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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  Mixed emotions - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By 01 Stratus SE Sedan - October 21 - 10:12 pm

  My Status was a company lease with high highway miles. Im not quite sure what the deal was, but I had so many problem with the car. Luckily I had the factory and the extended warranty that I chose to purchase. I am currently on my third A/C & heating control module. The chrome lettering on the sides, "SE", "DOGDE", "STRATUS" peeled off. I t has very low head room, especially in the back seat. I was very surprised by the power it has for a 4 cylinder, but very disapointed in the gas mileage. I had the same mileage in my old Lumina 6 cylinder. I had a theory about first model year vehicles and a recent issue of Consumer Reports saying that they have more problems.

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  Not great, not bad - just right - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Sean Davis - October 21 - 3:10 pm

  Purchased IN July 05, out the door at 28,500 with Employee discount, rebate etc ... Traded Eddie Bauer Expedition in. Miss all the do-dads from the Ford but its been a great truck so far. Should have gotten the 2 speed transfer but still works well in sand etc

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  What am I doing in this car? - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Ray in Ohio - October 21 - 10:00 am

  I thought the last car I would be seen in is a Neon, but my opinion changed after looking at a Stratus at a Dodge dealer, deciding it was too much money (at my yearly mileage, leasing is not a good option) and test-driving a Neon SXT. With a power sunroof, 15" alloy wheels and an above average stereo, I was impressed. Very little wind noise with all the windows closed. Great handling, decent pickup and turning on the air conditioner didnt make the car bog down. I was aware of the other cars in my price range and was satisfied that this was the car for me.

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  Satisfied So Far - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By After A Long Search - October 19 - 8:26 pm

  I looked for a replacement vehicle for 2 months, drove all kinds of cars, trucks and vans and decided on the Dakota mainly because of its size and price. Got it new for just over 15K which was 8K less than the sticker. I couldnt come near that on any of the competition including the compacts. It has a heavy, secure feel. The gas mileage is 16 mpg so I figure its costing me 15 cents per mile to drive this truck. Oh well, better than being cramped into a tacky Kia.

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  Durango, gas hogger - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Sonia - October 17 - 1:03 pm

  I think that the Durango is a real nice looking vehicle. The only thing that I dont like is the gas mileage. The tag on the vehicle said that I would get 19 in city and 24 on highway. They lied. I only get 15 in the city and about 14.5 on the highway. I made this purchase thinking that the gas mileage was not the greatest but it was ok. Now if Id known that the gas mileage was 15 in city and 14.5 on highway, I would of looked for another vehicle. Im not happy with the Durango.

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  My Hemi - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By garry birks - October 16 - 6:33 pm

  I love the power of the v8 Hemi. It performs better than I expected. Lots of room, very comfortable. The sound system is also great.

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  New Dodge Magnum 2006 - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By hopper - October 16 - 5:46 pm

  All in all this is a great car. There are a few things that we dont like. The size and cargo is excellent. We packed our house in it for the evacuation of hurricaine Rita. The car drove great in 28 hours of traffic , never ran out of gas. It has large gas tank and great fuel economy. The things we dislike are that the air conditioner blows hot air at you when you first turn it on. This is annoying when it is hot out. The other things are that the arm rests are extremely hard and hurt your elbow. The windows are high so when you hang your arm out the window it is at an uncomfortable angle. But most of the things we love about this car.

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  This van is a workhorse - 2000 Dodge Ram Van
  By fuzzyfish80537 - October 16 - 1:32 am

  The only trouble I have ever had was the water pump going out at 120,000 miles which is not what I would call premature. Other than that Ive had to replace the heater blower motor resistor, the turn signal flasher, and the bulbs in the overhead brake light. Thats all. Not bad in my opinion. It now has 170,000 miles on it and is still in great shape (except for the paint peeling). Its a workhorse, having only failed on me when the water pump went out. Keep up on the regular maintenance and keep the fluids fresh and it will run forever. BTW, its a 1500 half ton with a 318 5.2 liter v8 loaded about 1000 pounds over gross weight that I put 3500 one ton springs on. I love my Dodge van!

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  zoom - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Dale - October 14 - 3:00 pm

  Great car to date, highly recommend.

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  I love this car! - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By Artist in the Ambula - October 13 - 1:06 am

  I have owned this car for a year now and it has been great. Dodges build quality while not exceptional has been better than my "German" Jetta of just a year younger. The power of this car is amazing. However, that does come at a price, especially with FWD, but torque steer is minimal. Gas mileage though is much worse than advertised. I stay out of boost throughout most of my driving and I average around 17mpg in the city. Highway is much better though, about 26mpg which is good for the car. The car turns heads but mostly from the wrong crowd that try to race unfortunately. Get car to take onto the track/drag. No matter all the negatives the car has, I love this car and will have it forever.