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:

• 

  Great Little Car - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By KAB - July 22 - 9:20 pm

  I have the Stratus SXT Coupe. I purchased it 1.5 years ago and I love it! I have the ocean blue color. I am always getting comments on how "pretty" my car is! My only complaint is that it is very small. I definitely do not recommend it for someone who has children. Car sits a little too low to the ground. The trunk is huge and mine came with a 4 disc CD player which is very nice.

• 

  2004 Stratus sold for Taurus - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By dhermesc - July 22 - 4:43 pm

  I posted on how well I liked the Stratus last December when I bought it. Times have changed. Transmission failed at 19,880 miles, despite the granny driving habits of my wife. 6 trips to the dealer later (and two car payments with little or no driving) they finally got it running well enough that I could dump it. Traded for a 2004 Taurus SES. This was my first Dodge in 15 years, I think Ill wait another 15 before I try again.

• 

  Auto Satisfaction - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By gene olson - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Excellent car---am very satisfied

• 

  Too much gas! - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By itsmine59 - July 21 - 5:35 pm

  This thing is a sight to behold. Its interior and exterior styling is awesome. The flame red color is the best red color on the road. Nice exhaust sound. This thing needs its own gas station! I get an average fuel economy of 9.9 MPG. It has power, but it is a bit sluggish. It is a little slow and does not get off the line that great, but once you get going look out! An awesome car for the money. It is perfect just being plain ol factory stock. 17" wheels, beefy tires, nice exhaust. It turns heads.

• 

  94 Viper - 1994 Dodge Viper
  By viper 1 - July 21 - 12:32 pm

  The 94 is truely a classic, but you can not find a clean one at the price Edmunds is listing.This car appreciates every year. The car is brute force, has exceptional handling, and has a noisy exhaust. If you are tall ( 6 or taller) you might have a problem driving it as the windshield is low. The mileage is good considering it has a V 10. I get as high as 26 mpg on the highway if I keep it down to 70, City is around 15. The windows clip into the doors and for about $4000, you can buy a hard top for it. Some cars are lowered so you have to watch out as the cars clearance would then be less than 3.5 " Tires cost about $450 to $500 a piece so you want to buy one with good tires

• 

  Love the Durango - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By flipper - July 20 - 12:45 pm

  Although I have low mileage on this truck, I think it is one of the best vehicles I have owned. Absolutely no initial defects, no trips to the dealer except for the ball joint recall. I tow a 3000 pound boat with the small V8 and have no problems. My only gripe is that I wish the rear glass opened. Its also hard to back up or turn sharply in 4wd on dry solid pavement. I hate the 2005 re-design. They killed the looks.

• 

  Better than expected - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Thomas - July 19 - 5:23 pm

  We bought it with 72K miles and its close to 200K now. Weve had to replace the transmission and the body control module, but nothing else. We drive it a lot and with 5 children, it gets a lot of use and abuse. Its held up very well considering. Overall, weve been very satisfied with it.

• 

  My 2004 Durango - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Loridedham - July 19 - 12:54 pm

  I like the room this Durango has, compared to the old style, which I owned before this one. I have three children, so the comfort, room, and safety factors are very important to me. I have been really satisfied with my Durango, and will probably purchase another one in the future.

• 

  Swishers review - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By swishersplitter - July 19 - 2:37 am

  This is a great car. Too bad the 6-cylinder didnt come in a stick, but the 2.0 liter DOHC 4 cylender is fun too. I heard some bad things about them, but I have loved mine and never had any major problems. You can mod the engine with Eclipse parts since Mitsubishi makes them both.

• 

  GREAT TRUCK !!! - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By darlstar001 - July 19 - 2:00 am

  I have a 2000 Durango. I have just turned 83,000 miles. The only problem I have had is to replace the fan clutch. Thats it. Great highway driver. Good performance from the 4.7 liter engine. It is unstoppable in the snow (if you get rid of the stock tires). No complaints about the reliability at all. Check out the new 2004s. Ill buy another.