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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  Speed and Power - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Nick N - October 22 - 5:09 pm

  This truck is a great vehicle that I use as a daily driver and it has always gotten me from point A to B. This truck has a very nice speed for being the 3.9 V6 and has a lot of torque. The only downfall is that the fuel economy is ok for a vehicle. I get about 18mpg in town and I get almost 24 on the highway. I have over 180,000 miles on it and the only problem I have had with the truck is an oil leak at the oil pan, which I have heard is a common problem with Chryslers vehicles.

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  Excellent Rig - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By I Love My Durango - October 22 - 4:47 am

  Fine, the mpg isnt great but what it lacks in that dept. it makes up for in every other category. Had I known how great Durangos are when they were introduced I wouldnt have waited until 07 to buy my 03. Its great! Plenty of power from the 4.7 (enough to tow my 68 Charger project on a flat bed), excellent turning radius, very reliable and just plain fun to drive. From deep snow to dry pavement the Durango handles it all. A dead battery and window moulding are the only issues Ive had in more than 2.5 years of ownership. I can haul 8 people with the front buddy seat up and even managed to get a large dining table, six chairs and four people in it once. I just love it. Its a 4x4 muscle car.

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  Worst car ever! - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By jay spivak - October 21 - 2:41 pm

  Had more problems with this car then any other. Very poor quality. Rims rusted. Interior door lining fall off. All kinds of mechanical problems. Vent system in fuel filler. Computer. Brakes. Windows. Door locks break, door wont open. Engine light issues. Winshield Wipers, electrical problems, oil light. goes on and on! And it only has 57,000 miles on it. Well kept and always serviced! A real LEMON!

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  Changed 2008 to 2010 dodge - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Driver - October 21 - 10:30 am

  I have 2010 4 Liter SXT Plus. We were surprised It is much better than our 2008 SXT ( we leased it). A lot improvements here! The quietest van. It looks like they redesigned suspension; rear view camera had night vision (2008 didn’t), has LED lights inside, entertainment system is the best in the business. Build quality also much better. We just came back from 1600 miles trip. I got 27.6 MPG on highway! I drove 2010 Honda Odyssey, 2009 and 2011 Toyota Sienna, 2010 Kia Sedona in my opinion 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan 4L the best.

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  I enjoy it - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By givinback - October 21 - 9:56 am

  Currently have less than 1,000 miles on the car It handles well, accelerates perfectly, drives very smooth. I have took it off road and the AWD is very responsive. Cargo space is excellent if you carry equipment.

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  Problems, Problems, Problems - 1999 Dodge Dakota
  By martinex - October 21 - 3:18 am

  I owned a 97 Dakota 2WD V8 prior to buying this one. I loved it. It got reasonable gas mileage (around 20mpg) and would leap off the line. My only problem was with all that torque (and crappy Goodyear Wranglers), the truck would spin out on slick pavement. My solution was to get a 99 Dakota Sport with the same 5.2 liter engine and 4WD. Whooboy! First of all the extra weight of the transmission drastically cut down on performance. Secondly gas mileage dropped significantly (of course) but what was most disturbing was the repair costs. Engine, suspension, electrical...you name it. All within the first 20,000 miles.

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  caliber 07 - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Caliber07 - October 20 - 10:13 pm

  This car has given me so many problems, I have had the transmisson replaced 3 times and the car still act like it dont have any speed. ready to get rid of it cant take it any more.

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  Theft City - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Chris - October 20 - 7:48 pm

  I recently purchased a Dodge Charger 8 months ago and already my car has been broken into twice, both times the thieves used some kind of slim jim device and it took only seconds. All Chargers are easy to break into like this and I warn anyone who is going to purchase one to immediately get an alarm installed on it!!!

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  Great ride, for little money. - 1997 Dodge Stratus
  By TuxMan - October 20 - 10:23 am

  Bought mine used for $2,000 with 60,000 miles on the motor, 110,000 on the transmission, passed emmissions. Spent less than $1,000 for new tires, brakes, and shocks. Serviced the transmission at 115,000 for less than $150 for new fluid and filter. Starter went out a year later, less than $300 to replace. Overall Ive spent less than $3,500 for the car and all repairs.

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  Bargain - cant beat it - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By BOTA - October 20 - 10:03 am

  Car is great overall. Only complaint is the engine is a bit underpowered in certain circumstances. For the price - unbeatable