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:

• 

  Overall - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Michael - May 3 - 3:43 pm

  I bought this vehicle in October of 09 i have a 5-speed tranny which shifts very nicely. Acceleration is good, with plenty of torque for a small sedan. I have replaced the front factory speakers, and put subs in the back. The car is a good car for keeping the sound quality in. Not much rattling. I have not had to do any repairs on the car only changing the oil.

• 

  Best Chrysler Ever - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By TR - May 3 - 1:35 pm

  Have driven this car for over 20,000 Miles through last year and feel very happy about it. I am surprised to see such a good Chrysler car.

• 

  Great Ride - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By Doug - May 2 - 11:03 am

  This is a fantastic vehicle. I bought it to have a more reliable ride for the hour long drive i have to work. It preforms very well in bad weather and seems to handle flooded streets with ease. The vehicle handles very well making turns fluently and with little effort. Its nav system, touch screen digital radio, and sun roof make the drive fun. Its driver power adjusted seat and heated front leather seats are very comfortable. the only negative thing that i can think of is that the 6 cylinder engine gets about 25 miles to the gallon and i would like to see it get a little better than that to save money and off set the cost of the car. Other than that no complaints at all.

• 

  Very Reliable and Gorgeous - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By BekaDYT - May 1 - 3:31 pm

  My dad purchased the car for me in 2006 (in Ohio) when I was 18 its paprika red and had almost 75,000 miles at the time. I brought my son home from the hospital in this car and it has kept us safe for 2 long, and sometimes quite harsh, winters. I recently moved to Texas and it had absolutely no problems driving the 1,300 miles here. The only thing you have to watch for is hitting the front on the sidewalk or wherever you park it sits very low to the ground. I have had no major mechanical problems in the 3 1/2 yrs Ive owned it just replaced front tires. It now has 110,000 miles and still going great its almost paid off and I look forward to keeping it around for the next couple years!

• 

  2007 dodge nitro engine failure - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By karen dodge - May 1 - 12:36 am

  I have a 2007 dodge nitro that Im still making payments on. About 3 weeks ago a valve blew in the engine and damaged a piston which caused complete engine failure. If I hadnt purchased an extended warranty, this wouldve been an expense I couldnt afford and would have had to let the vehicle go back to the dealership. I feel that Chrysler/Dodge should make my car payments since Ive lost complete trust in their product and peace of mind. Whats going to happen next to this vehicle? Sincerely, Karen Dodge.

• 

  Great Handling, Be careful in the winter - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By kooky1776 - April 30 - 9:39 pm

  Best looking, and best handling car I ever owned. Pleasure to drive. The only thing I wished I had was a larger engine, both for safety and for performance reasons.

• 

  This car saved my life numerous times! - 1996 Dodge Stratus
  By CheekyWeeSarah - April 30 - 3:00 am

  Hi there! I bought this car after my crappy old van died and left me and my BABY stranded in the creepy part of town. I was nervous about getting another used car for fear that this would happen to us again, but low and behold---this Dodge Stratus turned out to be my DREAM CAR! Not only does this car completely suit me both as a college student, graphic designer, and single mom, but its SO FAST and yet SAFE at the same time. I cant even tell you how many times Ive had to slam those reliable brakes to avoid some jerk on the road or how often Ive just barely started to proceed from a red light to a green when my Stratus GUNS forward like its got an EIGHT cylinder under the hood! LOVE!

• 

  2006 SE 2.7 - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By knowles - April 29 - 9:49 am

  Love the style. Mine has color matched 22" chrome wheels...had a side wall puncture. Cant replace just one tire and had to go to several places to find a good tire in stock since I did not want to wait to order tires. Cost for 2 was pricey but that has nothing to do with the car. Also, to anyone thinking about beefing up the look with big tires and rims, okay for around town but you lose some of the quality in the ride. Have tried to figure out why but no one can give me an answer. Non the less, with the color coordinated rims (car is metallic red) its an eye catcher. No mechanical problems. Its a 2006 SE 2.7 with 40,000. I wasnt looking to win a race and dont want a gas hog.

• 

  What i think about - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By DeftonesRulez - April 28 - 4:23 pm

  I got this car used last year for just under $5,000. I wanted a small automatic sports car that is fast and good gas mileage and this is the closest i could get to that description. its not fancy car but its good for taking long drives and not eating up gas. i always liked looking at the Dodge SRT-4 but since I dont know how to drive manual the Dodge Neon was just as awesome.

• 

  Love the car - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Rose S. - April 28 - 2:08 pm

  I opted to downsize from my minivan. The car is stylish, comfortable and is considerably quieter than my former car. The cost was considerably less than other comparable SUVs that I looked at for. Driving is smoother, too.