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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  Get outta that minivan! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Ken - April 17 - 12:50 pm

  There is no American built car that can compare to the new Dodge Magnum. You can find a faster car, a better handling car, and a more utilitarian SUV or minivan, but looks and comfort is second to none. What I found so appealing is the ability of one car to do so many things so well. I love to drive the car, use cruise control because its easy to catch yourself going way to fast. The handling is very predictible and safe, but forget about rain and snow. I believe a good set of snow tires would remedy that, but currently no snow tires are offered in that model, so I ended up buying another car for winter driving.

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  Not too bad, after 8 yrs and 160k miles - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Dave - April 16 - 4:10 am

  Purchased in 2004 with 20k miles on it. Swore Id never own a minivan. LOVE the carrying capacity, although removing the bench seats to make room for plywood sheets was a pain. The built- in kid seats (2nd row) was very handy after the kids got out of car seats. Love all the power outlets. Multi-zone climate control was nice. Very comfortable overall. Mechanically, the brakes/rotors got worked on more than Id have preferred. It needed some kind of engine sensor replaced ($300) at about 160k. Tires = normal wear/tear. Fuel = approx 17 (but I have a heavy foot). A/C is still awfully cold, cruise works fine, very pleased overall. Just bought another used one!

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  91 Daytona ES - 1991 Dodge Daytona
  By mandawg2020 - April 15 - 8:04 pm

  Well I got the car and alomost immediatly I started to have some problems with it. I eventually got a new engine, catalytic coverter, radiator, and the tranmission rebuilt twice. It runs good now but there are still some things that could be better. The radiator fan is hooked up to a manual switch on the dash because when the engine was changed the person that did the work screwed up the wiring. I would like to get new glass all around and a new paint job aswell. Im working on getting new tires and wheels for it. I would also like to soup up the engine and get more horse power out of the 5speed manual 2.5Ltr 4-banger engine. Its my first car and Im learning a lot and want it to run better.

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  Nice Van - 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By mrbe1 - April 11 - 2:36 am

  Great price for this van. It has a comfortable Ride and handling. So far reliability has been good. I have 9,900 miles on the van and no problems.

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  Spirit to Soar - 1992 Dodge Spirit
  By Mindy - April 8 - 8:56 pm

  Everything is great except for a few fix-ups and one more serious fix. I really do love this car though. Its great but in saying that I also have to say that before I owned it, it was maticulously taken care of and maintained by the one previous owner.

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  My Baby - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By SARAH - April 5 - 1:14 pm

  I love this truck. Its like Ive always wanted. Its good for a first car and isnt too outrageously large. You sit high enough off the ground without feeling as if youre driving a bus.

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  Good and Bad - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By Good and Bad - April 4 - 10:44 pm

  Very utilitarian. Great for trips and easy to drive around a large metro area. Gas mileage is reasonable. Much better to operate than a large SUV. On the negative side, the transmission went "belly-up", a major expense, the AC has been a problem, and keeping the alignment corrected has been an issue.

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  All around good to go - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By danny - April 3 - 4:03 pm

  I am very happy with my truck. As long as I take care of it, it seems to take care of me. The V-6 has the all the power I need and the size is perfect for just around the house needs. It is fun to drive and comfortable to drive. I have only had to do the best maintance work to it. It is the base model so it doesnt have all the features, but thats what the base model is. (basic) It is a great buy and I would buy again

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  Disappointed - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By Thomas Palmer - April 3 - 2:39 pm

  A/C drive shaft broke at 60,000 miles. $758 repair. Timing gears, bellt and tensioner broke at 79,321. Head gasket blown at 79,321 miles. Transmission kaput at 79,321 miles. Cranshaft oil seals leaaking at 60,000 miles. Est $4200 to repair. Will junk this car because Blue Book is only $1200. Very, very disappointed with the drivetrain of this lemon.

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  Great for the price - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Patrick - April 2 - 11:18 pm

  The power-to-weight ratio is great. I replaced the air filter with a K&N direct replacement, then pulled the OEM exhaust off and added a Flowmaster 30 series exhaust, and brought the intake air temperature readings down by 4.7k-ohms. The result? Basically, I bought a new 04 Neon, and added the $135 in parts above to it, and now I get about 40 mpg on 89 octane, not to mention the fact that I can run a 15.7 in the quarter-mile. The power/economy side of this car is very attractive. The interior is roomy for a compact, but not too flashy. The ride is comfortable and handling is tight. The external body lines are somewhat outdated, but acceptable, Overall, this is a great car for the money.