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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  Daily commute rocks! - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Eric - April 29 - 10:11 pm

  We paid over MSRP in April 2003 when these just came out. We werent planning on a new car, but I was compelled by the performance and my wife had the same reaction to the styling. (Ours is yellow). We took a test drive, and the first thing we noticed is that this is NOT a Neon. The build was very tight. Special attention went into these cars. With limited production, Dodge wanted to make a statement. The SRT line was unveiled And we had to have it. Words to describe this car: Practical, economical, exhilarating, and reliable. We had to justify using this as a family car. A) the back seat was very roomy, and the trunk was spacious. B.) We get 29-30 MPG hwy and 25-26 daily driving.

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  Good overall truck - 1992 Dodge Dakota
  By Vince - April 28 - 2:57 am

  The 1992 Dakota is a very good overall truck. Power is decent for the era with the V6. Running the AC while driving in hot weather tends to cause it to need to downshift often to accelerate at certain speeds. I recommend the V8 for the club cab, especially with the 4x4 option. The exterior and interior design still looks good to this day. With a new paint job, removed plastic moldings, and wheels, many non-car-savvy people mistake mine for a new truck model.

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  Love/Hate - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By SB - April 27 - 2:10 pm

  I love so many things about the Nitro, standard features, comfort, cargo room, etc. But I hate the fact its been to the service department 3 times in the last month for the same problem (1600, 2200 & 2400 miles). he remote (keyless) entry has caused the Nitro to go haywire 3 times when the unlock button is pressed. This causes the Malfunction light to come on, and prevents all the computer modules from communicating with each other. First the dealer reset the computers, then they replaced the main (gateway) computer module. Took it back today, not sure what they have planned now. If they dont get it fixed this time, Ill be requesting a new Nitro, because other than that I love it.

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  Still going at 257000+ miles - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ken_86gt - April 27 - 2:58 am

  I bought this van used at ~93k miles. This van has been incredibly reliable. Normal maintenance items ONLY- oil, filters, tires, brakes, plugs, belts, battery. Still on original hoses. I have only replaced the starter and alternator once, I consider this normal. It is starting to use a little oil, have a transmission leak that is significant, and uses coolant frequently. I just keep them topped of at this point. I will be looking for another Caravan soon! I have friends with Honda and Toyota minivans that required much more maintenance and repairs than mine! I keep thinking that this will be the last set of tires I buy- and then 50K later it is time again...

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  Highway mileage joke - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By squareorbit - April 26 - 6:44 pm

  We bought our Caravan because our 95 Caravan had 190,000 miles and had a transmission problem. Our 2005 Caravan is supposed to be able to get up to 27 miles per gallon on the highway. The only way you can get milage like that is to be going down a steep mountain. We get 17 to 18 miles per gallon. We will not be buying another Chrysler product.

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  Had a neon before? This is way different - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By fishandring - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I am going on one month of ownership and this vehicle handles like a champ! It outperforms all cars under 25000 and most cars under 30000...barring the handling of the miata.

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  Dodge all the way - 1995 Dodge Dakota
  By rob - April 25 - 10:41 pm

  My dad first owned the 3.9L V6 Dakota Sport and we went on family vacations and he used it for business. My mom also drove it around to and from work (errands too) for years. The Dodge has been through a lot of travels!! It now has 205,000 miles on it and is running wonderful!! Only normal fixes had to be done. Great truck. Now I own the truck and enjoy it a lot!

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  i love my caliber - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By seraphangel13 - April 22 - 11:23 pm

  i bought mine with 15miles on it. i bought it 3 days after it first came out and have had no problems with the car. i personally love my car. if u keep up with the actual maintenance recommended then it shouldnt be bad at all. i have had the car for 3 years now and love it to death.

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  I love my Magnum - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By Trisha - April 22 - 10:21 pm

  I fell in love when I first saw the Magnum but to actually own one is a dream come true. To have the Hemi and the power in a station wagon is so wonderful. You have the power of a truck or SUV but the space and comfort of a mini van. I am completely happy and satisfied with my vehicle and cannot wait to drive it everyday. It goes when I need it to and gives me the comfort and safety I need on the roads today.

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  Its an OK choice. Pretty reliable. - 2000 Dodge Caravan
  By Roman - April 19 - 4:35 pm

  When I bought this car it has 72K and I put another 7000 miles on it. All I can say is its not real pretty on the inside or outside, but with captain chairs its a very good family car. Its quite reliable too (try a Windstar, youll know the difference). Its 3.8L engine took a little less gas then Windstar, and its quite powerful too. I didnt know that when the car stays a couple weeks outside and brakes get rusty - you have to take the wheel off and smake the drums with the hammer, so I ended up replacing tire, brakes and wheel. ($350lost,put used alloy wheel and used tire). Id recommend this car to someone who likes comfort, but doesnt have enough money to buy and Odessey or Sienna.