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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  Has been an excellent buy! - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By stevcaro - December 2 - 7:48 pm

  Bought this for economical transportation. Has given us no problems and is great on gas. Had a new 2002 Altima that was more powerful, but as far as the rest, can not really tell much difference. Ride quality is about the same, road noise is less in the Stratus but that could be the different tires. Its not a Lexus, but for my money it a great car!

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  2006 Dodge Durango - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By Todd n DE - December 2 - 11:03 am

  I bought this truck and traded in my 2000 Acura RL because my wife is pregnant with our third child and we needed the room. The Acura was paid for and I did not want a big note, so price was an important issue. Since my late grandfather retired from Chrysler, we were able to get the employee price. We got an in-stock truck w/ every option available, except GPS. Shortly after purchase, my family went on a trip from Delaware to South Carolina. I am very pleased with the way this vehicle performs and rides. I also really like all the options.

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  Good car for the most part - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By MENACE/SRT4 - December 1 - 4:37 pm

  Well what can I say, is faster than I expected. For the price is worth it for the most part. I bought my SRT about 5 months ago. It had 27k miles on it. For the first couple months it ran good, but I started to notice oil leaks. I took it back to the dealer. It turns out to be the oil pan. Thats what they said the first time. Well Ive been to the dealer more than six times and they still cant fix that leak. Oil pan has been replaced twice. From what I hear these cars have oil leak problems. My SRT is at the dealer right now. Its the fastest under $20k but if you are thinking of buying you better get extended warranty..

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  I like it - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Edvanp - November 29 - 1:10 pm

  Went from a Pontiac Montana into the SXT minivan. Love the stow/go seating. The engine is smooth with good performance over the Montana. The back bench is uncomfortable for long rides, or so my kids tell me. Good storage room. We have had it in for a couple of electronic glitches that have been covered under warranty. My main worry is the tranny as this seems to be the knock on these vehicles, but there hasnt been anything wrong with it yet. The radio/speakers could be better. We avg 22 mpg in mixed driving, 26 on the highway. Overall, we are happy with it to date (2 years & 33k miles).

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  Versitile truck - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Wilgey - November 29 - 8:39 am

  This truck is all around value. Its great for weekend projects or that all important camping trip. Plenty of cargo room and with optional roof racks hauling longer items is a simple task.

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  Great Fun Family Wagon - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By Manny - November 27 - 4:47 pm

  A great excuse to buy a hotrod and say its for the family. Amazing perforance as expected. You sink into the deep bucket seats when you step on the gas. A lot of looks and compliments from other drivers and curious onlookers. Fun and functional, I can carry my boys in the back and still have plenty of room in the front for me. Im 6-4 so that was important. A real sleeper for people that dont recognize what exactly the SRT-8 badge means. I have routinely smoked other unsuspecting sports cars. Always great fun.

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  Two door vs four door - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By domenick - November 24 - 2:06 pm

  This vechcle is fun to drive with the Hemi power. Its fast, fun, and brand new. I really like the classic ones better the old ones blow the new one away........

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  Comfortable, great ride, nice handling - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By nocruelty - November 22 - 11:39 am

  This is a company car for us. The 2.7 liter engine provides merely adequate performance from a stop and at speed, and Id recommend one of the larger engines. The legroom is excellent for front and back passengers. The headroom is very good. The telescoping steering wheel is extremely helpful and complements the power drivers seat to find an ideal driving position relative to the fixed position pedals. The ride is excellent. Cornering feels solid and not as though its a 4000 pound vehicle. Rear cargo space is limited, unless folding the rear seats. Weve needed to use the optional roof rack during trips. Coupled with a bigger engine, this is a very fun, comfortable car.

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  A good truck - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By bill - November 21 - 11:45 pm

  I have had this truck for a few years now. I bought it with 130,000 miles on it ( I know foolish?) but now with over 290,000 if have had only a few problems with this truck. Mostly expected (power steering pump, alternator, front wheel bearings, and u joint) not too bad for a truck with almost 300,000 miles. It has the 3.9l engine and it still gives me enough power for living in western PA. I am looking to replace it and will look into another Dodge

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  Looks nice but not built well - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By john Mcconnell - November 17 - 12:43 am

  We have had our 2008 dodge grand caravan for 6 months now. I will have to say we are disappointed with the interior quality of the van. It rides nice and looks great for the design, but Chrysler just did not focus on the details. I will have to say for a van that now has 350000 miles on it, it sure has a lot of interior rattles with the cheap plastic hardware everywhere on the dash and center overhead console. Secondly,when going over rougher roads the rear suspension chatters a lot.