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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  Excellent Driver - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By gesshooo - October 30 - 8:03 am

  This was the first new car that Ive purchased in more than 15 years. In every aspect, this car has exceeded any and all of my expectations. Gas mileage is great. 22mpg city/31mpg highway. The interior is very comfortable, and the power is more than adequate, especially for a 4 cylinder. Trunk space is huge and storage is fantastic with the rear seats down. What was really impressive is the audio system. I have a new Corvette with a "Bose" system that doesnt compare to the sound in my Dodge. Everything on this car is original except for the front brakes and 4 tires. Reliability is a 10! Wish they still made a coupe, I would but another one immediately.

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  Great car - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By harrison - October 29 - 6:14 pm

  I bought this car with 34,000 miles it now has 184,000 and still running fine. I have never had any major repairs. My car gets 32 mpg on the highway. Wish they still made Intrepids, I would buy another one.

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  Best American vehicle I ever had - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By dzerres - October 29 - 10:06 am

  This truck has had no mechanical issues for the 7 years Ive owned it (it was recalled for ball joints which they replaced but were not worn). My only regret is not having bought the 4 door version and not bothered with the camper shell.

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  Buy It! - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By moparornocar08 - October 25 - 10:39 pm

  Bought the car on Labor Day weekend 06 and have never regretted it. Its a four-door with the R/T package, deep metallic red, looks great, runs great, roomy, comfortable, great gas mileage, has all the bells and whistles (leather, 6-disc cd changer, sunroof, etc.), just an all- around great car. The perfomance is definitely suprising. Ours has the automatic with Autostick and can pass pretty much anything you want to (it can do over 110 in third!). It can at least run with 3 Series Beemers with ease:). Definitely get the V6 if you are considering one, theyre suprising powerful and get good gas mileage (we average at least 30-32). And we always get compliments on the styling. Great car.

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  Durango rocks - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By DurangoMan - October 25 - 8:43 pm

  We bought our 98 Durango in 2000. It has been the coolest vehicle weve ever had. Its a minivan on the inside and a 4x4 truck on the outside. Weve had reasonable repairs....trans seal, axle seal, ball joints, battery, and brakes (new calipers and rotors). It now has 96,000 miles and starts and runs perfect. I cant say enough about it. Its just awesome. Our dog even likes it!

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  09 Grand Caravan SXT 3.8L - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Davemc83 - October 22 - 1:20 am

  This is probably the best vehicle I have ever owned. I cannot say enough about it. We travel cross country from New Mexico to Michigan twice a year (pulling a pop-up camper) and we are very pleased with the performance and comfort of our new van. If you are in the market for a new vehicle and need to cart kids around town and still need room left in the vehicle for your whatnots, then skip the gas guzzling SUVs and go for this van, this is not the soccer mom van of the 90s. Dodge has done a great job upgrading every feature to make this a very desireable vehicle for people who want comfort and practicality.

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  Solid van - 2007 Dodge Caravan
  By johnm - October 21 - 10:25 pm

  My Grand Caravan is comfortable, has excellent crash ratings,with plenty of room inside, and has reasonable performance and economy(acceleration is only adequate). I liked the safety of side air bags, the rear backup alarm, pretension seat belts.

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  grand caravan - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By eralf - October 21 - 2:00 am

  my wife and I are on our third grand caravan. we are extremely happy with our experience. we travel a lot and have had great enjoyment from these vehicles.

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  Magnum is a MUST have! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Jack Salseda - October 19 - 4:13 am

  This car ROCKS. I was sold before the test drive. While there are a few minor upgrades I would suggest, this is without a doubt A MUST HAVE. In the RT Model, the only improvements I would suggest are having the front passenger seat be completely automatic. The half auto, half manual doesnt make sense and is not convenient. The head lights need an auto selection to turn themselves on and off, as most cars of this caliber have. Making the VES (Video Entertainment System) standard on the Navigation System in the RT Model would be a nice touch. Overall I would rate the RT Magnum at a 10+!

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  Best car Ive owned - 1998 Dodge Neon
  By Allen - October 18 - 3:35 pm

  Bought the 5speed manual version new in fall of 1997, for my 50 mile commute. Has never quit on me. No repairs, just normal maintenance. The dealer called me in to replace the head gasket early on. Now has 233,000 miles and it just keeps going. I check my gas mileage every fillup, and its averaged 35mpg. This car has got to rank up there as one of the best automotive values in history.