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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  2000 Dodge Durango - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By 62hilger - April 3 - 10:35 pm

  I purchased a Durango with 4.7 V8 overhead valve motor. This motor has plenty of get and go. It will squeal the tires without hesitation. The motor needs proper oil changes and I would recommend high quality motor oil. The bad side of this vehicle is you will average 12 MPG and it took quite a while to heat up. Get an auto start for it. I keep record of my fills and I mostly drove rural roads. My vehicle had rear air which was nice. If MPG is not an issue I would recommend the vehicle.

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  Best car ever owned - 2012 Dodge Challenger
  By timofmichigan - March 31 - 8:20 pm

  Having owned a 1973 Challenger at 19 yrs old, it was my favorite for many reasons. But after owning the 2012 SXT Plus for nearly 2 years - its now my all time favorite. Like the original, its coke bottle shape is timeless. Add todays quality standards, reliability, comfort, driving characteristics, and modern features like NAV, handsfree phone, heated seats, etc. - its awesome. This Challenger is trouble free, quiet, and smooth despite our sometimes rough midwestern roads.

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  I Lke It! - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By skippy21 - March 25 - 6:43 pm

  i have had mine for about 9 monthes and min eis a 96 as well and mine has never died on me, and the only probleme with it is the interior, i completely hate the interior, crappy plastice that keeps breaking on me, but other than that i like the sound, speed, and realiability of it. over all i am impressed.

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  Buy it for the Motor - Drive it for the FUN! - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By bige44221 - March 16 - 10:26 pm

  I waited to write this owning my R/T for almost a year and having over 8,000 miles on it. This car does ROCK & some Mopor aftermarket parts (I added a performance throttle body) can increase the HP to over 300. Some other reviewer talks about smoking other cars and such and still getting 30mpg, this is BS. You cant be racey and fuel efficient at the same time. If you take it easy, you will get 28-30mpg. Over 30? No. The car performs great, handles will and is a lot of fun. I tested just about every car in this class - Malibu, Fusion, Altima, Camery - none of them have the power of this engine. If you are considering any of the cars above, check out the Avenger.

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  Does what it was made to do GREAT! Bullet proof engine - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By qwiksilvertrav - March 10 - 1:59 pm

  Great car. Bought it new and have had it for 10 years now with 97k miles. Since 15k miles its been running more hp/tq so putting extra stress on the engine. It now pushes almost 500 hp and the valve cover hasnt even come off...all bolt ons! Runs strong and its STILL on factory internals. Unbelievable. Best bang for your buck period. Very solid car...have only had to replace wear and tear parts such as brakes, a wheel bearing, clutch, etc.

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  Many Miles and Many Repairs - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By clintonanthony - March 9 - 1:52 pm

  I bought my car in 2006 with 80k on it. Needed to immediately replace water pump and deal with leaking oil pan. It is now 2013, so its been a fairly okay car for me to get it over 150,000 miles. I need to junk the car now, because its no good. I live in PA and the bottom of the car is completely rusted out, rocker panels are covered up with rivits and tin. Ive tried to frequently wash the car to avoid this, but it was inevitable. My frame is soft and wont pass another inspection. I would have liked to of got more than 150k out of the car, but its not going to happen.

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  Caliber on Fire - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By losam - March 5 - 10:10 pm

  Until now I have had no problems but 12 minutes into my commute to work on February 28th proved to be fatal for my car and the truck parked beside it. There was the odor of something burning so I turned of everything electrical that I could think of that might be the cause. After coming to a complete stop in the parking lot at my workplace, I noticed steam coming from under the hood and the odor of antifreeze. Three minutes later, the engine compartment totally engulfed in flames resulting in a total lose 20 minutes later. The fire was so hot that its color was almost white. Still waiting to hear what caused the fire. Only 28,600 miles on this ride!

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  Great Car - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By arcticslalom - March 3 - 9:42 pm

  Wife has this car for past 7 years. We ran it till 220,000 miles and sold it for $1000. What a great car. 28 mpg, very reliable. The car held together very well. Almost everything worked perfectly when we sold it. It was her car through medical school, residency, fellowship and finally her first year as an MD. Just based on this car, I would certainly buy another dodge car. Cant say enough about the engine and transmission. Ive owned nissans for years, but this dodge really proved that the domestics are doing some things right in the sedan category.

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  dodge stratus se coupe 2001 the truth about it - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By onlythetruth - March 2 - 4:15 am

  good things :when i am driving my car,it is as fast as new cars,never behind them,most time in front of. aceleration brilliant,you will be really surprised about it.really fun to drive.edmunds said the truth about it. brakes enough good,4 discs. engine sounds excelent,trunk huge for a coupe car .rear seats very comfortable,they look like sedan seats ,not like the caracteristics coupe little seats.sound sistem enough good.i reproduce music with my phone and sounds powerful.and the last good thing,the car looks really nice for 2001. and now the bad details,,the front bumper is too low,and sometimes hit the front line when i am parking, and the last one, turning ratio is not so good

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  Nice Looking but a Little Fragile - 1995 Dodge Avenger
  By zecashman - March 1 - 8:22 pm

  I purchased this vehicle in October and have since driven 5000 km. Before we get into the problems Ive had with this car, it is important to understand that I paid $300 for it and it had been sitting for awhile. Service records were non-existent. Problems so far: Brake pads and rotors (normal wear and tear) New Tires, ones on the car were bald. oil change spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor (all have to be replaced every 100,000km. Mine appeared to be original. Wheel hub bearings So far the car hasnt given me any unexpected trouble, save for a broken door handle (cheapest door handle ever). Parts are cheap, except tires which are ridiculous. Snow tires and winter rims cost $1200.