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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  Just a nice vehicle - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Bud in Fla - October 18 - 2:25 pm

  I have had this vehicle for about 7 months now. It is just a very practical, easy to drive vehicle. It is great to haul a lot of people, and the stow and go seating is amazing. We bought the vehicle because we only have one vehicle now that we have retired, and this one can haul a bunch of stuff and then convert and we can drive 6 or 7 people to dinner. Love the nav system. The only complaint I have is the front cup holders. They could have done a much better job on those. I would love for it to get a little better gas mileage, but the big six does perform well. Looked at the Honda and Kia and bought this one much cheaper. Would love for them to add roll down windows for the 2nd row passengers

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  Fun at a small price - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By mbiker4u - October 18 - 10:43 am

  Ive been looking for a car like this since I bought the 1994/1995 Neon. I remember prototype turbocharged Neons that were in Car and Driver that must have evolved in to the SRT-4. I bought this car after a friend of mine took me for a ride in his red SRT- 4. I went to the dealer 1 week later and got the Orange Blast w/ACR package. I was not really crazy about the color, but it has grown on me so far. So far, build quality, performance, and overall enjoyment has made this purchase one of my favorite cars ever. Gas mileage has only been 22mpg at highway speeds below 80mph, but what do you expect from a car that can out-perform most V-8s?

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  Still Just a Dodge - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By CHOPS - October 14 - 2:00 am

  Performance wise this car is unbeatable for the money, but when it comes right down to it, this is still a Dodge with its poor craftsmanship & all the little problems that come when owning a Chrysler product. If you compare this to other vehicles in its class & drive it, you will fall in love with its superb performance & you will accept all the minor problems you will encounter.

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  Happy with my SRT8 Magnum - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By AGD - October 13 - 9:45 pm

  I traded a Volvo V70R for the Magnum SRT8 and I havent regretted my decision. This car is a blast to drive. its just so darn fast when you get on it. My 5 year old calls it the "Mommy Hot Rod".

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  I Love This "Thing" - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Smiley - October 13 - 6:59 pm

  Since the first time I saw a Durango, I have always been intrigued by them. I finally bought one, and thus far I am very happy with it. I love that it is truck based, because I like to tow now and then. I also like the ability to drive through mud and snow. Love the fact it has a third row and makes a person feel as though they are in a tank. If you want a capable vehicle this is for you. If you just want a people hauler I suggest a mini-van or car based SUV, because this thing only gets about 13 mpg. Ride is pretty good.

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  V6 - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By Tony - October 13 - 3:39 pm

  I love mine, but the V6 in 6 speed is under powered, especially when towing a small trailer 4 x 6 with a mid size ATV. Also the rear suspension could use a beefier upgrade. And lose those small drivers and passenger mirros. Put the folding ones on. I did, now no big blind spots.

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  Reliable Car, Easy Upkeep - 1993 Dodge Dynasty
  By professor442 - October 12 - 3:03 pm

  I purchased this vehicle used, knowing that the transmission need special attention. Since I work on my own car, changing the transmmission fluid frequently has been easy and has paid off. An excellent car, extremely undervalued, and drives smooth with a very comfortable and roomy interior (for its size, its no Deville!).

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  Great car for the money - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By ambersheree - October 7 - 2:55 pm

  I bought this car almost 2 years ago with 27,000 miles on it for $4500. A Dodge Neon was the last thing that I thought I would buy, but it was in my price range, and I didnt have a lot of time to shop around. My Neon now has about 55,000 miles on it, and the only thing that Ive had to do to my car is new front brakes (normal) and new tires (I live in Michigan, Neons dont like snow). The tires were pretty expensive, but theres usually a less expensive option for them. Right now my car is making a pretty loud noise from the front axle, which ill be fixing soon (Im pretty sure its the wheel bearing). Overall Im very happy with my car. I only wish that it wasnt purple!

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  Great Van, Quite Smooth and Reliable - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By tiger850 - October 6 - 10:42 pm

  We have had no problems with our 2005 SXT. It gets great mileage, 25- 26MPG on hwy. Love the power driver seat, and all the features for a van we paid only $19250 for! Rest of seats are good since it is not the stow and go lousy seating. Radio treble and bass controls dont do much. It could use a better radio/speakers. Van looks great too. Best feature, zero problems so far. Great value, enjoy the van very much.

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  My very first new car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Gil Davis - October 5 - 1:50 pm

  I bought this car after owning a full- sized Dodge van. Im 63" tall, about 340 pounds...and I FIT! My girlfriend has a Hyundai and Im cramped. Ive taken the Neon on long road trips, the AC is FANTASTIC, get a little better than posted mileage (about 34 on a 4sp auto) on road trips, and have had no problems, other than some annoyances when it was new that were fixed immediately by the dealer. Because of the engine design (short piston skirts to save weight), however, it does tend to get a bit of piston slap when its really cold outside, but it does go away in about 30 seconds or so after the car idles. Not harmful, just annoying. It gets lots of attention when it does that! :-)