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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  07 SRT8 - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By dan wolf - July 23 - 10:15 pm

  Since 2006 Ive been dreaming of getting a charger srt8! 2 years ago I purchased a 2007 with 25,000 miles on it with one owner, it was everything I dreamed of. I absolutely love car, I got all options with the car but H.I.Ds. Entertainment system is great subwoofer and navigation system are great quality. Now for the Hemi that 4k pound car has got some balls, went to the dragstrip ran a 12.1 in 1/4 mile!! Gas mileage I get 15 in the city but can "never" get more than 19.4 on the highway. Overall quality in the car I couldnt have thought anything better its perfect for me, comfortable, everything is accessable and easy to use, the time srt put in this car was great quality and really aggressively badass!! Ill have this car till Im dead, been my dream to get one for years and now I finally got one and Im not lettin go of the car!!!

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  Buyer Beware! - 2013 Dodge Durango
  By L Falcon - July 22 - 3:58 pm

  The 2013 Dodge Durango looks nice from the outside, BUT inside...the acceleration is mediocre for a 6cyl, air condition takes a while to cool, uncomfortable front seats, a 3-row seating arrangement inside should always include roof racks in my opinion (no roof rack). Most important thing is that this Dodge Durango has had 3-4 recalls since it was purchase in 2014 and every time Dodge has not moved quickly to make the necessary repairs. Their standard answer is always..."the part is not in yet". All the recalls mention possible crash if the issues are not repaired however, Dodge seems to not care about the safety of their customers. It has taken over 6 months for parts to finally become available for each recall and they have not bothered to contact us when that happens. I will not be buying another Dodge ever again.

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  Loving my 2015 Dodge Journey R/T.....Edmunds??? - 2015 Dodge Journey
  By Darlene - July 22 - 12:43 am

  Went to the dealer to buy a Jeep Cherokee and test drove three versions, then tested the Journey. The Jeeps were a hard ride and costlier compared to the Journey. There wasnt much difference in mpg with the Jeep Cherokees and the Journey. The ride is smooth, the seats are comfortable and it feels like a solid SUV. The R/T is loaded with plenty of technology, storage, room between the rows and 19 inch tires. The lease was more affordable with better incentices than the Jeep Cherokees. So far, the gas mileage is better that the 19 city/25 highway as stated in the sticker. It has the pickup necessary to get you out of a bad situation, for a vehicle of its size. We all want better mpg, but this is a medium sized SUV and you know the mpg will not match a smaller car. No sure why Edmunds is so hard on this SUV, as it is an enjoyable ride and a good value for the money. I dont regret this lease and actually pleaseantly suprised I picked it over the Jeep Cherokee. I plan to enjoy it for the next 36 months lease and turn it in at that time for another SUV.

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  Traded in a 2012 Chrysler 300c AWD Luxury Series.. - 2015 Dodge Challenger
  By Ray H - July 21 - 10:40 am

  If you are buying this car for the gas mileage...dont! Although if you dont go crazy around town you can get 15 of the most fun miles per gallon you have ever experienced. If you travel on open roads, look for around 22 - 24 MPG. This car is not about gas mileage, it is about fun, and it delivers that! I am old enough to remember the original Challenger the current 2015 is based on (1971) and Dodge nailed it on this one. A classic look brought into the 21st century. I have the 6 speed Tremec manual transmission that is hooked up to the new 392 CID Hemi engine from Dodge with 485 HP and 475 ft/lb of torque. What a blast to run it thru the gears and hear the Active Exhaust screaming - this car is not subtle! Take all of the good things you remember from the old days and add safety to it, and you have the Scat Pack. (Active Exhaust re-routes the exhaust gases around the baffles, basically giving you straight flow pipes from the catalytic converters to the rear of the car, i.e., no mufflers, no resonators. It is electronically controlled so driving around town or highway under light load the car is (relatively) quiet. Step on the gas pedal hard, everything gets re-routed in an instant and OMG! what a nice sound!) The car rides very comfortably and is surprisingly nimble for 2+ tons of fun - lots of back roads here in Western Pennsylvania and this car does well on them. It isnt a Porsche by any means, but it also isnt an aircraft carrier either, LOL! Straight line acceleration is scary - you are hitting red line and road speed limits *REAL* fast. Nice thing is that it also stops REAL quick with the 4 piston Brembo brakes at all 4 wheels. The interior is well done, with nice finishes and materials - nicer than the current Camaros and Mustangs by a longshot. When at cruising interstate speeds, the car is quiet enough that you can have a normal conversation with your significant other. The back seats are actually usable if youre not 6 or taller, and have nice leg room for a two door coupe. The U-Connect entertainment/NAV unit is probably the best and most user-friendly system on the market. I have an iPod, a USB stick and an SD memory card, all with music on them active at the same time. I can also connect my phone via Bluetooth for the normal stuff - and it can read my text messages to me as I am driving. I do wish that they had used either a faster processor or more memory in the unit, it takes a few seconds to get a screen every time you browse your music - even if you just did it. It appears that they dont index once and remember until something changes, but re-index on every browse. When you have 60 Gb of music, that takes about 10-15 seconds! Lets get back to performance for a minute - did I mention it is fast?! I havent had mine on the track yet, but others I know with the same car are running in the range of 12.5sec/110mph for the 1/4 mile - on stock tires and wheels. If I had to find complaint with this car, its that the tires just arent wide enough to hook up quickly - only 245/35 tires and 9"x20" rims come on this beast. I guess Dodge figured the aftermarket would take care of that. To put this in perspective, this is faster than those original 426 CID Hemis that everyone remembers from the old days by a wide margin. Isnt Science and Engineering wonderful!!! You can bring up Performance Pages onscreen that let you choose how you want your Sport Mode button set up, such as quicker engine response and opening the Active Exhaust, turning off traction control, increasing or decreasing the effort on the electrically powered steering. It also has a Launch Page - set your RPM, it takes the engine to that speed and helps keep the wheels from spinning when you release the clutch. Did I mention it is fast and fun? Yeah, I think I did.. Would I make the deal again, trading in a beautiful, smooth, high end leather and wood interior, all wheel drive Hemi for this, knowing what I know about the Scat Pack now and knowing that winter driving will be limited in the Scat Pack because of sooo much torque at any range??? Hell YEAH!!! In a rapid heartbeat!!! This car has the best price/performance ratio of any car out there.

