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:

• 

  Think twice before buying another dodge - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By CL - December 23 - 12:10 am

  Bought this car in December 2008, went for a weekend in Moncton and got stuck on the highway came back in a towing truck we had the car for a month and the problem began. Went for a oil change, they told us that the tires need to be rotate what a joke they forgot to tied the last tire and we lost a tire on the road good thing we were not on the highway. After that then came another major problem we couldnt start the car sometime it start and sometime it didnt they change everything on it from the battery, computer, cable and the last one is that there is a leak of oil in the motor. No way there gonna sell me another Dodge I SHOULD HAVE READ THE REVIEW BEFORE BUYING

• 

  my van - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By cochlas - December 22 - 1:16 pm

  I bought this van with plans to drive kiddos and cousins around and it has been great! I really love all the driver seat adjustments because I have short legs. I have driven on long vacations with my parents and my two kids adn everyone seemed comfortable enough. I LOVE the Fold-and-Go seats. that is the main reason I bought this van. They have come in handy when I dont have a truck and It has proven great for camping. Just throw in a full size blowup mattress and throw mosquito netting over the open trunk and "presto!". It has had problems with the Rack and Pinion and struts. I hhad them replaced under warranty after owning the vehicle for 2 years.

• 

  I love my Caravan! - 1991 Dodge Caravan
  By AHansen - December 20 - 2:25 pm

  This van is an allround functional and reliable vehicle that doesnt look half bad. I wish they still made a model in this body configuration. The short and boxy design makes it easy to park and roomy for cargo. Its a great value as a used vehicle and parts are readily available. I live in Mexico where the roads are rough and rules are ignored. This van gives me confidence on the road and its proven to be easy to maintain, extremely practical, and resistant. I love using it for camping because I can fit a ton of gear plus friends in the van and a queen sized inflatable mattress fits perfectly in the back (with the seats out) for secure sleeping.

• 

  One Great Van. - 1997 Dodge Caravan
  By Kelly Lloyd - December 14 - 2:43 pm

  This has been a terrific van. It has never failed to start and had no repairs except for brakes and normal maintenance. It is a pleasure to drive, gets good fuel mileage, and rides very good. I like it so much, I bought a 2006 Town & Country last December, but I am not getting rid of my 97.

• 

  Recommended - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By arge - December 14 - 10:00 am

  I bought it used 2001-39000ml for $12,500 with new tires and keyless entry. Not bad at all. The 3.3L engine has very good pick-up but it slows down if you really try to rev it up. I average 18MPG. This could be better! A hybrid engine or turbo diesel would help quite a bit on the fuel economy side. Road handling is surprisingly good, car like, but in a sense, driving its better because of the nice view from “up there”. Comfort: low engine/aerodynamic noise (even if they cheap out on engine sound shielding), smooth shifting. Driver seat feels a little cheap. Sometimes the door armrest squeaks. Internal space is gorgeous, kids love it.

• 

  Give it up - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By kevin - December 13 - 5:31 pm

  This was my wifes car. She bought it brand new. She would not part with it even after it started having problems. After 10 years we have replaced the tie rods twice, the air conditioner compressor, had it painted, replaced the serpetine belt twice, the water pump three times, struts, tires several times more than we should have due to the tie rods. The motor after was finally replaced last year because the oil sending unit and pump went out and we could put a new engine in from a wrecked one cheaper than we could fix the oil pump problems. The car rides great, just not very mechannicaly sound. Also the door gaskets kept falling off.

• 

  2005 Dakota Q Cab - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By hasel - December 13 - 10:50 am

  Other than a little cabin noise have found this vehicle sound and comfortable. Gas mileage I feel is OK.

• 

  2001 Quad Cab - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By mtrialsm - December 12 - 12:15 pm

  This is my first Dodge. I wanted a mid-size truck with 4 doors. The Quad was the only truck that fit the bill. I have been very pleased with this vehicle. Only problems have been taken care under factory warrenty. The ball joints were replaced at 33,000 miles and will be replaced again soon.

• 

  A great vehicle - I hate to let it go! - 1993 Dodge Caravan
  By Roger - December 6 - 1:29 pm

  What a great vehicle. I bought in 98 with about 45,000 miles and "commuted" from LA to Vancouver - up to 10 times a year! 2 long days of driving. I am tall, lowered the drivers seat 2 inches, took out the back seats and made a comfortable, almost queen size bed, good for a "micro motor home". Good fuel economy with the 3L engine. The a/c pump is about all Ive had trouble with. Engine and tranny are great, after 13 years. Change brakes and tires, oil & tranny fluid - thats it. Thanks, Chrysler, for a great vehicle.

• 

  A car that will be missed. - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Kyle - December 4 - 1:48 pm

  I have owned the Intrepid with the 3.2 V6. It was an excellent car, never any problems, always ran like a champ. I know people say this car has a bad engine. Thats only if you get the 2.7, so if you go with the 3.2 or 3.5 youll be fine. My Intrepid was a great car up until a couple of days ago. I had gotten into a small car accident where the front end went up the SUV in front of me. My passenger and I and the other cars were all fine. However the Intrepid is toast. It still runs and all but needs a new front end and radiator. I plan on buying an Intrepid that has a 2.7 engine that has failed and swapping it with mine.