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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  Overall Great Car - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By T - June 21 - 1:46 pm

  The Plastic covers always fall off and snap. But this car is Awesome. When you drive, Its so smooth, But the Roar of the car is so GREAT. you just have the feeling of Driving some tank, But its just an SUV. The handling is good, Braking is pretty Good.

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  Winter in PA - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By Kayleen - June 21 - 9:21 am

  Have had the car for four months & have experienced a winter w/ it and dread the next! Slides & gets stuck easily, hopefully I just need different tires. Couple blind spots. Had to get the seal around the brake light on the trunk replaced, leaked water inside Everywhere! Paint chips very easily on the bumpers w/ little pebbles. Car also runs very loudly even in park & under the hood is not very convenient, the battery is under fuses & stuff. Id certainly go back to my FORD.

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  Big mistake, never again - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By not happy - June 20 - 11:33 pm

  This car is barely over 100,000 miles, and I keep hearing once the intrepid gets too a 100,000 miles the car is done with, unless you want to keep putting more money into it. Recently had to replace the engine on it. Still not working right, its hot outside and cant even run the a/c without the car dying. Brakes are horrible, and the heater core has been replaced at least 3 times. I would never ever recommend a dodge intrepid to anyone. I wish i would have never bought this car. With all the problems these stupid cars are giving everyone, Dodge should give everyone thier money back, or give us a better reliable car. If your thinking about buying this car, DONT you will regret it

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  My RED Magnum! - 2007 Dodge Magnum
  By My RED Magnum! - June 20 - 7:23 pm

  I Love my Magnum! It is great in the winter w/ the autostick and the gas mileage is not that bad either. Very roomy, much better w/ children than a CUV or Minivan! :0)

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  Police Intrepid - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By renrut - June 19 - 6:28 pm

  I purchased this car a couple years ago at 139K from a state police auction. It was an unmarked car. Since then, I have racked up 51K miles and now have 190K on it, only having to replace tires, battery and brakes. Fun to drive.The 3.5 L Hi-output V6 is awesome! Edmunds and KBB need to include the police version on their sites as style choices.

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  R.I.P. Beastie - 1996 Dodge Caravan
  By rstlne - June 19 - 12:08 pm

  I was surprised at the number of bad reviews on here. Granted, this vehicle isnt perfect, but it is a tank. My dad hit a deer at 45 mph head on, and she didnt even need repairs. A/C hasnt worked since 2004 and you had to kick under the glove compartment to turn on the heater but it ran. Forever. I bought it with a bad tranny, replaced it, and have needed only oil changes all the way up until her death at 283,841. It might not be the prettiest, sportiest, or most exciting car on the road but it goes. Forever.

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  Dont do it! Cheap tranny! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By yoyoNvegas - June 19 - 12:34 am

  i got this car with only 50,000 miles on it had tranny serviced car automatic was shifting rough and getting stuck and shifting. had this problem fixed before and it came back after a year! Besides that no other issues car only has 70,000 miles on it

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  3.2 Engine is very solid - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By Chris Riccio - June 17 - 10:18 pm

  I think this could be one of the most underrated cars in the last 10-15 years. I am the original owner. It has respectable performance & handling. It gets great gas mileage. I have gotten 30 MPG on the highway and 23+ around town. Keep in mind this is not a small car. I rent cars all week being a traveling sales guy. I also own 7 other cars. This car is a still amazes me. 203K Miles and still very strong. No issues until the car had 125K on it. Recent repairs have included the air cond system, and the computer system. A few other minor repairs but this car never had a problem in the first 8 years of ownership. Like the design better then the Charger

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  Hot Mag - 2008 Dodge Magnum
  By regularguy2 - June 17 - 6:19 pm

  Nice car, fast, smooth, hauls stuff & hauls! I like the power and the handling

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  Very unhappy - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By ivynmiami - June 17 - 3:30 pm

  Had a bad accident and had to replace my Toyota corolla at 3 months pregnant though a minivan was going to be the best thing. I have 2 car payments a month one for the lender the other for the mechanic. I have had to change the motor seals timing belt motor mounts and now the cv joints. The car is comfortable and I love my minivan just hate that it has given me repair headaches. Maybe they are good cars but my turned out to be a big lemon.