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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  Awesome Car - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By PooJesse - July 27 - 7:47 pm

  So first off, this car is awesome. I got a lot of looks in it. Put some dual exhaust on it, made it sound way cooler! A little boost in power as well. I was at work after hours and was doing donuts with it. No lack of power in the V6. :-D

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  Still Goin Strong - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By marki - July 27 - 12:45 pm

  Have now had my 2004 Dakota Quad Cab 4x4, V8 for nearly 4 years. Still loving it. Its fun, reliable, comfortable, handy to haul stuff, plenty of power etc. I dont know why others complain about the fuel - I consistently get over 20mpg on the highway. Usually 22 mpg. My 2002 Dakota w/ the V6 did the same but it was dangerously gutless! I do yearly maintenance & have had no problems. (My 2002 Dakota V6 had several recalls & other issues!) I love this truck & will not get rid of him for a long, long time!

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  No problems yet - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By staffer21 - July 27 - 10:00 am

  I have had mine for about 6 months, it is a great ride and very enjoyable. My last car was a mustang, and this is a nice trade.

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  Love this car - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Love this car - July 25 - 9:50 pm

  I loved this car I never had a problem with it. I owned it for eight months and put 45,000 miles on it. I was not good to it. I never change the oil on time. I drove a lot of dirt roads. It never failed me. It was one of my fav.

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  Could have done better - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By elysian_7 - July 25 - 9:08 pm

  Had mine 4 years, put 75,000 miles on it and bought it brand new. Its a good car. I have really had no problems until recently, but it has yet to leave me stranded. Im getting strange codes and my transmission is acting berserk. The 6 disk changer was a mistake and Im very upset with performance. Ive lost several cds into the unknown in there and had to replace the thing twice. Other than that its a smooth ride, once i get my current problem fixed (still dont know what it is). Great speakers, cool look, smooth ride, almost no blind spots. Great first car. I wont get another though. Sorry dodge, but i cant take the electrical problems.

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  awsome car - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By snackers - July 25 - 2:10 pm

  This is a great car, smooth ride, roomy interior and looks sweet. Gas mileage is not the best but when It rides and looks like it does, who cares.

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  Love made in USA - 2007 Dodge Caravan
  By SANJ - July 24 - 5:30 pm

  I am happy with my 2007 Dodge Caravan SXT 4dr Minivan (3.3 L 6cyl 4A). Also I got lifetime powertrain warranty that no one offers out in market. Also my friend had it for 3-4 years & has low maintenance cost. Compare to toyota & honada you pay more & get same by the way when you buy dodge help US economy not foreign county

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  a great little car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By neonguy528 - July 24 - 12:47 pm

  Bought my 03 neon new 9-02. I baby this car because I work hard for my money and want it to last. I love this car. This car design inspired many copycats from other companies. The new mazdas for one. In 6 years I have been stranded once with a busted alternator belt at 58,000 miles. I have had 5 or 6 times where the car has lost power while driving. My mechanic has checked it out and could not find anything wrong on the diagnostic machine. He said it was probably a glitch with the computer. I have 61,000 miles now and it is running perfect. I do need front control arm bushings. I love my neon and will never part with it. It has been a great car. And money well spent. I get 24-29 city. 39 or more hwy.

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  Nice Car - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Dave - July 24 - 8:33 am

  Bought this car new in November 2005 and now have 4000 miles, mostly city and suburban driving. It has been everything I hoped it to be. Lots of power, comfort, and quality surrounding you. Wife loves driving it and some of the electronic features are added pleasures. No problems with it, other than a squeaking brake at times while backing out of the driveway. Fit and finish is excellent, would highly recommend this for a comfortable ride and aggressive modern styling.

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  Great Van best out there - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By twalker321 - July 23 - 10:00 am

  best van out there for the money and everything!