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:

• 

  A great car - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By boblop - June 19 - 11:49 am

  This is the best car I have ever driven. I got the torred color with the road/track performance group and it looks awesome. The bright color and big chrome wheels really stand out. My wife said we will never lose the car in a parking lot. I get thumbs up all the time. Ive had it over a month now and my gas mileage is about 20 mpg. Much better than I expected. The ride and comfort is great.

• 

  Daytona, yes! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Jeff27 - June 14 - 6:00 am

  Of all the cars I have owned and purchased new, this car has given me the most pleasure of them all. I still dont know if I am more impressed with the power or the amount of features that are available for this car.The nav will get you just about to the front door of where you are going and the sound system upgrade was well worth it. The heated seats warm up very fast on the cold nights. I am impressed with how smooth the transmission shifts also. My daughter is just upset that she has no heated seat in the back for her. Heck, with the leg room and video system I dont mind sitting back there.

• 

  My Durango - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Barry Jones - June 14 - 2:00 am

  I test drove a Pathfinder, 4Runner, Xterra, Passport and Rodeo before I finally came to the Dodge and I stopped looking after a 10 minute drive. The seats were made for Americans and I am tall (64") so I wanted a SUV where my knees didnt hit anything (console, dash, etc.). The seats are comfortable and the dash is stylish yet simple. I am sure there are other good SUVs out there but you cant go wrong with this one. It has a third row seat, great towing power, full size spare tire and a quiet engine with a nice sounding exhaust

• 

  Nitro is fantastic - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By nitroluvr - June 14 - 12:13 am

  My Nitro 07 is the beast vehicle around for the price. It handles great, it is solid, with tight steering and power. The look is tough and cool. I am about to lease my 2nd Nitro. I have a different vehicle as well, more expensive than the Nitro and the quality is not a good as the Nitro. Just because it is a lower cost SUV your not losing anything compared to the higher cost SUV. Get one now!

• 

  The best car. - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Osmany - June 12 - 1:45 pm

  The car now have almost 11000 miles and is a great car, everything is excellent. look very nice and the traction is very good for a 3.6 liter engine.

• 

  In 2005, the ONLY Minivan to consider! - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Coachleif - June 12 - 11:13 am

  Just ended 6000 miles through the western mountains and desert carrying 4 Adults, 3 kids, and a rooftop carrier with 110# of camping stuff. Total load 1250#. 1 tank @ 17 mpg in San Fransisco, all others range from 19 to 25.2 mpg. Thats real world driving at 75 - 85 mph with the A/C on the whole time. Friends with Honda and Toyota minivans cant touch this mileage under similar conditions! Im very happy as gas was $3.50/gal in Needles! Perfect design. 1st 4 seats provide absolute comfort for adults up to 6 1" 250#! In mountain driving, 8 consecutive switchbacks in Silverton-Ouray region were a dream. With this load, it accelerated up 8% grades easily to 75mph. It has a great feel, not Honda harsh. Has the best price, features, economy, and handling in its class! Very solidly built. Great fit and finish and material use. Buy it!

• 

  Great Truck - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By Great Truck - June 11 - 2:05 pm

  This truck performed beyond expectations and is comfortable to drive. Great truck except for the poor fuel efficiency

• 

  140K - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Edtexas - June 11 - 12:44 pm

  I bought this car at 75K. I had never bought a car with so much mileage on it, now it is at 140K and the time to get a new car is coming. I liked it so much that I feel tempted to get a newer model, but I dont want people to think that I suffer from lack of imagination. It has been such a great experience to have this car it was worth every penny.

• 

  Dart GT - 2016 Dodge Dart
  By Gerry - June 11 - 1:16 am

  Bought a 2016 Dart GT, replacing my 17 year old Jeep. I wanted something that was fun to drive, roomy and had a trunk, after years of driving SUVs and pickups. I tried out the Ford Focus and Mazda 3 sedan. While they handled well, they were cramped compared to the Dart, and I found myself hitting my head on the door frame on both entry and exit from the Mazda. The Dart handles well and gets great mileage (granted, compared to an old Jeep, most anything will get great mileage). The customizable guage display is cool and the 8.4 touchscreen infotainment display is easy to use. I got the Sun/Sound package which gives it a sunroof and 506 watt amp and 9 speakers, so it cranks the tunes. It has the push button starter with remote start, which is nice to get the AC running before I get to the car. It has a power drivers seat with power lumbar adjustment and a number of automated features, such as headlights, high beams and windshield wipers.The only annoyance I have with the car is a rattling that comes from the base assembly for the rearview mirror which seems to be looser than it should be, and so it buzzes against the windshield on occasion. Other than that, its a blast to drive

• 

  Great Vehicle - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By kk - June 10 - 6:07 pm

  I bought this vehicle in Feb of 2006 and could not be happier! The vehicle runs great. All problems have been covered by the awesome warranty.