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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  Got to love it - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Vobis132 - July 4 - 2:00 am

  It has a smooth ride and excellent performance (weve only had it a few weeks and have already put several hundred miles on it). It gets better mileage than you would expect for a vehicle this size. Finding what you need to find under the hood is easy with the convenient yellow labeling of owner manageable items, such as oil dipstick, air filter, etc. The built in 6 disk DVD changer and flip down TV are great with the kids, and the push button remote key that opens the sliding side doors and the rear gate is awesome. This van has everything you could ask for and more.

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  Dont have it? Get it! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By George Zimmerman - July 2 - 3:54 pm

  Have owned many MOPAR products and loved them all, but the Charger R/T is without a shadow of a doubt the best of all bar-none. This Inferno Red beauty has the style, comfort, power and performance unrivaled by any other so-called competitive model of another brand. To those critics who say the Charger should have been a 2-door I have one thing to say: These extra 2 doors you complain about have not done a thing to hurt any functional feature or styling of this car in any way, especially not the performance and power. After 13 months and almost 15,000 miles, I have no complaints. The car delivers the rated 17/25 mpg (Providing your right foot doesnt take control) Excellent!

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  This is ahead of its time - 1993 Dodge Stealth
  By Danny~G - July 2 - 1:37 am

  I’ve always admired the car. When I was a kid it was my dream to own one. The car has power not kidding. Heads turn every were you go. People still ask all the time "IS IT NEW" I just gave it a custom paint job. The car has 123,000 and runs like a million bucks.

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  Kickin Car for the Price - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By codeninja - June 30 - 11:25 am

  Very stylish, incredible performance. Little bit of vibration, but thats due to the incredible rumble from the exhaust. And you can increase the performance of this vehicle with a stage 3 kit and still be under warranty! How awesome is that?

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  My charger - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By charlotte704 - June 30 - 12:53 am

  I was wanting a charger in 2005. I finally got one this year. I love it. Its big and mean looking. A little slow on take off, but once it gets rolling Im gone. I feel like Im king of the road when Im driving!

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  Love My Charger - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By GG - June 29 - 8:36 pm

  I love this car. I have driven a minivan for the past ten years and did not even consider buying a car until I drove the Charger at the urging of my favorite sales man who got tired of me test driving every other SUV/minivan he had in stock. I did not think a car would have enough room for me after being used to driving the minivan. But the Charger has a huge trunk for all the junk I carry with me. It looks awesome and drives like a dream. The power is unbelievable. I can actually pass other vehicles now! I know that things are not supposed to make you happy but my Charger makes me very happy every time I drive it. I dont think I will ever get tired of driving it.

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  06 Magnum - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By Moose - June 28 - 9:22 pm

  I looked at many vehicles over 6 months before deciding on the Magnum. I have had it now for a 1 1/2 years and am very pleased. I have 4 kids and can fit them all in and still have space in the back. The car drives very well and has great brakes although I would recommend ABS. I got the 2.7L v6 for the gas mileage. It does not have alot of power but I do get 20 mpg in the city. I have not taken it on any long trips so I dont know the highway mpg. For around town the car is perfect, it looks great, handles well, gets good mpg, is very comfortable (I am 63) and can take 5 adults plus stuff in the back. We had a Dodge Polaris wagon growing up, there is no comparison!

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  Best SUV - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Best SUV - June 28 - 4:06 am

  I love my 2005 SLT Durango. I went with the V6 and love it. It has enough power for me. This is my 1st Dodge. We shopped around and found the Durango to be the best for the price.

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  Driving like a teenager - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Cheetah - June 27 - 4:03 am

  I wanted a car that says "I drive this because I want to, not because I have to." My Charger does exactly that. I shopped for 18 months looking for a car that had a WOW factor and I found it in this car. I look forward to stopping for red lights because it gives me a chance to blast off the line. The car gets to 80 really fast and I have to stop myself from pushing too far past. The bottom line is this car is a joy to drive. Oh, and I can still get the family in it when reality calls me back.

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  robs review - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By rob ellis - June 27 - 2:00 am

  The car gets alot of looks and compliments, especially from the younger generation. It has excellent accelleration and corners like a dream.