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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  My retirement toy. - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By A.A. - March 4 - 10:12 pm

  I LOVE my SRT 392 . Its my daily ride and Ive owned it around seven months. Too date, ownership has been trouble free. The 392 Hemi is very strong and along with the eight speed transmission does a good job getting this roughly 4500 pound car moving. If I behave, I can easily get 17 MPG around town which is better than my 2007 SXT 3.5 LTR AWD Charger got. Mileage or the increased cost of car insurance were never even considered in my decision to order this car. Ive always loved performance cars and had a 69 340 GTS Dart when I was 16 and to this day still own a 69 340 Dart Swinger. My car is heavily optioned and is painted in Crystal Granite with black interior. The interior is beautiful and so much richer looking than my 2007 which had way too much plastic. My 2007 Charger had horrible blind spots and I could never see the back of the car when I was backing up. These are no longer issues for me in my 2016. The car looks fantastic with its styling and the way it sits. The active exhaust is loud during start up but quiets down when the RPM drops. There of course some give and takes. No more pulling up to a parking lot cement block unless you want to tear up your front fascia. Curbs can also be real mean to those 20" hyper forged wheels. I even had to find another car wash for the winter months because this car does not have enough ground clearance for some automatic cars washes. I gave up an AWD vehicle for a RWD vehicle and were just getting into winter along with snow where I live. This is a daily driver which is one reason I didnt want a Hellcat but seeing Im retired I can stay home if the snow is too deep or borrow my wifes Grand Cherokee.

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  Attention Getter - 1991 Dodge Stealth
  By kendrakore - March 4 - 12:41 pm

  The Stealth is a real attention getter mainly due to its sporty looks. I love to drive my Stealth because it just seems to be more fun then most other cars I have owned.

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  SRT8 Charger - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By pthead - March 3 - 2:06 pm

  I have an Inferno Red 2006 SRT8 Charger and absolutely love it.  I love to drive it. Country roads, interstates, it doesnt matter.  Tire have to be replaced about every 25000 miles and the gas mileage isnt the greatest but you dont buy a car like this for those reasons. You even get a free SRT8 Track Experience class when you buy one.

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  2007 Dodge Nitro SXT - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Bob - March 2 - 11:31 pm

  Nice vehicle. Great price. Major complaints are the bumpiness of the ride - very truck-like. Also, UConnect feature and satellite radio are not included but buttons are on the factory radio.

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  After 6 years we are satisfied - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By george - March 2 - 8:03 pm

  We purchased this van new with a tow package since it included the transmission cooler (fearing the infamous failures). So far we have done regular maintenance. About $2500 worth over 6 years and completed 2 recalls. The only out of warranty repairs have been the serpentine belt pulley ($100) and a transmission speed sensor at 40K miles($150). Much better then our Volvo 850 wagon which needed a timing belt and water pump new window switches, and radio at 17K miles. This car has travelled from California to Maryland and from Florida to Canada on our vacations without any problems. I hope it lasts another 5 years.

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  Best car in the world - 1991 Dodge Daytona
  By Mojtaba - March 2 - 12:07 pm

  I own this beauty for almost 7 months and I would say I had some small issues, but she didnt let me down at all. Mine is not a Shelby but C/S edition which has all of the Shelby package in it and runs light rocket. This is my favorite car of all time and with cheap upgrades you can make these run 11-12 in 1/4 mile. The only thing is because i got the Shelbys Maximum Performance package, my suspensions are so stiff that the car doesnt like bumps at all.

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  Found a Great One - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By weasal - March 2 - 2:00 am

  3.8 dual heat/air, Calif. vehicle. Traction Control, bought it private party, excellent condition, it was very well maintained. Had tranny flushed just because of the horror stories and will be bypassing radiator by adding separate tranny cooler. When they flushed it, the dealership said it was pretty clogged and had to remove lines to unclog them. Great vehicle. 20 mpg

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  Ownership of the Dodge Magnum - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By jasper porter - February 28 - 6:43 pm

  tThis vehicle is a lot of fun to drive. My wife and I will sometimes fight about who will drive. I used to drive all the time, but now she wants to drive. This is the only car that I like more than my pickup. We try to find reasons to drive this car. We have two other cars that we drive to work, but this is our favorite.

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  The Best Car I Ever Had - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Christina Harris - February 28 - 4:40 pm

  This car has the best performance and duribility around. I have never had such a wonderful experience driving this car. It is very comfortable and spacious and kid friendly.

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  Everything the original 98 was and more - 2007 Dodge Durango
  By NotaBuckeye - February 27 - 8:16 pm

  Had the first version in 1998 and kept it for 7 years. The Limited with the Hemi is a great combo. This Durango is loaded except the navigation system and has seating for 8. Use every seat on trips out of state for ice skating competitions. Gas mileage is OK, 20 mpg highway, wish it was a little better. Can travel great distance with a 27 gallon tank. DVD system is great for the kids, helps the miles fly by. Cant imagine owning another SUV especially with the lifetime powertrain warranty. Great vehicle, would recommend it to anyone looking for an SUV with seating for up to 8, great power, decent mpg, and fun to drive.