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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  Great All Around Car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Joe - November 11 - 8:13 am

  The Dodge Caliber thus far has proven to be a very nice car and a solid contender in the small car bracket. The performance will not blow you away, but with average mileage in the 30s one cannot expect Viper stats. The overall quality seems to be good, no rattles, squeeks or the like. Overall I am very pleased with the car.

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  Never Thought Id Love This Car - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By Cass - November 9 - 12:16 pm

  When my husband traded my PT Cruiser for a one year old Dodge Magnum, I was a little skeptical about the choice because it was so much larger than the Cruiser. Was I pleasantly surprised! I love this car it is so comfortable, so easy to handle, and comes in handy on Fridays when I take friends to lunch. The ability to manuever the car is superior, I can back up easily into a parking space and its great for hauling everything from the dogs to bags of mulch to groceries.

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  Its a hoss - 2008 Dodge Durango
  By jason - November 9 - 11:48 am

  Good value for the money. Pulls my camper and hauls two adults and five kids with two dogs with no trouble.

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  Couldnt be happier - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Happy Mopar Owner - November 9 - 10:30 am

  I bought this truck 4 years ago and havent had one single problem in 25,000 miles. Not a hiccup! This truck has great power and excellent interior size. I get compliments all the time on the power and overall build quality of this truck. It does ride like a truck, duh, but its a solid ride that inspires confidence. This truck also handles corners with ease, its even a 4 wheel drive! I would love to try out a R/T version!! My dad has an Avalanche and I would take this truck over his any day...so would he! The Dakota also does great offroad, Ive been wheelin a lot in this truck. The only bad thing is gas mileage, but its a V8 and I have a little lower gearing. Its a truck!

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  I love it so far - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By joelh - November 8 - 2:00 am

  I test drove and took home for a trial a Tahoe and Avalanche. I also spent time testing a new Expedition. Then I stopped at the Dodge dealer. The new Durango was by far the best as far as steering, braking, acceleration, and design, both in and out. I purchase the limited 2wd. It also holds more cargo, and has a dvd. All for less than Tahoe or Expedition.

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  Wonderful Car - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By luvmydodge - November 7 - 9:55 pm

  Overall this is a great car. I bought it with 60k miles on it and I finally had to let it go. I sold it because the transmission finally went out but this was after 280k miles. That was the only mechanical problem with this car.

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  Hooked on Dodge Durango R/T - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Durango RT Lover - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Purchased 1st Durango 1999 SLT 4X4. Loved this one. I put 95,000 miles in 3 years. I purchased a 2002 R/T this one is awesome. Ride and handling is great - no going back to the SLT. I am sold on the R/T !!

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  A Great, Fun Car to Drive - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Larry - November 6 - 10:57 am

  Ive owned the car for only 3 weeks, but, love it thus far. Its enjoyable to drive, responds extremely well for a 4 dr sedan, but, yet has the appearance of a "sporty" vehicle which gets lots of attention from people. A joy to drive! I was disappointed in a couple of things--see below on improvements. I would buy this car again without hesitation.

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  Make a Difference in the RT/Basic - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Ms. Educated - November 6 - 6:50 am

  I love my car, but dont like the fact that the only difference noticeable is the HEMI on the side from the basic 3.5. The interior could have more comfortable seating and the option on the RT could be a heck of a lot more than is offered in the selling deal. The dash board in the RT should be Indigo blue, the driving light should have blue like tint. Make the RT more attractive for the beautiful car that it is.

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  Cruiser - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By Joni - November 4 - 11:16 am

  I enjoy the stability and power, and the style is one of a kind. Im always asked about my Magnum RT and how I feel about it. A very enthusiastic thumbs up!