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:

• 

  What I Think - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By kobels avenger - January 8 - 12:11 pm

  On my 96 Avenger Ive got 17" Riax, spoiler, graphics, cold air intake, 10" subs, 260 watt amp. Im savin my money to get a new paint job with metalic flakes in the paint. My car hugs corners really good, and has a good top speed

• 

  Nitro with an attitude - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By Peter - January 7 - 6:52 pm

  1st new car for myself and love it. It looks rough and rugged. Body style and the ride is what hooked me along with the price. Smooth ride, nice radio, great sun roof. Plenty of room in the back for storage. Goes like butter on the beach.

• 

  Evel Nitro - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By sunarab - January 7 - 6:33 pm

  I just love the performance and comfort of this vehicle. The satellite radio is fantastic. Just wish there wasnt an open area at the opening of the hatch back. Too much stuff lodge in that area. The 4wd works with a switch instead of a level and makes it so easy to switch. Just love this vehicle.

• 

  Best Truck for the money - 2008 Dodge Dakota
  By usafblt - January 6 - 12:09 am

  I looked at all th mid/small pickups. My father-in-law owns a Colorado. I have driven many of my friends pickups and none compare to the Dakota. Better ride and definitely more fun to drive. The new redesigned suspension is a bit stiff, giving it a tighter feel, but it is still better than the Nissan, Chevy, and the Ford. The Toyota rides a little better, but the Dakota, even with the V-6 Auto has better passing ability. Gas mileage is OK, I am getting about 22-23 MPG in mixed driving. Overall, I am very pleased I chose this truck and I look forward to many years of enjoy my time behind the wheel.

• 

  Husband wanted it, Ive taken it over! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Diana Drake - January 5 - 10:30 pm

  We bought the RT-fully loaded. The driving pleasure and comfort is extraordinary. Acceleration is firm and steady, with no delayed action. There is a very snug feeling with the lowered windows. The storage capacity is surprisingly ample. It is dressy enough to take clients to lunch, while still having the ability to "truck" some things around.

• 

  200,000+ still going strong! - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By chevyman - January 5 - 1:10 pm

  Passed CA smog at 183,000 with flying colors. No squeaks or rattles at all. Same mileage as new(crappy) I still love this truck. At 300,000 I will call Dodge and at 400,000. No leaks. As a precaution only, I changed the tranny at 189,000 to prevent any problems driving in the desert. People still tell me they like the way it drives. I own a 2001 Corvette so I know power, but this little truck gets up and goes.

• 

  Mistress for an elderly man - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By tapjuice - January 5 - 12:01 pm

  Thats it! This is gonna be buried with me.. No squeaks or rattles Twenty gs, performance options abound, as much road presence as an Enzo, faster than a speeding bullet, corners as if on rails, mileage of a Fit{ told the wife that was the only reason I bought it}. 65,000 miles and no trouble at all. Stage three is impossibly, perfectly tuned. Suspension options add more grip than is needed. Of all the cars Ive owned in my short 72 years on this ball of mud, this car is the is the snottiest thing in my price range ever.

• 

  Great Van! - 2007 Dodge Caravan
  By commuter - January 4 - 6:20 pm

  We replaced a 1994 Voyager with this 2007 Caravan. The spirit is the same, with a tidy wheelbase and four bucket seats, but the new Caravan is smoother and quite a bit bigger inside. It is getting the same mileage--about 17 mpg in short trips around town and about 24 mpg on the highway--but is noticably better in acceleration despite having the same basic engine as the 94. My wife wanted the short wheelbase minivan for its maneuverability around town and is very happy with it. I find it a pleasant car when I drive it, particularly cruising down the highway. A piece of weatherstripping needed to be replaced on the front door, otherwise it has been perfect so far.

• 

  Great vehicle for the money, very happy! - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Zel - January 4 - 1:03 pm

  I wanted the Nitro since I saw the commercials when they first came out. I had another year left on my XB lease, but wanted to wait to see what people had to say about the Nitros after owning them a few months. A friend of mine bought one soon after they came out and his has been trouble free the whole time. I bought one on 5/16/07 after extensive research and comparison to other vehicles. I will use it mainly for work and occasional vacation trips. It will have to haul around my tools, in hot city driving and be able to move in snow and ice. I also want to tow a boat one day. I now have 1000 miles and wanted to wait until now to see if any problems popped up, but so far it has been great!

• 

  Wow What a car! - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Andy - December 31 - 1:36 pm

  This is the most fun I have had driving a car since my very first car! The ride, handling and performance is top notch and I still have room for my family of three teenage kids! The ultimate muscle car performance with room for everything. I love the 60 - 90+ in a matter of seconds for passing! I have the RT with the Performace package which I highly recommend. Thank you Dodge for finally making a sedan with performance and styling!