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:

• 

  2010 Challenger SE V6 5 speed - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Chuck - December 2 - 3:58 pm

  I love this car. I would like to afford the big hemi model, but the base model has everything I need. A comparable Camaro V6 would cost $25,875 (1LT, plus auto, plus spare tire). The base Chally cost $23,460. I wish Edmunds would review a new SE V6 with the new 5 speed instead of quoting old 4 speed times.

• 

  The silver bullet - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Robert - December 1 - 11:23 am

  in 2006 i bought a 02 r/t with 150k i have never had a problem out of the car and the previouse owner did not either. in fact the factory battery last up till the spring of 09. car is fun to drive very comforatable inside. has decent acceleration, not so bad MPG. for how much they cast it is a great car. beats the cost to own a 00- 03 civic to!

• 

  Amazing alternative to a minivan - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By Harvey - December 1 - 11:15 am

  We love our new Journey! It gets much better fuel economy then any minivan we looked at. And best of all its not a minivan. More like an SUV that handles like a car. The cargo space is quite exceptional as are how easy it is to lie down all the seats (including the passenger seat) perfectly flat. The third row was a must for us and though it feels a bit tight, it is much roomier than any other third row seat option from any other crossover that we tried out. Weve gotten much better fuel economy than its EPA rating would suggest. The cargo compartments can store items like a cooler for drinks and the interior is quite spacious.

• 

  I would never buy a Dodge again! - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By DonnaGrace64 - November 30 - 11:19 pm

  When I purchased this car in Dec 2005 and it still had miles left on the original warranty, I was happy. But I wasnt thinking that I needed to get it in for servce right away and within a few months I had to replace the transmission. Now the Shock Mounts/struts holding the rear shocks in place have broken and I need to replace them. I have so many problems with this car ever since I bought it - and the dealership I took it to for service just expects me to accept the broken mounts due to "salt and corrosion" as normal -even though the car is only about 5 years from the manufacture date- That I should have no problem with having to pay $550.00 for this repair. Ill never buy a Dodge again!!!

• 

  Flipper! - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By Josh R. - November 30 - 9:52 pm

  Ive had this van as a work vehicle through my company for the past two years, and its been a good little trooper. I neither baby my vehicles nor treat them especially rough, and though the fuel mileage isnt what I would like it to be, its been very reliable and I enjoy driving it. It holds a LOT of cargo, has Stow-n-Go seating for passengers should I need to carry them, and handles better than I ever expected a minivan would. The 3.3L V6 is quiet and has decent torque, laboring only in 100-degree heat when the air is running full blast and youre trying to get up to freeway speed. Its comfortable too, though the seats need better hip and thigh support.

• 

  HONEST OPINION - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By T-FERN - November 30 - 8:04 pm

  Ive owned my 2008 Dodge Nitro for almost 2yrs now, I can honestly say its one of the best vehicles Ive owned so far. I chose to get the 4x4 and I live in upstate NY where we get a few feet of snow every snow fall. The Nitro handles great in the snow, and can really bite into the deep stuff with no issues. I get A LOT of compliments on my Nitro, from the color to the design,to people saying it looks "tough" and I feel extremely safe everytime I drive it in bad weather. I can def see myself buying the same vehicle in the future as long as they continue keeping the Nitro rugged, and aggresive. This vehicle is an suv..and it rides, and handles like one. I love it.

• 

  Great Overall Truck - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By gmax86 - November 30 - 3:58 pm

  I bought this truck in October of 05 with 53k miles on it. I now have a little over 93k on it and I havent had any major problems so far which is to be expected on a vehicle with less than 125k and normal driving conditions. The ride is very comfortable for a pickup truck with above average handling. I also love the size, not too small and not too big. The only thing Im not impressed with my truck is the interior could be better. Its cheap plastic. My glove box handle fell off and almost every peice of plastic has at least 1 small crack on it. But overall I love this truck. Its my second Dakota (had an 88) and Im not sure if Id ever get anything other than a Dakota. Dodge rocks!

• 

  You cant go wrong! - 2010 Dodge Challenger
  By Shawn - November 30 - 3:28 pm

  Purchased my Challenger this weekend. Test drove 10 cars the past 2 months and once I sat in this car I knew it was right for me. Stylish, roomy, V6 gets good mileage but has plenty of pick up for me. Great car! Draws a small crowd whever I park. Dodge picked a winner with this one. Get yours now. And best of all is price!!!

• 

  There are better hatches - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By himoses - November 30 - 11:48 am

  I have now had the displeasure of driving the Caliber. This is not a bad car compared to garbage made in the 1980’s, but is far inferior to a lot of hatches on the market. This car drives like a brick. If you get a good deal, then I could see this being a decent commuter car if you only drive on the highway. If you like to drive, find something else. My personal affordable favorite hatches are the Hyundai Elantra Touring and the Mazda 3. This car is not in either of these car’s league.

• 

  2008 dodge avenger 2.7 - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By quoc - November 29 - 8:00 pm

  got car 7/2008, drive great in first few mths. in fall 2008 car start stall 2 time in traffic light, transmission shift with high rpm and one tank of gas drives for only 300km. i brought to the dealer and they said its normal until i found out that they have a recall for "G-23 on 06/01/2007 TIPM reflash for A/T shift concern." but my dealer wont do it because my vin number is not on the recalled list so i brought to another dealer and they agreed to look at it and upload my PCM controller and they programmed a new one since then the car has been running great and one tank average 500km and shifting is very smooth in the cold weather and no more stalling.