Firestone! I purchased the lifetime tire rotation and lifetime alignment along with their tire protection plan. About $500. Each time oil is changed - tires rotated and aligned. Firestone is great about letting you know what maintenance is due when!

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  Outstanding Van - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Peter - October 21 - 7:36 pm

  I have had my 2005 since September 2004. The seating system is outstanding. I have had no problems with the van and it is truely enjoyable to drive. At 200,000 I will get another one!