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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  RIP Caliber - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By roadtripper - February 26 - 11:39 pm

  Recently wrote off my Cali with 37000kms on it. Snowy road, skidded out, flipped over the snowbank, hit 3 trees and landed on the passenger side. Passenger and I got out without a scratch or bruise. Definitely SAFE! I loved this car, amazingly comfortable on long road trips which we took 3-4x/yr and my friends were always surprised that all the luggage fit. 4 snowboards and 4 people with their bags was easy. CVT is so fuel efficient, smooth, and easy to drive in traffic. Averaged 33 MPG (7.1L/100km) mixed hwy/city. Really a car that fits into your life. Only because we do a lot of winter driving, Im looking to replace it with a Subaru Impreza for the AWD, but I know Ill miss some features.

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  190K miles and still going! - 1994 Dodge Shadow
  By Chris - February 26 - 9:56 pm

  It was not my first choice but it turned out to be the best car i ever owned! The Shadow loves to be driven both long and short trips.

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  An Excellent Upgrade - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By saku97 - February 26 - 5:33 pm

  I first purchased the SXT model in May 2009 and loved it. Just out of curiousity I went back to the dealership and drove the R/T Model. I was instantly sold. I was hesitant to buy the 6 speed manual as it has been years since driving a "stick". Im glad I did. This car is pure power and an eye catcher. I have owned a few sports cars in my day and this is by far my favorite. I have owned 2 Camaros and loved them, but, they cannot touch this car. I parked it for the winter and cannot wait until the spring. I frequently go to the garage and admire it . Im hooked.

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  better off w/ a hoopty - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By carla - February 26 - 3:39 pm

  I love my vehicle but I have been having problems with it since 9850 miles. I took it to the dealership more than ten times and they tell me there is nothing that they can do. I also have problems with the acceleration, the signal light went out at about 12,000 miles, the brakes squeek, the head lights dim when I use the inside controls, and the fuel door light stayed on for a day. The tires were not at the correct inflation level once and I fixed the problem by putting more air, y is there not a system that tells me why my car wont start some times. The people at the dealership treat me bad wish that they would have treated me like this when I was going to purchase my car.

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  Still ticking - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By Happy2010 - February 26 - 11:45 am

  I bought my neon brand new back in 2001 and it is still getting me where I need to go. Other than replacing the tires, battery and a few belts, I have not had any major issues with this car. It has over 150,000 miles on it. My only drawback is the paint job. Other than that, this is a great car! I wish they still made them.

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  This is so aggrevating - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Never Again - February 26 - 3:51 am

  The biggest, most complicated issue was eventually finding out that a "rattle" I was hearing from the engine area was actually a weld seam that came undone between the engine compartment and the firewall of the dash. My vehicle was in the shop for almost a month while the engine was completely taken apart and rebuilt. They welded the seam together and put everything else back. Luckily that started happening before the warranty ran out. Since then, various parts of my engine have made noises belts, cooling fan, etc. My exhaust manifold has been replaced twice already. Now my car is "chiming" while I drive, and the oil leaks--go figure! I do not suggest this vehicle.

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  Pretty good car - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By fidesetratio - February 25 - 10:37 pm

  Ive had the Avenger now for about 8 months and its really nice. All the negative things that Edmunds says arent entirely true. Its pretty powerful for a 4 cylinder and being so heavy, were not drag racing it, it accelerates and merges onto the highway just fine. I havent had any problems with it not starting or cutting out, actually Ive had no mechanical problems at all with it. All around, its a solid midsize car. Great on gas, (just took it 1400 miles on highway, 32mpg average) looks good, has plenty of room and feels right at home on the highway. It is heavy, so you cant take a 90 degree turn at 40, thats just unsafe anyways. If youre commuter with a family, its a great car!

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  Love My Stratus!!! - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By dianaprince - February 25 - 8:05 pm

  My husband and I bought this as a family car back in 05. Weve driven it clear across the country and back several times, and racked up a lot of mileage that way but didnt pay much for gas! I Love the amount of trunk space and interior space it has! We made several cross country trips with 2 adults, 2 small kids and 2 large dogs, and all our stuff in the car (luggage,food, and strollers) and still had plenty of room. Its 2010, Ive had this car for at least 4 years now and I still love it! Best car Ive ever owned!

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  Throttle Sensor NIGHTMARE - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Ruth - February 25 - 12:11 pm

  Have had two Major issues. Bought the van and it had bad sensors everywhere. Airbags sensors bad, transmission sensor bad and the latest? throttle sensor. Fixed at a Dodge dealership. Toyota is not the only one with issues. When the throttle sensor went bad it had unintentional acceleration and nearly caused a fatality. Bad design. Hate electronic parts - especially bad ones.

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  dodge tough - 1994 Dodge Caravan
  By ryan newmen - February 24 - 8:28 pm

  just a really fun car i like it.....