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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  Love mine! (HEMI) - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By VENOM - September 11 - 4:41 pm

  2006 SLT HEMI Gunmetal gray, I bought this vehicle used with around 30.000 miles on it and cant get over how fantastic it is, The original purchaser ordered many upgrades like leather etc. Its fast, has great mileage and it handles better than any SUV Ive owned and Ive owned them all, It is by far THE best bargain in the class. I do feel the interior is kind of "low- tech" but still looks good and classy.

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  Im a Dealer - These things dont break! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Jay Slingerland - September 11 - 1:10 pm

  I am currently on my second SRT-4 after buyer the first one that came into our dealership. The fun factor in this car is huge. I just delivered a 2009 Challenger SRT-8 and the car is fast, comfortable, and a cool muscle car. But this little Neon has the capability to be Auto crossed, Rally Raced, SCCA or NASA licensed, and can be driven as a daily driver with virtually no problems. Especially now considering you can buy a good used one with 20,000 miles for 13-15. I just installed the Stage 2 turbo kit with the Mopar Cold Air intake - Sweet Mother! Like I said, the Challengers fast - but this little Neon is something! Will definitely keep this car forever.

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  SRT-4 cant go wrong - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By infynityx - September 9 - 2:00 am

  This car seriously hauls. If you cant take criticism very well do not consider this car because all you will receive are bad remarks. All civic SI, rsx type-s, celica gt-s drivers are all envious of the power this car has for the price. After you smoke them off the line the only response they have for you is "its still a neon". You will have admirers out there as well. The only complaint I have about the car is the plasticky shift knob Dodge and the PVO boys need to change it out with an all aluminum/carbon fiber leather(found on boot and steering wheel) shift knob. Buy this car!

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  Love this car - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By Beatriz35 - September 9 - 2:00 am

  I love my Stratus Coupe R/T. Its fun to drive, and actually great in the snow. When I need more control, I use my auto stick to get traction.

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  yo r/t - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By vin231 - September 7 - 10:00 am

  great car fun to drive great on gas also very roomy interior. very reliable car to drive daily

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  Unbelievable!!! - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By SilverGhost - September 7 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car after owning a 97 Avenger ES Coupe. I thought that car was great. This one is 10 times better than that one. It has a very fast 2.7L V6 Magnum engine. The handling is the best I have driven in a car (and that includes the BMW 3 Series). There is plenty of room in the trunk and in the interior. Great styling and an awesome ride all for under $25K.

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  What to expect at 80,000 miles - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By MikeInMass - September 5 - 9:43 pm

  I bought my 06 SXT RWD used in Nov. 06 with 13k miles. It now has nearly 81k miles. Overall, its been very reliable...roomy, comfortable, fast, no rattles, and decent gas mileage (22 mpg avg. in mixed highway and city gridlock). The RWD has only been a problem once, in a very heavy snow. The front brake rotors were replaced at 38k, and will need to be replaced again soon. The original tires lasted to 71k. At approx. 75k, a rocker arm broke, a $500 fix. The mechanic says its common, but not frequent, on the 3.5 liter motor. Other than that, just oil changes and tire rotation. I love the styling of the car, too bad its been discontinued. Everyone who rides in it loves it!

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  Great car! - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Paul Lieberstien - September 5 - 6:06 am

  I love my new challenger! I cannot say enough about the performance and build quality. I have always had performance cars in my garage, but this one is way better than anything else I ever had. I looked at the Nissan GTR and the 350Z. The GTR is just plain ugly in person and the dealers are marking them up way more than they are worth. The 350Z was slow and the few I saw on the lots had trim pieces falling off them already.

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  Yeah Dodge - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By yeahdodge - September 4 - 10:35 pm

  I just got rid of a 89 Oldsmobile, so this is my first "real" car, and I love it. It is a blast to drive, and the looks on peoples faces because they think that it is "just a neon" and you fly by them and shift and the turbo blasts into their window and they think twice about it being a neon. This little rocket has more power than any car I have ever driven. It also has great handling. This car has a great center point of gravity, cause when you take corners you dont feel the car lean to one side or the other. I would recommend anyone that asks to buy one. If they can find one left anymore!

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  Great Minivan! - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By BillG123 - September 4 - 10:00 am

  I have to admit that I researched Consumer Reports and based on their recommendation I looked at the Toyota, Honda, and Nissan without giving this vehicle a chance at first. I then decided not to limit my options and tried the Dodge. The Dodge Grand Caravan SXT has a smooth and quiet ride that matches the Toyota and is better by a large margin over the noisy Honda and rattle prone Nissan. A powerful engine that gets excellent gas mileage (Im averaging 21+ MPG). The SXT is also fully loaded with all the options - including dual power sliding doors. As an added bonus we purchased this van at a great price!