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 must have got a good one! - 1992 Dodge Stealth
  By Mr. Moore - June 14 - 2:38 pm

  Bought the car in 97 with 45000 mi. Drove it until 03 when wife blew engine driving it with blown heater hose. Had 203,000 when motor went. Had tranny rebuilt at 150,000 for $2200 dollars. New engine and shop install cost $5500, way more than car is worth. Just couldnt part with car, its like an old friend. The car is incredibly fast for a base model & handles great. Only real drawback to the design is the placement of spoiler in the middle of the back window blocking rear view mirror, although glad for spoiler over 90 miles an hour, & back seats have no leg room. Love the car & hope for 200,000 more miles.

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  The Durango Expierence - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By RETreeFrog769 - June 14 - 1:10 am

  The driving is great it is comfortable, but the plastic parts inside are already breaking like around the outside of the drivers seat where the electric controls are for the seat! The plastic parts seem cheap!

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  Ongoing problems - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By joan - June 11 - 9:31 pm

  Mechanicly sound , fun to drive, but many ongoing problems. Front seat trim keeps cracking , headlights come on on sunny days , ac cuts out. Dealer keeps saying no problem found. Also the Goodyear tires are poor in rain or at highway speeds .

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  Petes Stratus - 1999 Dodge Stratus
  By Pete - June 9 - 9:00 pm

  Very reliable car.150,000 miles and still going strong. Handles decent, great fuel economy. Its a good car car if you want the basics plus a few extras like AC, power windows and locks.

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  A basic people hauler - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By Duff - June 9 - 2:52 pm

  Performance is fair to good. Acceleration from a stop is mediocre, but at highway speed passing acceleration is very good. Ride is good and comfort is very good. The standard Caravan is more reliable than the Grand Caravan (backed up by Consumer Reports), probably because it has fewer creature comforts. If you are looking for a basic people hauler that is also comfortable for long trips, gets decent mileage (better than the larger engine of the Grand Caravan), is fun to drive and nice looking, the Caravan is a solid choice.

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  Exhaust sound - 2006 Dodge Viper
  By Besty - June 7 - 12:05 am

  Bought my first Viper Coupe, a 2006, Wednesday, the 31st of May 2006. Car no. 59. Traded in my 2004 Z06 Corvette. The Corvette was awsome but quite docile compared to the Viper. The Vipers natural fit when you shut the door is amazing. The shifter is where it sould be, the pedals are adjustable to fit your personal preference and the handling is amazing. The only detraction from the Viper is the exhaust sound. The Corvette was far better because of the rear-exit exhaust. The Vipers exhaust goes through side pipes that gets vey hot. The Viper is a far better, truer sports car than the Corvette. It rides rough but with 13 inch tires on the back that the way it should ride. Amazing!

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  Does its job - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Dakota Believer - June 5 - 1:52 pm

  Wanted a Toyota Tacoma crew cab, but settled for the Dakota, and glad I did. The Tacoma does not have the room the Dakota has nor does it have the power. Happy with the Dakota, bought it used and wish I would have looked for one with more features.

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  Better Than Ever - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By tom - June 2 - 5:48 pm

  Overall fit and finish is more than excellent for a car in this price range. Take a tour of the outside and see the detail given to the body seams, their almost perfect all around the car. sit inside and notice that this is a drivers car. Its easy to get in a good driving position and all controls are extremely easy to use. The only downside is the comfort level of the seats over a long trip. This needs to be looked at by Dodge.

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  Engine Blown - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By Jerry - May 30 - 2:46 pm

  Engine problems and more engine problems. At first it seemed great but at 55-56K it started to decline. I serviced every 3K and all regular maintenance. At around 90K, I needed my main gasket replaced. Then last week I was informed my engine was shot. Also, had some electrical problems with my windows and especially my radio/CD player. I purchased new with every upgrade, even smokers package (I later learned, even though I have never smoked for xtra $20). Car still looks great, interior & exterior still looks new. This is the second Dodge that this has happened, I owned a Jeep before this and I was to dumb to learn. Never again! I am buying a Toyota! Do your homework, dont buy Dodge

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  Smooth Riding, Good Looking - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Bennett - May 28 - 5:10 pm

  I much prefer the newer lines of the Durango (late 2004/2005/2006 models). After the looks, the saleman sold it to me by simply telling me to put the power down. I bought the 4.7L V8 and its great. The power in the mid-range is awesome (especially in tow/haul mode) but can be lazy to shift down at lower speeds. The ride is the smoothest Ive known. Its a fantastic road trip car, with plenty of room and it cruises like its on air. The large size isnt all that bad, as it manouvers reasonably well - and with over 100 cubic feet of luggage space it was invaluable for our recent house move! I highly recommend the towing package as it comes with larger wing mirrors.