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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  I want to scream - 1995 Dodge Avenger
  By fink - July 21 - 10:12 pm

  I love this car. Its exactly what I wanted, until I bought it. Ever since I got this car, Ive had nothing but problems with it. Tires, brake, fuel pump, sensors, and now theres something wrong with the transmisson. It never goes into gears and it eats gas like crazy! However, when it does work, I love it.

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  Fun for all - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Tony CP - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Family Car/SUV with a lot of zip, room and style. A very versatile car that will fit the needs of the most demanding family needs. Rides like a sports car with the room of a van.

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  My 99 supercar - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By clydedernitt - July 20 - 9:55 pm

  i purchased this car used with 16000 miles. It was for taking the kids to school, a 10 mile trip daily .I did go from TN to FL once and the fuel mileage was not as expected. I added Chrysler alloy wheels and the nose and deck spoiler like comes on the later RT models. I only have 43,000 miles on it now. I went to trade it for a new Caliber dodge and the dealer offered only $1600.00 trade-in! The Dodge dealer stated that the motors in these cars are bad. My car runs and looks new. We kept the Dodge for a back-up vehicle for my soon to be a driver teen son. No major defects. 2 recalls. One speed sensor and oil change. Brakes, rotor

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  Great SUV! Just a couple of minor QC issues - 2016 Dodge Durango
  By Brian Taylor - July 18 - 8:22 am

  The car is great. The dealership experience was not so great as I asked them to take care of the steering wheel alignment. In doing so, they messed up the actual wheel alignment (now drifts slightly to the left) and the steering wheel is still angled to the right. Other than that, its really a great car. It replaces a 14 Grand Cherokee, and much is very similar, but cornering is tighter on the new Durango. Third row and cargo space are a plus. My only other downside is that the Beats premium audio package is lacking in bass. Also lacking in ability to control the sound processor at the head unit. But these are minor things, most people will enjoy the sound quality as it is good.

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  Just purchased - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Angel - July 16 - 4:10 am

  I would never have purchased a Dodge Neon had there not been any PT cruisers. After driving the Neon and seeing that it would indeed get the best gas miliage for the money, I couldnt turn it down. Come to find out I really love the little car and will enjoy driving it for the future.

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  prarie schooner - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By whoa there - July 13 - 7:00 pm

  van has been real good ,and real bad. tranny serviced as required,but popped at 113000 miles $2000 to fix. shocks&struts at 96000 miles.brakes at 70000 miles. no other problems at 125k.the van has been reliable and worryfree the rest of the time. i had bought an 05 gc to takeover for this one,kept this to run around town. no complaints. many comfortable road trips.

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  Avenger - 1998 Dodge Avenger
  By Joy - July 13 - 5:20 pm

  I bought my Avenger over a year ago and have loved it. I have 115000 miles on it. I love the front, how fast and sporty it looks. It is very comfortable and Ive only had to do minimal repairs. The door handles are a problem. Im developing a kind of shudder when the car shifts now. Im looking into the cause.

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  I love my R/T - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By becksr/t - July 13 - 12:24 am

  If you like to pull onto the highway with confidence that you can merge without getting rear ended, this car is for you. I havent taken it to the 1/4 mile yet, but it has all kinds of power. If you want to lay down some rubber youll have to push the trac-off button. But the traction control will be a big plus when I do hit the strip, in a couple weeks. If you are over six feet you might not be comfortable. The wheels arent that hard to clean. Theyre clear coat so just spray on some mean green scrub for 10 seconds with a sponge & hose off good. For a compact car, you couldnt ask for more, sporty, fast, yet toddler friendly.

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  2004 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4WD SLT - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By William Ryan - July 12 - 2:03 pm

  If I could get 10 more MPG out of this truck I would be happy. I love everything about it. If you live in a cold climate and you buy a Dakota Quad I would suggest getting the rear window defogger instead of the sliding rear window - you probably wont use the slider that much anyway.

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  Got a HEMI? - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By M.Nicley - July 9 - 10:27 pm

  I bought this used, if you call owned for 6 months used. I traded in my 2000 Chevy Blazer for this rocket! I get 14 mpg around town, 18 mpg highway. (Same as my 4.3 Blazer) I towed a Ford Mustang over 600 miles on a heavy steel trailer and still managed 16 mpg. All the while passing cars and averaging 80 mph in the mountains of TN. Took the Durango with wife and 2 children to FL from OH and was plenty comfortable and rode better than some higher priced SUVs and cars.