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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  BEWARE OF INTREPIDS 2002 - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By Joyce Tucker - November 2 - 1:57 pm

  Had this 02 Dodge Intrepid 3 months and the engine blew after needing a water pump at the time. Engines are bad news for Intrepids as stated on the internet and mechanics opinions. Do not buy an Intrepid, there was no warranty whatsoever and this vehicle had the engine light on upon my leaving the parking lot with it. European Auto fixed it somewhat but then suddenly went "out of business" without giving me the $1300 check for promising to buy my Isuzu Trooper and issue me a check for it. Repairs were not completed by them on this vehicle and no check was ever given me for the Trooper even tho they sold the Trooper the first week.

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  This car is alright - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By jhill2456 - November 2 - 2:00 am

  I got more than I bagained for with this vehicle. I tried looking for all that I wanted with the Civic, Corolla, Focus, and Jetta. It gave gave me all of that with a nice price. Yeah there is noise but it is awesome to drive.

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  A heck of a truck - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By ChristaLynn - November 2 - 2:00 am

  I needed very specific things in a vehicle, towing capacity for a horse trailer, room for 3 kids and their stuff, 4 wheel drive, comfortable front seats for long drives, and most importantly, a cool looking vehicle (bye bye boring minvan) The Durango was the only mid-sized truck that met all my criteria. I love, love, love driving this truck. When I hit that accelerator, this baby moves. It handles great, corners well and is just so fun to drive. Also, I bought my Durango used on Ebay and saved over $6,000 so am doubly happy. Hope you buy one and love it too.

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  This is a great car - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Blade - November 2 - 2:00 am

  We just baught a new durango sxt yesterday and it is great. Our Cousin is the person who told us about his durango, and he has had his for 4 years with no problems. My dad works at the new jeep plant in toledo and only likes non-foriegn cars(expecially Dodge). We love our new durango. Hopefuly from reading this you will think of buying a Durango too. Thanks! Blade Buchholz

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  Really poor quality vehicle - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Rick - November 1 - 7:11 pm

  I bought the Avenger thinking it would be a great commuter/family car. I was wrong. The car has been in the dealer 12 time with issues, stranding me on the freeway twice in 42000 miles. Tranny shifts like crap, trunk poors water inside when opened, creaks and rattles all over, hard to clean and maintain. AC has gone out, 2 sets of front roters ready for a third. Time to pay it off and trade it in.

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  Everyone loves this challenger! - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Loved by All - October 31 - 10:40 pm

  R/T Classic in B5 Blue. I get comments from people of all ages (young and old)on this car Most comments are about loving the blue color, the cragar look-alike wheels and the 70s style of the car. Some people think its a 70s car that was restored. The car performs well and economy has been as high as 23 to 26 mpg on the interstate. The trunk is very roomy. The interior is extremely quiet and the front seats are very comfortable. The back seats are also roomy enough for adults but like any 2 door car are difficult to enter and exit. I find the challenger great looking and fun yet much more practical than a Corvette, Camaro or Mustang.

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  Best car I ever had!! - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By Doug - October 31 - 12:09 pm

  I currently have 213,000 miles and still running fine. No transmission or engine rebuild yet (knock on wood). Guess this car was built on Wednesday at the factory. Still driving it every day and honestly cant complain. I hope to run it to a 1 million miles+

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  I would not take it even if it were free - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Sandy McGhee - October 30 - 10:33 pm

  I bought this van new and cheap. Thought I was getting a deal. I should have checked this web site first. This van had transmission and engine problems and the back door latch was broken. I owned the vehicle three months and it started to act up. The worst vehicle Ive ever owned. I will never buy another Dodge/Chrysler product ever again. Honda Odyssey, Nissan Quest or Mazda MPV is my next choice. We have a transmission place in our area where the owner got rich from repairing Dodge/Chrysler transmissions. This vehicle is dangerous and I feel Chryslers repeated production of this vehicle exploits women and children.

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  Love my new Caliber - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By northstarruthie - October 29 - 5:56 pm

  Ive only had this about a month but it is the first vehicle I truly love! I love sitting higher and the comfortable seats. Great ride. Gas mileage is good. Bought the lifetime warrenty so I feel safe for the long term.

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  Best so far - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By Joe - October 29 - 1:51 pm

  Just traded a mustang gt 09 for my silver with fender strips RT. What a difference. No comparison. Automatic with remote start, auto stick is great. Two tone leather seats and plenty of interior room. I cant believe how many people stop and stare. You really feel like you are a rock star. The power is plenty, I welcome all "challengers", none successfull yet. Best riding muscle car out there. May not be the fastest, but combining power, looks and room it is well worth the money. All the experts think a half second is enough to rate this vehicle below the camaro..What do they know..And it handles great and gets great gas mileage