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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  208k And Going Strong - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By R. Sheppard - April 17 - 6:39 pm

  I bought the car used with 185K. have had minor problems, ie brakes, Headlights, Axle. nothing that could persuade me to get rid of the car. the intrepid is roomy and handles well. I have put 28K miles on that used engine and all I do is keep changing the oil. I would recommend the Intrepid to anyone.

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  Very good car! - 1992 Dodge Stealth
  By HFSMM1 - April 17 - 5:19 pm

  I bought this car used with about 66,000 miles and have had it until present April 2010 with 182,000 mi. It has performed very well. It always starts up in cold weather and runs well. I have had to repair it of course (normal wear and tear) but I like this car a lot and was (is still to a degree) a head turner. Very quick and fun to drive. Since it is FWD it pulls well in the snow but it has low clearance so if its more than 4 inches of snow I get stuck. I am about to buy a new car and will probably sell it. If I could afford to keep 2 cars I would keep it. I am sure this car would/will do 1 million miles.

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  This is a Great American Car! - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Cyndi - April 17 - 5:03 pm

  Roomy comfortable seats, quiet smooth engine (v6) and a lot of eyeball, this car is going to be a classic!

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  Amazing Car says Self-Proclaimed Cynic! - 2008 Dodge Magnum
  By alaskan skies - April 17 - 2:54 am

  I purchased my 2008 SXT AWD 3.5L Dodge Magnum around the time Dodge was claiming bankruptcy - at the time I thought I was walking away with a great deal, now that I have had the car for a year I realize that this was probably the best vehicle purchase I have made, or ever will make. This car has it all. It is roomy, yet compact. It is versatile, agile, and swift on its feet. It sports an edgy masculine look as well as a classy interior design. I like its bold look and smooth drive. I purchased the 3.5 L V6 engine and I wouldnt recommend anything less than that. Overall, this is an amazing car and if you find one Id recommend snapping it up.

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  1998 es 4 door sedan - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By RR50 - April 16 - 8:45 pm

  I see a lot of negative reviews for this car , so I might have just got lucky. Without any doubt this was the best car I have ever owned and would not hesitate to buy another one . I quit buying Chrysler a long time ago.( I am 50 yrs old) But couldnt pass this one up. Paid $1000 with 135,000 miles on it. It now has 280,000 miles and engine and tranny are still strong.Never one problem. Only changed normal wear parts.(brakes,belts,etc.)

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  No More Chrysler Trucks for me! - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By No More Chrysler - April 16 - 7:20 am

  Bought this car new. I have the V8. Mileage is terrible even for a truck. Now have 60k miles on and have had it in the shop numerous times for front end problems. Drive train is also noisy. Terrible acceleration. A white knuckle towing machine! (Dont do it!)

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  COMPLAINT - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By vic - April 14 - 11:48 am

  Was thinking we got a good car and what I always wanted with 20,100 miles got last DEC 2009 noticed a ticking and getting worse with the colder and running took to local dealer said fixed and a little tapping was normal and would go away did not so took to dealer we bought from and said oh ya something definitely wrong replaced pump tensioner pivot arm antifreeze 2 valves 3 rocker arms seal valve guide 2 gasket cylinder head gasket timing case cover seal water pump to front gasket intake manifold antifreeze tensioner when I got it back it did sound like a car should now there is an idling issue and a vibration when you shift from gear to gear need to take in again at this point I am tired of th

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  Head-turner in Europe - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Paganarh - April 14 - 7:03 am

  Purchased as new on June of 09, so not even year old, but Im really enjoying driving this car. Its smooth and relaxed, but doesnt object when you floor it to overtake another car on the freeway. Mind you, 2,4 is already to the "big" side, as far as engines go in Europe on middle class sedans. Only bone to pick is that "chill zone" a bit useless for me, darkening rear mirror works only when somebody is really riding your tail and default battery is weak- couldnt get car started when outside was "only" -20C/-4F, gonna change it for next winter. Other than that, I love this car and it really stands out amongst plain European and eastern cars around me. And theres only 4 Avengers in Estonia

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  The best Dodge ever - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Alex Povolotski - April 13 - 11:22 pm

  Test drove this beast earlier today. Very comfy suspension, eats up all the imperfections of the road. They borrowed it from Mercedes and I like that. The 3.5 L engine is adequately powered, 6 speed transmission is very smooth. Noise both from the road and the engine is nicely hushed. The instrument panel is new electroluminescent, controls are well laid out. Trunk is huge, third row of seats are useless, so dont take that option. Drives very nicely overall. Was positively surprised. Got a respectable 19 MPG, good for mid-sized SUV/CUV/Wagon.

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  Not impressed - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Jill - April 13 - 2:10 pm

  I purchased this avenger new off the lot and I have not been happy with many of the features. I drive for work and spend a lot of time inside my car. The second cup holder is located slightly under the console/armrest and it makes it difficult to use. At 50,000 miles my radio now occasionally shorts out. I also had a problem that it was just suddenly dying at stoplights however a factory computer update did solve this problem. It runs well otherwise, the net like seats are difficult to clean because small crumbs get stuck under this material. No repairs yet, but the interior space just seems crowded with supplies and the trunk lacks good space as well.