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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  SXT Rental-200 miles of driving - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By Howie - December 28 - 12:42 pm

  This car feels like something that should be sold only as a rental. That or a car you pick up used a couple years old for 1/3 of its original price. But compared to the competition, this car feels way behind. I drove it 200 miles the other day on all kinds of roads. Summery: Pros-decent comfort, good fuel economy, relatively smooth ride on straight roads, looks pretty good Cons-TONS of body roll in turns..ride is very bouncy like an old Buick, everything in the car feels and looks CHEAP, center console is too close to the drivers right leg, 4 cyl engine is WEAK, noisy and sounds primitive and shifts slowly.

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  2009 Dodge Challenger - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Pete - December 27 - 1:09 pm

  This car is fun to drive and just about everything I would want from it. It has good power but would like a little more acceleration from a dead stop with the V6 -- it is fast/quick but if the torque could be adjusted for more off the line speed that would be great. Gas mileage is good for a car of this type plus I love the sound of the engine.

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  used purchase - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By calibergirlz - December 27 - 10:10 am

  I recently bought my caliber earlier this month.I love the gas the mileage,the 4 doors because im used to having 2 and the speakers. The music sounds very clear when turned up high. On the down side i hate the plastic interior,i dont like how far the back floor is from the seat. Also the drive is not smooth i can feel every bump on the road and i wish it had more pick up and go.

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  Dodge on the dodge - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By meatbkr - December 27 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my 96 Caravan new, and it the time to see it was when the warranty ran out. Transmission problems, air conditioner problems, brakes and rotors are always giving out. I just replaced the master cylinder at 80,000 miles, the engine and exhaust are the best features, no problems there, yet.

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  Awesome - 2016 Dodge Durango
  By Julian Shipp - December 26 - 2:21 am

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  Durable & Aggressive - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By James - December 24 - 9:02 pm

  I have owned this Durango since its inception back in November 1999 and it has been impressive. A lot of people bash these durangos based on reliability, though I have witnessed its durability through the 10 years I have owned it. I am at about 400,000 KM/ 240,000 Miles and it has only broken down once where a minor $200 fuel pump repair took place. It has been a great family car and has done its job perfectly. An obvious flaw is the terrible fuel efficiency at 14 mpg city, which you can actually witness your fuel dwindling as you drive. Overall, its a great ride, its good in the winter, and its got a very generous towing capacity. Im just glad I have a 2010 Corolla on the side.

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  its all good !!! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By MR.mman - December 24 - 7:56 pm

  The experience with this vehicle that I have had is that it doesnt have that much power and it needs to come with 17 inch wheels.

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  cross country traveler - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By having fun - December 24 - 3:36 pm

  i travel accross country for work & this van gets over all the mountain passes from coast to coast/east to west. it has great get up and go. owned another van, but his is my favorite. stores more, comfy ride. for short people it adjusts perfectly so the airbag isnt in your face when it goes off, you can reach the pedals. love the heat/air in front & back, helps keep the whole van at a good temp. truly a joy

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  Prior Caravan Owner - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ednurse - December 24 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I love our Grand Caravan SXT, Its the fourth van that we have owned. Our last van was a Voyeger and it was nothing but trouble. We have had good luck with the Caravans that we have bought so far. The room in the back is great for traveling and the seats are easy to fold for cargo. The only thing I wanted was the fold down DVD entertainment system but its not worth the price. I was interested in buying the Toyota Sienna but could not get use to the placement of the shift, also Dodge had a much better rebate.

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  FAIR - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By sc4880 - December 24 - 10:00 am

  After I purchased, I was disappointed in the van proformance.