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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  Good car for the price. - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By aclarke7 - May 21 - 7:28 am

  So I purchased a 2013 Dodge Avenger three months ago. I bought it because the price was great, the car looks great, and it fit what I wanted and needed in a car. The car overall is exactly as Edmunds describes it in that it does have sluggish acceleration in the 4 cylinder. It is comfortable and has some nice added features to it. The Bluetooth works great and the car is a pretty good build for what it is. Be warned the gas mileage is on the low end compared to many other cars in the same class. That is the biggest downfall for what would otherwise be a great car. So far my car has not hit its estimated MPG rating at all which was a little disappointing.

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  Challenger SRT8 392, 6 MT, Yellowjacket Edition - 2012 Dodge Challenger
  By genlove1 - May 12 - 11:39 am

  05/12/13: Traded a 2012 Hyundai Gen Coupe, which definitely was not my cup of tea, for this. In comparison, the Challenger is a huge car, but pleasantly so. Needless, to say, the 392 is a torque monster, which puts a constant smile on my face, and the Yellowjacket paint is a real head turner. Gonna flush and fill all the lubes with Amsoil synthetics this week at about 300 miles or so to protect the investment. Ill review reliability at the end of summer. In the meantime, gonna have one fun summer getting to know this BEAST of a car.

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  Best first car ever...I love you "Bertha"!! - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By bmore410 - May 10 - 10:02 pm

  Probably my favorite out of all the cars Ive ever driven. I love this car to death. Ive done all I can to keep it running and its still running like new. I definitely plan to keep this car well into college. Not only is it stylish, but it just has character. Theres just something about it that I love so much about it. Ive really developed a "connection" with "Bertha", shes a part of the family:) I highly recommend this a teens first car.

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  Love my lil Neon. - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By simplyme - May 5 - 10:07 pm

  Love this lil thing! bought for 1800 as a commuter for school. Accidentally got a 3spd auto. but for living in a small town it does fine, I just avoid all hwys. Parts are reasonably priced its burnt orange manual everything cept auto obviously, but this lil nellie gets the job done no rain issues lights stay off =)

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  Dodge Dart SXT: Everyday Life - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By twedt3304 - May 4 - 10:17 pm

  I realized I didnt need a luxury performance beast, nor did I want a piece of tin. I was stuck between the Focus Hatch, and the Dart. I ended up choosing what I did because of mpg ratings and it being more attractive. Ive had it 4 months now and so far, so good. Its Really fun to drive, it has excellent handeling, manual transmission is great, But the only complaint I have is the lack of attention to detail. Some of the plastic inserts are a little cheep feeling Also I noticed the gas cap mechanism is all plastic, but all that is put to shame by things like the In-seat storage and huge Uconnect screen. Overall If you are considering this or its Competition, I would highly recommend the Dart

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  2 years and lost its luster - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By johntesh71 - April 28 - 10:21 am

  So after 2 years and finally trading it in....the Avenger just stopped being fun...35,000 miles and the engine and transmission just seemed slower and its as if the performance just got sucked out of it.....rust started corroding the rocker panels and the front bumper cover fell apart...some small interior faults such as tears in steering wheel and seats from overuse....its a great car just lost its luster for some reason

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  clear coat shedding off all plastic bumbers - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By seamusjames - April 21 - 3:44 pm

  Now when I bought this car new it was sitting on the show room floor and was loaded with every option the 05 had listed. Yes I even had heated seats WOW! $43.000 American, my first house cost 23,000. Bought it for my wife with dreams of getting it after she grew tried of it. Still waiting..... I wash the car myself and about 2008 saw a small chip in the front paint and a small rust spot. Heck I thought it was a road stone which chip the clear coat. Now 6 years later the whole top of the front plastic where the hood closes is peeled. As I washed it I notice the back bumper is also faded and pealing. Anyone else have this? planetary gears replaced, nav toggle broke ect..

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  Durango 2013 - 2013 Dodge Durango
  By mc9 - April 19 - 5:50 pm

  I owned a 2003 Durango and the improvements in its ride and handling are remarkable. I bought it at Capital Chrysler in Garner from Sal R., who is a very good rep and takes care of his customer during and after the sale.

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  200,000 and still going strong - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By dkellyw - April 13 - 7:14 am

  I purchased my 2001 Dodge Dakota (4x4 w/ 4.7L V-8) with about 150K miles on it. It now has 202,000 and still runs great. I started running Mobile 1 synthetic oil in it as soon as I bought it. The only serious problem I have had to fix was the leaking power steering pump. Typical Dodge truck. Mainly, that problem is just a nuisance. I did have to replace the main power window switch and the resistor for the heat/AC control, but those are cheap fixes you can do yourself. Other than that I love this truck. I am currently looking to buy a car because I know that the life of the truck is probably coming to an end, but she still starts every morning and I am gonna drive it until it quits.

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  Looks can be deceiving.. - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By austiepoo - April 9 - 3:20 pm

  I have the 2.0 autostick Rallye edition. The styling is awesome, I have the black with the carbon grey wheels. It is definitely an eye catcher. The interior is very nice with the red accents in the seats and on the doors. The 8.4 uconnect is amazing and I LOVE having a back up camera because I am a terrible parallel parker! I cant complain about the gas mileage, I am not a conscious driver and like to speed every where I go and I average 22.5 mpg. However I was able to average 43.5 on a trip from Charleston, SC to Charlotte, NC which is about 200 miles. Acceleration from a stop is SLOOOWWW, but that is expected with the 2.0 engine. Over all I love my Dart! You will too!