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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  Super Dependable - 1992 Dodge Dakota
  By CoalFreak - November 12 - 12:26 am

  I bought this truck 10 years ago, with 91,000 miles on it for my first vehicle. Since then, I have overheated it, run it out of oil, totaled another car with it, (stupid teenager stuff, you know?) driven it an additional 85,000 miles, ended up with it sitting for 4 years, and it still starts up the first time, every time. Incredible engine, I have never had any trouble with the engine itself. I have had to replace the rack and pinion, and right side A-arm, but thats probably due to the wreck. It just keeps on going! That 318 is a beast of an engine!

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  Miss It - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Gina - November 11 - 9:46 pm

  Leased this car for 2 years and wish I would have bought it when my lease was up. Still miss it almost 2 years later. Loved it inside and out. Tires are spendy but only had to replace one due to a nail in the side wall. My next one will be AWD though mine did horrible in the snow.

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  Dont buy this car. - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By mnessel - November 11 - 11:05 am

  Purchased used in 2003 with 10,000 miles. Needed breaks in 2004 and again in 2006. Automatic windows stopped working in 2006. Paint on bumper is slowly flaking off. Needed new transmission and cam shaft in August of 2009. Now in November of 2009 oil sludge has completely ruined the engine and car has only 110,000 miles on it.

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  Transmission at 21000 - 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Pags - November 11 - 10:00 am

  We needed a trasmission overhaul at 21000 miles. Unfortunately the 36 month timeclock had expired and we were stuck with the entire bill. Use caution when considering this vehicle.

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  so far so good - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By fordfan - November 10 - 6:51 pm

  Bought it as used at carmax. 2.4l engine. Kind of loud. Other than that everything is good. 20-22 combined mpg. Reliability is good for my 3 yrs ownership. Nothing broken down. Good value.

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  07 to 10 - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By t grobsmith - November 10 - 7:23 am

  miss the 07, I preferred the styling of the 07 over the 10. Both are nice vehicles but the 07 averaged 18 around town while the 10 gets 15. Highway the 07 would get 28 the 10 lucky to get 24. Also the gas is now 10% ethanol which does make a little difference.

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  Love it - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By Kendra - November 9 - 12:11 pm

  This is the second Stratus I have owned and I still love it! My car has 175000 miles on it and it still is running strong. No leaks at all. I bought it used with a little under 150k miles on it. To my knowledge the only major part to be replaced is the clutch. The car doesnt handle the greatest, but then again it isnt a sports car (though I like to drive it like one). I mostly drive short trips around town and I get consistently 25 mpg. When I am traveling I get up to 28 mpg. The trunk space is fantastic! I have a big speaker box, and a wheelchair, and I can still fit all my groceries in there too! This car can hold its own when it comes to power. If you can shift you can win!

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  Pawpawmacs - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By pawpawmac - November 9 - 11:20 am

  More comfortable than other minivans, roomier. Powerful 218 engine reacts quickly. Great for hauling smal loads and plywood w/ fold-down-seats. Adjustable roof rack very handy for ladders, trunks and the like. Full control for normal city driving.

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  Regret - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Mary - November 8 - 9:25 am

  I traded in an SUV that I LOVED for this thing. It has a very weak AC. There is a drink "cooler" in the glove box that is cooled by the AC. Pretty pointless if the AC doesnt even get cold. Youd be better off taking your cold drink and rubbing it on your face because that is the only way you will cool off in this car. The interior is too cramped and there are blind spots everywhere I look. I hate driving this car.

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  Not bad! - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By JC - November 8 - 7:33 am

  This is my first mini-van. I am pleasantly surprised at how nice it drives and rides. I have 2 small children and getting them in and out is a whole lot easier than the Jeep that I just got rid of. The stow and go seats are wonderful! Its like have a mini- van and a pick up all in one. Not to mention there are 8, count them, 8 cup holders in the front seats alone. So far, as Ive only owned the veh for a week, I would recommend this veh to friends and family! However the defroster leaves a little to be desired. I have a hard time keeping the windows clear.