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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  Rallye 1.4 turbo - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By helilog - February 4 - 10:35 pm

  After 22,000 miles I have had zero maintenance or quality issues, only oil changes (which are $60 due to synthetic oil requirement). Plenty of power with a nice throaty exhaust note and a 33 mpg overall average. Forty mpg is routine at 65 mph. The magazine writers who whine about turbo lag with this engine are describing gear/rpm/speed situations no sane driver would use, such as 1500 rpm/4th gear/30 mph. Use 3rd gear at that speed (2000 rpm) and enjoy snappy response. This car is a nice combination of comfort, economy, power and sporty handling.

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  I LOVE it! - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By pennylou99 - January 21 - 7:47 pm

  The gas mileage is horrible. But other than that. I love this truck. I have never had any major issues with it. Normal repairs. If you keep the maintenance up on this, your Dodge will run for a long time! Im right at 140k miles and the engine is solid. I drive kinda crazy and needed something that could handle my lead foot. Im like to be quick on take offs, so this truck has been perfect for me!

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  2014 SRT8 Challenger Review - 2014 Dodge Challenger
  By briany4567 - January 1 - 11:10 am

  The Challenger is a big, heavy girl make no mistake about it. It gets terrible gas mileage as a result. But if you are in the market for a muscle car and gas mileage is a concern, perhaps you need to rethink your decision. It has some blind spots due to its size. Its way better than muscle cars of yesteryear in terms of fit/finish/braking and handling. But it is still a growling, snarling beast that you hear and feel almost every step of the way. She can be a civilized daily driver if you want it to be, but there is no escaping knowing what is lurking just under the surface. If you understand what a real muscle car SHOULD be then you will appreciate this car as a homerun in look and attitude

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  Awesome SUV - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By bigsky_klx - December 30 - 3:50 pm

  Probably one of the best SUVs out there right now. I bought my wife a bare bones SXT with upgraded 8.4 touchscreen and heated seats/steering wheel. She loves it and wont let me drive everywhere anymore. Comes nicely loaded and doesnt feel cheap even in the base SXT trim. If fact you have to hunt for any options it is missing. No one can tell it isnt a Citadel model. The 3.6 has the perfect balance of power and economy. Honestly I dont think the hemi is needed unless you plan on towing with it. It has a useable 3rd row. It comes down the same assembly line as the Jeep Grand Cherokee that has won all the best quality build awards. Also, it is on the Consumer Reports Recommended list.

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  Good things come in small packages - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By walternmoss - December 19 - 10:14 pm

  This car is a joy to drive. The interior is amazingly comfortable and comes loaded with great tech. Performance is great and overall the driving experience very fun. We actually have the 2.4 Liter engine with the 6 speed automatic transmission.

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  Excellent Ride and gas - 2014 Dodge Charger
  By pegasus_rt - December 8 - 9:25 pm

  I traded my 2013 Dodge Challenger Rallye Redline, fully loaded, for a bright white 2014 Charger R/T, base model. I love this car. When I owned the challenger, I drove it like it had a hemi, on occasion. The charger 5.7 hemi, has so far gotten better gas milage than my 3.6 pentastar in the challenger. Handling is great, with regards to the size. Space is awesome. The 8.5 media screen is awesome. Acceleration is great.

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  0 - 220,000 in 8 years - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By supershel777 - November 23 - 7:01 pm

  Great vehicle! We have put 220,000 miles on this SUV and been back and forth across this country many times. It has performed flawlessly. We have done Nothing to the engine other than the exhaust manifold came loose from the engine. Great comfort and realiability! Lots of space for cargo. We are a traveling band and hauling sound equipment all over was hard on this truck but she just kept going and going and is still going!

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  The Perfect SUV!! Love it - 2013 Dodge Durango
  By srs293 - November 20 - 12:12 am

  This SUV is simply amazing. We looked at the Tahoe, Suburban, which were both overly priced and pretty plain on the inside. We then looked at the Nissan Armada, which was comfortable but the gas mpg was 13. We then looked at the 2013 Ford Expedition Limited and it had very loud road noise. Then we found it! The AWD, 5.7 Liter RT Durango. Its fast, very comfortable. Has every option out there and rides soooo smooth. We absolutely love the SUV. Best in class by far.

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  2nd Dakota - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By sixatbat1 - November 4 - 2:51 pm

  This is my second Dakota and I love it just as much as my first one which was an 04. This on is the quad cab 4x4 slt with the 4.7 automatic. Runs great with 122k. It does everything I need it to do, whether it be hauling wood, going on a long trip, or pulling Jeeps out of the mud. Speaking of mud, its difficult to get this truck stuck in the mud or snow. It was out in Nemo, the huge snow storm on LI in early 2013. I got through the terrible road/weather conditions with no problem whatsoever. Its a comfortable ride, and is very roomy on the inside which is great on those long trips. If you need a smaller truck that can do a full size trucks job, buy a Dakota.

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  Loving It!!! (so far) - 2014 Dodge Durango
  By melzmel - October 24 - 1:48 pm

  I recently bought the 2014 Dodge Durango after 8 months of researching it. Wanted the R/t but I ended up purchasing the Limited Trim level which to my surprise had a Hemi! I believe that the Limited trim level with the Hemi is a great value for all the features you get, almost like having a Citadel Minus extra chrome and rain sensing wipers but at a much cheaper price! I had to get used to the gas mileage which is to be expected with a V-8. The Uconnect is awesome, though I had some issues with the bluetooth pairing, keeping my phone paired. This is largely due to the software being capatible with iOS 6 and not 7 (apple users). Updates are to come for that. Other than that I love It!