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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  An absolute blast to drive - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Tim - October 4 - 10:54 am

  I bought this with the ACR package and from reading the other reviews, I am glad I did. 7 inch rims, adjustable struts and the ACR seats. Home-run! Mods are everywhere. I have a short-throw shifter that really improved shifting. This car takes curves with no sliding or squeal. Its a sports car, so to complain about ride would be an oxy-moron, your teeth will get rattled.

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  2003 Dakota SXT Regular Cab - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By consultfirst - October 3 - 10:02 pm

  Fun truck to drive with the 5-speed manual transmission. Truck is perfect size between compact and full size. Too bad they stopped making the regular cab version.

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  Dodge Neon 05 4D SXT - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By rochfiriel - September 27 - 4:22 pm

  Originally had a Stratus, needed to downsize. The cab room for driver and shotgun passenger side very similar. I like that. Back seats a bit smaller. Much better fuel economy for a Dodge. Sporty and neutral interior colors make for an enjoyable trip around town. I not only save on gas, I have fun driving it too.

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  Nice overall - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Richard DiCosmo - September 26 - 3:33 pm

  The car has great pickup. 0-60 very fast. Comfort good. I like the autostick feature. The fuel mileage is OK, approx. 18-21 average. The braking is excellent, noise factor minimum. It has a great look, the front is slightly throw-back in style. I`ve gotten a lot of nice car comments from everyboby. The only issue I don`t like is the noisy auto steering, only when pulling out or in or parking. Overall good value, styling, and performance.

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  1996 Dodge Grand Caravan - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Patrick - September 26 - 7:43 am

  This is not the first Chrysler Van that we have owned. All in all the only thing that worries me about the van is the transmission (4-spd auto) whichis known to be trouble. Fuel economy is very poor, well below the Chevy Venture. But all in all, this van is worth the extra money at the pump. Ride quality, design, and comfort is tops with us. We have owned 1993-2002 Chrysler vans and have enjoyed and have had good luck with all (trading most in with mileage above 150,000). We all reall love our Caravan!

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  Worth A Test Drive - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By MR772 - September 25 - 2:00 am

  I have a 2000 neon bought new. Great car got fully loaded with all options except anti-lock breaks for a little over 12k. This car can stop on a dime. Great sound system. Great hp for a car in its class. have only had a few minor problems in 3 years and 60k miles. Best car with most options for the money (try finding a civic ex for the same price). get the manual transmission its the only one worth buying.

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  Not Enough Get Up an Go - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By morgon - September 19 - 11:13 pm

  I was looking for a 4 cyl. AWD vehicle for my wife to commute with. The AWD works great in the snow and rain, but there is no get up and go when it comes to accelerating fom a stop. I also own a Honda Accord with the 4 cyl., and with 12 less HP. The Honda has alot more pep. The Caliber feels extremely sluggish with the CVT transmission. The fuel economy is not bad, but a slightly larger tank to increase the range would be nice. I look forward to trading this in for an AWD Magnum, and paying a little more for gas. This would be excellent for a new driver, but not for a family of 4. This is a good car for around town grocery getting, but thats about it. Test drive well before you buy!

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  What I think about this car. - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By abcdef123 - September 19 - 2:23 pm

  An amazing vehicle indeed. I cant really find anything that is horribly wrong with it to where I would complain. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Sad power - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By Tkrutz - September 18 - 10:24 pm

  Not very happy with the power in reverse when in 4x4. I can not get the rpm over 2000 and the engine will bog down. The service center completed a software upgrade to help this, however the 3.7 v6 just is a weak engine. I have tried other trucks at the dealer that match mine, and all have poor power to point of not being able to pull itself backwards out of a small incline

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  Do It Durango - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By wbentt - September 16 - 11:33 pm

  I have had my new 06 Durango for three weeks now and love it. It is quiet like a limosine until you step on the gas and feel the incredible power of the Hemi. The interior is fantasitic. Dash is superb! Seats are really comfortable and power drivers seat standard. Yes! I bought this one without running boards and now see that I will have to order some. Its a long way up! The gas mileage is lower than expected, but the power will be great for pulling my motorcycle and trailer to TX every winter. The looks are OK. Havent got used to the front end yet but everything else makes it great! Front will grow on me. Crawled under and had a look. Now that is built tough, but rides great!