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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  2009 Challenger R/T - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Bob Schmidt - September 14 - 2:11 pm

  Amazing car! Just bought an R/T Challenger yesterday, Im still in shock!! But what a car. Ive owned Camaros and vettes in the past, but this car is impressive. The ride is almost as comfortable as my 4 dr Chrysler (but with a little more kick). Gas mileage is impressive. I went to the conv. store last night and the whole place emptied out. Folks were taking pictures and I ended up talking with people for a half hour. Highly recommend you go buy one. You wont regret it!

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  chrome pat. blue durango - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By 87irocZ28camaro - September 13 - 11:33 pm

  I just got a used 02 durango and this thing is great! before i had this i just bought a 99 expedition and it was ok but to bulky and like 90,000 miles so i took it back and got the durango. its been a great suv ( looks like a truck! ) and i have a chrome grill, metallic gray bumpers, and rt performance tires. its only a slt + with a 4.7 v8 magnum engine but its still has a lot of power like my 87 iroc z28 camaro. a plus with this awesome truck is that it has a hundred miles below 60,000 miles so aint to bad and the new durangos (04 - 09) arnt the best and they dont like a truck but my 02 durango has a great black, tan, and wood interior and thats cool looking. GET ONE!

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  Get up N Go - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Rob - September 13 - 5:51 pm

  I just got rid of my 5.7 04 Tahoe which was slower than a slug. I am so impressed by my 4.7 in the pickup that I added a cat back dual exhaust to help it breath. This truck flies and handles great. I do a lot of highway driving and noticed over 15 mpg. I will add a cold air box to see if I can improve this. The interior is comfortable to me. I have wanted one of these for years and am so delighted I bought it. The rear drive window did not work but the dealer fixed it. I noticed the pass door window not working at times, seems to be a very common problem on these trucks.

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  Lets Drive - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By koolade70 - September 13 - 4:54 pm

  This is a great car. Look at them at the Auto Show when they first came out. Trunk space seemed small for two kids with double stroller. Decided kids could stay in wifes Suburban. Has 5.7 Hemi, 340 HP plenty to make this car move. Great car to customize, very unique and seems like a "Magnum Club" when driving. Next vehicle will be the same with the 6.1 Hemi. I am 64" and have plenty of room in the drivers seat.

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  The oddessy and Sienna beater - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By carroll jones - September 13 - 5:46 am

  The power is overwhelming for a van i cant believe it the 4.0 makes it a muscle van.The interior is great. i dont have any problems with wind noise but i talked to the dealer when i got my oil change and they said that the problem was getting fixed for 2009s

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  One Awesome Ride - 2008 Dodge Challenger
  By John K - September 12 - 3:55 pm

  What an amazing car. The power, handling and comfort are unbelievable. Everywhere we go people are attracted to the pure beauty. I have clocked a 0-60 at 5.3 seconds although I hear 4.9 seconds has been recorded. Truly, one Awesome Ride.

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  Great sexy fun car - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By Great sexy car - September 12 - 12:15 pm

  Love the sleek sporty look of car fun to drive at 134,000 miles have little more than normal maintenance. Reliable. Well built and beefy enough to feel save on cross-country driving as well as crowded freeway driving. Bright red, decked out with spoiler, moon roof, leather interior - always gets admiring looks even tho now 12 years old.

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  Not a Bad Truck - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Ronald - September 12 - 11:09 am

  Overall this has not been a bad family vehicle. We live in western central Michigan so the environment is diverse. The four wheel drive definitely was useful. The air conditioning for the summer did just fine. Maintenance was minimal. At 178,000 miles, I intend to buy only my third set of tires.

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  Black Avenger - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By Black Avenger - September 11 - 9:12 pm

  This was the first car I bought on my own and my third car. As they say 3s a charm, it sure was with this one! I bought it in the winter and it handled like a charm. No problems in good old Chicago winter! Perfectly balanced, sleek, aerodynamic and easy on gas. I had it for 9 yrs and it ran like new for all that time, I ended up trading it for a Pontiac g6. Bad idea on my part! Im still looking for one now.

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  112,000 & climbing - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Worm - September 11 - 7:38 pm

  Its been a great truck for the work & travel that I do. Average 21.5 mpg with the V6. Still on the original tires, had the brakes done at 105,000 miles. Change the oil every 6,000 miles. The fronts needed replacement, the rears just needed adjustment. The only other thing that has been replaced was the ambient air sensor. Still has plenty of power in heavy traffic.