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:

• 

  Viper MAMBA Edition owner - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By David Z - January 14 - 3:16 am

  I have built supercharged camaros and nitros-fed builds as well. I have road raced and autocrossed all of my vehicles. The Viper is HANDS DOWN the best performing car I have ever driven and this also includes a supercharged C6 Vette. Fuel mileage is weaker when you race it and drive it hard. Otherwise, it has the fuel economy of a V8 in my opinion. It is comparable to my Camaro honestly. This car holds the road like nothing youll ever drive. The tires are actually wider than a Lamborghinis. I also work on the car myself and I have to say the build quality is superb. I am 62 so some more leg room would be nice, but oh well. PERFECT SPORTS CAR!!

• 

  HEMI power with style - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By DKRGoods - January 13 - 7:25 pm

  Always wanted a car that does not look like the rest, has a nice line too it, rides with comfort but yet is aggressive when needed, interior is quiet, comfy and has room for my big shoulders. A car that has the power when needed to make those quick passes. Wink! Wink! A car you feel safe in when driving. But most of all... a car you can custom to fit your personality. Just remember, like all cars you will have your maintenance but with this car you can spend a few extra bucks and go high performance and not lose your shirt paying for the parts. If you enjoy muscle cars... GET IT. If you dont...dont waste your money. Pros... HEMI, comfort, style Cons... Cant think of any

• 

  very happy with truck - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Moneydriver - January 13 - 9:00 am

  over all this has been a very dependable trk. other than recalls, had a problem with front leather seat that cracked at 36000 mi. that dealer wouldnt take care of. still looks good and drives great. have AWD plus 4wd in Midwest and never been stuck. gas mileage runs around 15-16 could be better.

• 

  nothing but problems - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By disappointed consume - January 12 - 6:34 pm

  I bought my Caliber in June last year. The first 60 days I had it, it was in the repair shop for 42 of those days with electrical problems. They had to replace the "Cluster" in the dash. The car had 8,000 miles on it!! Drove it till winter. No heat. Back to the dealer. Wire not hooked up. Now it has 18,000 miles on it. Bad bearings in the rear end. Just found out there was a recall in 2007 for that. Its possible the car could go out of control and cause a crash. Warranty is done, recall hopefully is good.

• 

  Better Than My Honda!!! - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By MIASXT 02 - January 12 - 5:58 pm

  This car is great, bought it for 2300 with 97000 miles. Original owner. The car is in great condition. The Shocks were squeaking but I put grease on them and havent made a sound. This car really is great. Easy fixes as well. Everyone that complains about this car either bought if from a shady dealer, or someone who doesnt take care of their cars. Very fun and reliable. Now I have heard that the automatics do have some problems with the transmission, so I say its time to learn how to drive a manual.

• 

  Great Value - 1993 Dodge Spirit
  By Reno Rider - January 11 - 10:35 pm

  93 Spirit, 2.5L, Gold Package. Excellent value and performance. Purchased new and after 191K miles car is reliable. Maintenance cost/mile less than 4 cents. Routinely serviced, particularly transmission. No problems. Dont recommend the 3.0L engine - had that on a 88 Ply mini van and had engine and trany issues. Same trany on the spirit and no problems. Offers 6 seat belts and more leg room than some larger more expensive cars. Biggest expense was a brake proportioning valve failure. Engine, AC, trany, power steering pump fine. Replaced alternator and water pump twice. 2.5L has a timing belt which had to be replaced 3xs per mfg recommendation. Power okay.

• 

  Blind Spots--Front & Rear - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Selena - January 10 - 11:50 pm

  The bulbous styling of the 2007 Caliber makes it impossible to see narrow objects that are shorter than the bumpers height. Furthermore, the bumper does not "bump" but crumples. Resulting in major damage to the cars integral components (engine, alignment). This is because Dodge uses as a shock absorber behind the exterior frame in order to achieve the high MPG.

• 

  6000 Miles No Problems - Like the Car - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By Charles - January 10 - 10:44 pm

  I have the SE trim with automatic CVT and 2.0 motor. I like the car. Best feature is the high seats. Worst feature is the right side mirror. I had to buy a small round mirror to correct the blind spot. On the highway I hit 70-80+ mph and the car handles well. I like the way CVT as it does not shift, it provides constant acceleration. When it was new, it took about 50 miles to start driving well. It just seemed like the car needed a break in period. I did not purchase the lifetime warranty as the power train is covered for life time of the original owner. I did a great deal of research on the problems with the Caliber. It seems the 2007... continued...

• 

  takes me back - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By awesome - January 10 - 7:39 pm

  i have owned my challenger for 1 month it is the most exciting car out there. with the retro look! the interior is outstanding everything is easy access, the stereo is out of this world. the shifter is smooth i like the manual built in with auto! being able to download cds into the stereo system i love that! overall this is my dream machine!!!!!!!!! the color incredible tor red metallic pearl beautiful!!

• 

  LOVE THIS TRUCK - 2007 Dodge Dakota
  By FIREFIGHTER231 - January 10 - 12:45 pm

  i love this truck i bought it about 3- 4 months ago. i am a firefighter and this truck has done wonders for me it has the power that i need and it has great response time i was looking for a full size truck but when i went to the dealer i took one look at the truck test drove it and that was it and i can say that was one of the best decisions i have made because i dont regret it the truck is wonderful great looking awesome power and the E85 ethanol is great for when the gas prices are outrageous this truck has given me a new perspective on trucks. i think this truck is a great truck all around and i have not had any problems mechanically or anything breaking.