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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  Great Starter - 1999 Dodge Stratus
  By benstewart - January 22 - 4:08 pm

  Got it for high school graduation with 74,000 miles on it and couldnt be happier. I dont know what the previous owner replaced, but I have spent only 200 dollars replacing oxygen sensors. The Stratus is unusually peppy for its price and size while it gets 30 MPG on the highway. To many of the complaint reviews here: The longevity of the car can reflect the way you drive it. The back right window no longer works. Complaining about gas mileage? This gets 21 MPG city, which isnt good or bad, but keep in mind - you are reviewing it in 2004 or so, compare to cars of the same year, technology progresses! I have to admit, the gauges look cool at night.

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  17,000 Miles and going strong! - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By TheOneAdam - January 22 - 5:43 am

  Hello world! I have the Sunburst Orange SXT with all the bells and whistles. Definitely an eye catcher and never a shortage on conversation whether at the gas pump or grocery store. This is a nice fun vehicle, great for traveling as well as city driving. Being in the great state of Texas, driving to Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and Houston (all cities are about 240 miles apart – est. 230 - 250 on at tank of gas) this vehicle is fun! And yes, good acceleration from 0-60 as well as surprisingly good passing speeds. Stable at the 3-digit speeds as well – Oops, did I say that?

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  Going from Dodge truck to Dodge car - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By jonesnco - January 22 - 3:19 am

  I have had my 2005 Neon SE for just over a month and feel it is a good car for the money - especially with rebates. I expected about 29 to 30 mpg given the EPA ratings but only got about 26 on the first take. It seems to have gained about 1 mpg every tank until it hit about 29.5 mpg. The performance is quite acceptable given the power of the engine although the transmission can shift oddly at slow speeds. I drove a manual for years so the behavior may be normal. My only complaints are some unattractive black styrofoam under the steering wheel column in the dash. It is visible and identifiable as styrofoam. There is no option to enable the power outlet when the ignition is off.

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  Positive Change - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Stanten M. - January 18 - 10:00 am

  This year it seems that DaimerChrysler has put a little more work into the Neons styling, especially in offering the new SXT model which incorporates many sporty features such as a cd player, 6-speaker stereo, power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, aluminum wheels, keyless entry and a rear spoiler standard at a discounted price (compare price of equally equipped SE model). I opted to purchase the 5 Speed Manual transaxle for the extra acceleration it provides- almost 5 seconds faster to 60mph than the 4 Speed Automatic.

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  My Experience - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By gorjul - January 18 - 10:00 am

  great vehicle, no problems out of ordinary

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  First kid on my block to get a new Nitro - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By John Wright - January 17 - 2:10 am

  My new Nitro had 19 miles on it the day that I purchased it on September 26, 2006. The vehicle is really a blast to drive, it has great pickup and the handling and braking make the mid-sized SUV feel like a much smaller vehicle. I have had numerous people gawking at my Nitro everywhere that I take it, I even had one guy stick his head in the window while sitting in a parking lot -- while I was still in the truck! As of this writing I now have 7 days and 345 miles of pavement under me. So far the only complaint that I have is the gas mileage not being anywhere near what the sticker indicates, averaging about 15.25 MPG (Sticker indicates 17/23). I was hoping that it wouldve been at least 19.

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  Good Truck -Reliable - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By mike - January 15 - 6:47 pm

  I love this truck and am very pleased with its performance. Reliable, fast, and sharp looks. Decent gas mileage.

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  1996 Dodge grand caravan se - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By chili-mac - January 15 - 10:00 am

  Good Van, in three years only maintenance item, tires and breaks.

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  2004 Dodge Neon - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By PTLJo - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I just recently purchased my Dodge Neon and so far I have been pleased with its performance. Its nice and roomie on the inside for me and my friends. I think that the front seat comfort is better than backseat comfort. Sound system is great for my ears. I like having 6 disc CD changer as well as tape and AM/FM radio capabilities. Its gas mileage is not as good as previous car (Ford Festiva), but I will get used to it. Plus, I now drive slower to keep the RPMs down and use gas more wisely.

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  My used Intrepid - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Tom - January 14 - 12:29 pm

  I needed a larger auto as my kids were getting too big for the back seat of Prizm. The Intrepid has fantastic legroom, drives well, is comfortable for trips and gets very good mileage (a real need) for a large car. I have had NO mechanical trouble, perform maintenance myself and have been pleased with the car. I do not regret purchasing this auto at all.