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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  Pleasant surprise - 2017 Dodge Journey
  By RLester - April 23 - 7:57 am

  We tried the Journey because of rebates. Expecting a loud jerky experience with a 4 cylinder 4 speed. To our surprise, we found a very smooth, quiet, European feel, quality and comfort driving experience. We came from a Toyota Camry to Dodge Caravan to the Journey. We found the experience of a true crossover, car like ride and drive with the features of an utility vehicle. We are in our sixties, so ease of getting in and out of a vehicle is very important to us. The journey has the perfect seat height for us and very easy to enter and exit. The Camry has the cheapest, thinnest, and uncomfortable seats in a very good car. The Caravan was a comfortable entry but the ride was bouncy and hard on old bones. Also, our senior friends just could not get in the back seats. They are too high and too far over, you have to climb in, which, is okay for the kids and grand-kids but not seniors. The Journey comes in AWD and the 3.6 v6 engine with 6 speed. One needing more power might look for these options. But I am in the south, no ice and flat terrain so I find the 2.4 quite adequate. I will admit the 2.4 is a bit under-powered. It will not win any awards in gas saving either. Looks like in town driving will yield the same mpg as the 3.6 in the Grand Caravan around 23 mpg. However, again surprised how smooth the 2.4 is with the 4 speed. The 6 speed in the Caravan was bad to hunt and shift down, very annoying. I need to mention the high quality pleasant ride is only found in the 2017, in which, suspension and quietness are upgrades for the 2017. We tested a 2016 and there is a significant difference in ride and feel. In the 2017 , I can hardly hear the engine. Very quiet cabin. I am a part-time transporter for a major rental company and I drive a lot of new vehicles of all brands. The Journey ride is at the top. Try the Journey before you buy a Rogue or RAV4. I got the 7 passenger, seats fold flat for cargo space, easy entry, European feel, cargo comparments (ice chest) in the floor, premium seats and very nice road trip ride. This is a true crossover, car like features with SUV benefits. Hard to beat value and quality.

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  Unhappy owner - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Jake - April 21 - 11:26 pm

  I purchased an 06 Daytona and have had excessive rattling/vibration from the trunk lid due to the stock stereo. The car is not fixable by the dealer. I was told all of the Daytonas on the lot have the exact same problem. The power sunroof has an intermittent problem. The car will not smoke the tires as shown in the picture. The hood is a decal,not paint as some of you may have seen wrongly described. My pride of ownership is fading as more problems arise. The car sits because it has lost its appeal to me & the body and paint was damaged by the dealer. 2700 miles are all it has on it.

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  2001 Quad Cab SLT 2WD - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By T Chezem - April 20 - 1:36 am

  Excellent truck overall. Dodge could do better with their fuel consumption...for the size of the truck. It gets 15 around town and 17 on the freeway nowhere near Dodges MPG ratings. Good cargo capacity and towing as well. Overall a great truck, just make sure you are ready for poor MPG, especially with the 4.7 V8. A well put together truck with great options and interior layout.

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  incomparable - 2005 Dodge Viper
  By Ryan - April 17 - 4:43 am

  Driving the Viper is an absolutely incomparable inxperience. Nothing close to this price range is even remotely as gorgeous or as much fun to drive. Power and performance are unmatched. The amount of attention you get everywhere you take this car is unbelievable. Short of dropping a quarter million dollars on Lamborghini, Ferrari or some other hyper-exotic, there is nothing at all like this. The $80,000 price tag is a steal considering the power, performance and looks of this car. Plus the Viper name is legendary. Mustangs and Corvettes are ubiquitous, nobody cares when they see those. The cars touchy handling and huge noisy engine arent for everyone, but I love everything about it.

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  Upgrade - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Marcus - April 12 - 12:32 pm

  Overall a very good mid-size truck that provides all the power and hauling capacity most people need. A definite upgrade in ride, noise and comfort over the previous model. Looks take a while to get used to. Wish the 4x4 sat a little higher and looked different than the 4x2.

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  Great Value...Carvan SXT.. - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By tiger850 - April 10 - 10:24 pm

  The Dodge SXT is quiet, smooth, reliable. It drives straight, confident handling, very easy to modulate brakes. So far after 2K, gas mileage has been 16-17 ish around town so below the 19- 26 rating for the 3.3L. Love the features for prices.

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  Nice van - 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By tc - April 6 - 8:13 pm

  The Grand Caravan is extremely versatile. It can carry the family around town or on long trips in comfort. The stow away seats are great and allow for lots of cargo. Love the DVD system also.

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  Van drifts to the right - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By chuck - April 5 - 5:30 am

  I really like this new van, but for some reason car drifts to the right all the time slow or fast. I have been back to shop three times and have not been able to correct this problem, although I have been told this a safety feature built into the vehicle. My problem is I like a vehicle that holds the road.

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  Good for the money... I guess - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By DarkPoter - April 5 - 12:58 am

  I got the car 2 years ago because I needed something more reliable to drive to work. It has done a fair job for much, much less then a Mazda.

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  Versatile - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By RCV718 - April 4 - 10:48 am

  I love everything about this car EXCEPT the gas mileage (Im averaging 12 in a mix of city and highway). Starts right up in freezing temperatures, the 4wd plows right through the snow, and the car is very comfortable for long commutes. At about 90k now, and it has an exhaust leak, needs new shocks and brakes, and seems to have some sort of electrical problem with the lighting system. As it is a higher mileage vehicle, I am not surprised. The 318 is a tough engine, you cant kill it - no problems with the tranny yet.