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:

• 

  I am impressed - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By VanMan - February 9 - 7:33 pm

  Traded my full size Dodge cargo van for this "mini cargo". Build quality is FAR superior to the full size van. More durable paint, heavier sheet metal, better suspension, easier to get in and out of, better ride and handling, double the gas mileage, and hauls 1500 pounds of music equipment without as much squat on the suspension as the full size van. Only thing lost was the ability to haul a full sheet of plywood. It really needs electric locks and windows since the manual locks and windows are awkward to deal with side doors arent keyed and must be unlocked from the inside. Really bad blind spot when merging on interstate even with blindspot mirrors. Fuel savings make the payments!

• 

  Great truck! - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By BobG - February 8 - 6:03 pm

  This has been the best truck Ive owned of three. The performance is wonderful, but at the price of gas mileage (15 mpg) is not so hot. It rides like a car and is both quiet and comfortable. I love this truck and Ill probably drive it till the wheels fall off!

• 

  Great truck! - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By BobG - February 8 - 6:03 pm

  This has been the best truck Ive owned of three. The performance is wonderful, but at the price of gas, mileage isnt great (15 mpg). It rides like a car, and is both quiet and comfortable. I love this truck and Ill probably drive it till the wheels fall off!

• 

  Not bad - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By Archie - February 7 - 11:50 pm

  Almost 2 years of ownership and no major problems. The rear brakes squeak when damp--dealer says they all do that. Gas mileage consistently 33. Most comfortable seats of any car Ive owned--drove 12 hours straight without an ache! Sound system is awesome for the cars price. Ride is decent. Visibility out is poor--wide A-pillar high spoiler. Very solid--not a squeak or rattle. Great highway cruiser.

• 

  My Stratus experience - 1999 Dodge Stratus
  By DG64 - February 7 - 3:53 pm

  I purchased this vehicle in 1999, it has been a very car. We have taken it on several long distance trips. It is very comfortable for long distances and we averaged 360 miles per tank on our trips. My only complaints are that 2 days after purchase, it had to be returned to the dealer for replacement of the computer control panel that controls all dashboard features, and they had it for 58 days. The other problem was that we had to replace the fuel pump last spring. When we removed the old one, we found that the wires going into it were scorched- I researched this and found that it is a fairly common problem although no recalls have been issued for it.

• 

  intrepid: one dad commutes comfortably - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By ldog - February 5 - 10:00 am

  after owning a 1991 accord and commuting 60+miles to and from work, i decided i needed comfort. my new job however, is only 43 miles to and from, which makes me wish i had the intrepid back a year ago. my daughter loves the spaciousness and so does the mrs. (if shes happy so am i).

• 

  brake problem - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Eric - February 4 - 1:36 am

  i have my journey since april 2008. at 18000 a need to change front brake and rotar. at 38000, i need the change the rear brake and rotar. and now, at 42000 the front brake and rotar and too use again. im sorry im french. my english is not very good but, i want to say its not normal than i have to change two time the front brake and rotar and chrysler dont want to pay for second time. it is normal to change front brake and rotar 2 times at 42000 KM ?i dont think so. i love my car but if dodge have big trouble with 19" tires vs break and retors, i dont want to pay 500 $ for that.

• 

  Keeps on going - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Jeff in Denver - February 3 - 11:39 pm

  I have had this car since new and it does have some issues. cam sensors, heater fan is either off or on high. However, car has never left me stranded by the side of the road, gets good gas mileage for its size, and its a great interstate touring car. Transmission line leaks a little(only in winter) Yes,I would buy another.

• 

  Dakota R/T - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By harold powell - February 2 - 7:17 pm

  Very nice vehicle. I had a Chevrolet S10 prior to this vehicle and the Dodge beats it in every catogory. The big V8 make the truck a real sleeper and will out run most of the foreign junk. As long as there are American vehicles like this, I will never go foreign.

• 

  It rocks - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By mrwilliematt - February 2 - 2:12 pm

  Just bought a 2005 Dodge Dakota Larimie Quad Cab 4WD, V8. I traded in a 2003 Dakota Quad Cab 2WD with the 3.9 V6. The 2005 rides, handles, and sounds way better than the 2003. I also gets better mileage. I am getting around 17 on the 2005 compared to 15 on the 2003. I know a lot of people do not care for the looks of this truck but as a driver it is light years ahead on the previous model Dakota.