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:

• 

  R/T Road & Track - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By skiertx - July 30 - 9:06 pm

  I bought my R/T with Road & Track package in Feb 2013. Options on the car are Nav and forged aluminum wheels. Color is Redline with red interior. I knew I was interested in the R/T with Road & Track. When I saw the Redline Red with red interior, I was partially hooked. Now I had to test drive. The test drive (one hour) sealed the deal!! After driving nearly 11,000 miles, this car is excellent, fun to drive, solid build. I get 21mpg to 21.5 on my commute to and from work and get 25mpg on the HWY. I get weekly compliments on the car, the color, the interior and the wheels. If the dealer would have had an SRT8 other than black....I think I would have bought it!!!

• 

  so far so good - 2013 Dodge Durango
  By dokutman - July 29 - 2:12 pm

  purchased this new, may of 2013. Have put close to 6k miles on it already, but that included a trip to florida from md. Getting very decent gas milage for such a big vehicle, with AWD. Rides great, its quiet, with plenty of power. I average 23-24mpg in mixed driving, but got over 27mpg on the last fillup on the way home from florida! So far weve been very happy with this vehicle, and will post an update down the road....

• 

  Canadian Chrysler Intrepid - Better Engine - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By kipstorm - July 28 - 1:36 pm

  After 235,000 miles, I finally had to lay her to rest. Many mechanics will tell you the 2.7 Chrysler engines have a timing chain problem but this one was made in Canada and I had no problems the engine was quiet on the last day. (Wife had same engine but made in USA and all the problems.) Through the years, I replaced: strut assemblies, coolant hose, normal batteries and brakes, lights. It was solid best car Ive ever owned. Goodbye, Ill miss you.

• 

  Best Car Ive Owned in 50 Years - 2008 Dodge Magnum
  By ocita - July 26 - 2:58 pm

  I special ordered my 2008 Magnum SXT for delivery in the USA while serving in, Afghanistan. It currently has 50K miles on it, most of the miles from long-distance driving. It averages about 27 mpg at 65-70 mph. Out west, at altitudes above 5,000 ft, where the speed limit is 80, the mileage jumps to 33 mpg. Most of the miles on the car have been cross country. I was stopped by a police officer only once. The officer only wanted was to know the name of the color on the car. She loved the color. This is the most comfortable riding and reliable vehicle I have owned n 50 years. The only problem I have had in 5 years was a burned-out license plate light bulb.

• 

  Underrated and Misunderstood - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By dartdriver - July 26 - 2:42 pm

  Ive had my Dart about a month now (Limited model with 1.4L Turbo and DDCT Transmission), and I couldnt b happier. What a steller small car. I havent been able to get the mileage to approach the highway rating yet, but it seem sto be slowly creeping up. It definately pays to put premium in the car (its recommended) and keep the A/C off when possible. I love the DDCT now that Im used to it. Remember, its an automated manual, NOT and automatic. For those of us that have driven plenty of manuals, we know what that means and should be used to the way this transmission behaves. Its smooth and very direct, as long as you dont hammer it like a maniac. Its tuned for smoothness.

• 

  SRT8 - Greatest Supercar on Planet Earth - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By hbtmd - July 25 - 6:18 am

  I now have over 4,000 miles on this Beast. Over 2 tons of American muscle, however, it consistently gets 0 to 60 times of 4.6 to 4.7 seconds. Build quality is superb. Better than my 4 previous Acuras and 1 prior Lexus. Base sound system is wonderful. I have not found a single flaw or problem with it yet. The 6.4 liter hemi that puts out 470 hp is beyond description. Acceleration is so wonderful that I am addicted to it. Every day I wake up eager to drive this incredible vehicle. My son has a 2012 Challenger SRT8 with the same 6.4 liter hemi. His experience is the same. Like me, me plans to drive his SRT8 forever.

• 

  update from dec 2012 - 2012 Dodge Journey
  By dipstick5 - July 25 - 5:29 am

  have driven 3.6 L sxt fwd 6 spd auto to Wisconsin and Michigan attaining 28 to 30 mpg. gas mileage averaging 21 all around city/highway. almost 6000 miles on odometer without any complaints. adding a Mopar backup camera system sometime in future to improve safety when in reverse.

• 

  All around great suv - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By myrango - July 25 - 1:29 am

  Ive had my durango now for 5 years. Let me tell you this has been the best suv Ive ever owned. Its realible and tough. It is just what i needed. Ive driven it to Florida and back to Louisiana 4 times, with no problems!! Outside of regular maintenance its been no problem. My 1999 durango owes me nothing. I would recommend this suv for anyone. Plenty of power(5.9 liter engine). The gas milage could be better but seriously I have no complaints. 3rd row seat provides more than enough room for friends and family. 4X4, nice ruged but stylish look and bold body style.. A great suv for camping or travel. A 5* hands down.

• 

  So far so good :D - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By kennysdead - July 12 - 10:02 pm

  The reviews Ive read were either amazing or money pit. I got lucky and so far nothing is wrong with it and its at 100,000 on engine. I did buy this from a mechanic though so I could trust that it wouldnt break down. This was my first car too.

• 

  200,000km and still counting - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By phatgreatwall - July 12 - 10:00 am

  had absolutely no issues with this vehicle, had it since 33000km. all the repairs to this vehicle are of regular maintenance, ball joints, steering ujoints etc. never had to "repair" due to a defect on this vehicle. gets 750km to a tank on highway, mix local highway gets about 350. parts are dirt cheap, especially aftermarket. if you are in the market for a used sedan, definitely test drive a charger with a v8.