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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  Nice Vehicle - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By queeniepreston - October 3 - 3:10 pm

  I dont know why so many people are giving bad reviews. I drive the 09 SXT CVT 6 speed & automatic, sunroof, & it had 70,000 ml, ground effects, fog lamps, the seats can fold over & not to mention the cooler, & have driven it to for very long distances, up & down mountains. I only wish that I wouldve been on top of my game to actually take a look at the brakes, the inner wall of the tires, & strouts, this summer the 4 of us had a family reunion & we literally packed it up & headed up to Nashville, Tenn. & came back with extra stuff. Its a very handy vehicle, I can fit a huge brand new trash can without folding seats, guess it depends on how you drive your vehicle. Respect it.

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  A Blessing - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By carguru1986 - October 2 - 11:50 pm

  Is this really dodge/chrysler? I cant believe how comfortable it is. Cozy interior, and a war attack of an exterior. Good on gas, and doesnt stop rolling. Bought with 111k miles. Now @ 151ish, and still running with no check. Engine lights, no problems. This is what a car is suppose to do. If it ever dies ill rebuilt it and drive it again til it dies again, rinse and repeat.

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  Great Affordable US made car - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By lameduck9 - September 26 - 9:35 am

  You must buy this car with incentives to get a great deal. We paid $16K and got a great trade-in price. This car is great looking, fun to drive, not to bad on gas and gets some great comments. The 2.4L is fine for everyday driving but if you want to super acceleration opt for the V-6 with 283HP. They should do away with the 4sp auto have the 6sp auto as standard, but its not that bad. The SE exterior looks super sharp with a little bit of chrome tweeking. The interior is great looking and functional. The trunk has plenty of room. The handling and ride are superb on this model and better on the more expensive models. You cant go wrong with this car and the average family can afford it.

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  I love this Car.....! - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By beecoolbreeze - September 9 - 4:53 am

  I have a 2003 SE with the 4 speed automatic even though I couldnt choose auto in the model type so I put manual and I love it. I bought it with 44,200 and It has 47,655 miles on it without any problems except oil change. The car is structurally and mechanically sound. No problems at all.

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  SRT8 - Greatest Supercar on Planet Earth - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By hbtmd - September 8 - 6:44 am

  I now have about 5,600 on "White Lightning". I still look forward to every day that I can jump into this awesome machine and drive anywhere at all. I frequently have people at gas stations, parking lots, and drive-throughs comment on how gorgeous she looks. Turns heads everywhere. I still LOVE the 6.4 liter Hemi with 470 hp. What I love almost as much as the power is the safety-tech features. The Blind spot warning and back-up assistance with cross traffic warning is AWESOME!! They have worked flawlessly and prevented at least one accident so far.

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  not a compact - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By michaeldart - September 5 - 9:44 pm

  First, this is not a compact car. It has more or similar interior room and trunk space as the Honda Accord coupe and the Chevy Malibu. It is a midsized car at a compact car price and with compact car fuel mileage. I almost bought a Focus, but the Dart was better equipped and had more space. The Focus just cannot accommodate adults on a long trip, the Dart can. Anyone who says the Focus interior is superior to the Darts is blind. I own the SE with the manual, cruise control, and Uconnect. The build quality was excellent, no bad panel gaps, paint, everything worked. I have had it for 10 months, 2 long trips, 9,000 miles, and only oil and filter changes.

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  2013 Avenger - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By lousal - August 20 - 2:40 pm

  I bought this vehicle mainly because of USAA reviews and price. I am extremely satisfied with it. My gas mileage is above the stated mileage. Last trip of about 130 miles I averaged 34 mpg. The acceleration is a little sluggish but that is what you have with a 4 cylinder engine. It is comfortable during long trips and very roomy. Both myself and my wife are not small people and we do not have any problems with roominess. The only problem I have had is that the manual states 4.5 qts of oil including oil filter but when I changed the oil and added exactly 4.5 qts it only showed half way within crosshairs on dipstick. I called the service department and was told that is normal.

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  Fun American Muscle - 2013 Dodge Challenger
  By colby_butler - August 8 - 10:26 pm

  This car had the shifttronic auto :(, but still allowed full rev to each gear and downshifting. Did a 0-60 test, yielded 5.5 with some wheelspin, not bad. Seemingly very powerful. Throws you back when you gas in almost every gear. Passing on the highway is great dropped to third. Very fun car to drive. Fantastic stereo system and Sirius radio. Lots of trunk space. Back seats are actually quite comfortable for me at 6. Projector beam HID lights for night driving seem adequate. Leather is nice and not too plush for easier care then some competitive Euros like my personal VR6.

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  Great Ride, Highly Recommended - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By rickdad - August 7 - 9:16 pm

  I have a 2013 SXT Plus AWD Charger V6 with 8 speed auto transmission with the bells and whistles. Great Ride! Pluses: 35 mpg on the highway due to Econo Mode where 2 cylinders shut down on road trips. Very stable in turns, it is a heavy car, just over 2 tons. Very nice and smooth acceleration, interior very comfortable. It has many amenities that much more expensive vehicles have. Love the styling. AWD works great. Minuses, really minor. The head room with the sun roof is barely enough for me at 62". Rear headroom is low. Trunk is roomy, but trunk entrance is not. Need funnel to add fuel additives or else spill occurs out wheel well (surprise!). Overall best car I ever drove!

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  Amazing HEMI! - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By thedriver93 - August 4 - 7:53 am

  Traded my VW Jetta for this baby! All I had was 4 cylinders with a max of 170 HP, to upgrade to 370 was awesome! Almost 400 ft lbs torque is simply sensational. The Uconnect 8.4 inch screen was easy to use, Beats sound system is great, cooled and heated leather seats are comfortable, remote start is a favorite. Its a dream to drive, I dont get passed up all the time anymore, just put my foot down and Im instantly thrown back in my seat and Im gone! MPG is a bit low as Im averaging about 18-20 MPG but I do kind of have a lead foot but with this car, who wouldnt?! Definitely a keeper