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  Had me hooked at first drive! - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Rebecca - July 21 - 10:09 am

  Yes, it has lackluster acceleration, but overall, I LOVE my car!! Perfect size for driving daily to and from work alone, but also, easily fits 4-5 people without too much complaint. Great hauling capability with the fold down seats (although the angle of the back hatch has gotten in my way a time or two). Gas mileage is spectacular, even as it gets older, still holds well! Have had minimal maintenance (other than normal oil changes, new tires, etc.), two months ago was the first time I had to have something fixed, power steering pump lines had a hole and entire pump wasnt working correctly, but $400 later (the most I have spent on any repair or maintenance), brand new pump, and it is driving as good as new!! Acceleration could be better, and it is not a fan of going up in to the Rockies here in Colorado, but overall, I would say this is a great car, has been great for me, and I love it!!

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  I love my car - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By secret - July 17 - 10:35 pm

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  Love My "Iron Man"!!! - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By B. T. Brooks - July 17 - 12:16 am

  I got my Stratus back in 07 from Enterprise Rentals. Only major problem Ive had was a crankshaft issue and that was after having it for 7 years. Ive done some changes like different chrome rims for something sportier (including wheel adapters), a rear spoiler, fog lights (yellow strobes), a muffler tip that allows more air exhaust (and sound) and a better stereo system. Planning on getting the shocks worked on eventually and hunting down a supercharger for it (keep hearing the police used to use this model)...otherwise, my babys a creampuff! Be careful on doing electrical work, for itll seem like youll lose your battery charge, but the way Dodge builds their cars, its a lil tricky but manageable as long as youre careful. Pretty good on gas and currently researching the pros and cons of changing gas type from the low end to at least mid-grade. Just take of it and itll take care of you.

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  SXT rental was a winner - 2015 Dodge Challenger
  By David - July 15 - 4:47 pm

  Well I upgraded my rental car while on vacation in California, had it for a week, put 1400 miles on it, going from Sacramento to Santa Cruz, Yosemite and Monterey bay, and San Francisco. Got it for a bit more money, because I always wanted to test drive one of these beautiful cars. Was disappointed that it was only a V6 at first, but let me say this car was a blast.I it was surprisingly quick and i accelerate quickly as a rule, and the fuel economy was unreal. Averaged 31 mpg over 1400 miles, better then rated. mix of hwy trips (often 80mph on crazy cali highways) and even going up over 7000 feet at yosemite still was 30 that day. I was shocked made me want to trade my kia sorrento which i previously loved and just purchased. I would be more then happy with the v6 model and I have always felt that a car like this belongs with a v8, but with that wonderful 8 speed tranny, its not much of a performance downgrade over the previous years 5.7 hemi with 5 speed tranny and it gets much better fuel economy.

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  Avoid Chargers - 2010 Dodge Charger
  By Ms. Demeanor - July 12 - 2:17 am

  Car was parked for three days without driving. Wife went to get something out of the car and in less than an hour later, the car was totaled due to a fire that started in the passenger headlight (from unlocking the thing). Dodge denies there is any manufacturer defect so I guess gremlins must have caused the thing to destroy itself. Funny thing is less than three weeks later here in our town, a lady was driving a 12 Charger and had to pull over when it caught fire and was totaled - started in the passenger headlight. Dodge denies responsibility yet these vehicles have a tendency to catch fire. Couple that with the fact police departments are jumping on the chance to move to other vehicles due to problems with these cars. Again, avoid buying Chargers.

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  Fun, fun, fun! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Thomas - July 11 - 5:50 pm

  I am 6 3" my wife is 61" and the youngest daughter is 64",,,,,, there is no shortage of room in this car and the 5.7 Hemi has the power to make it move. The suspension rivals many sports cars and the weight distribution is 51/49 front/rear which adds to the handling capabilities. I did not buy it for fuel economy, but at 15 city and 24 highway I am more than pleased. One of the most fun cars I have owned and driven. Its a shame they stopped producing it