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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  I LOVE my car! - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By ado - October 5 - 11:07 pm

  I absolutely love my car! This car looks hot(even better with tinted windows). I thought that the R/T offered quite a few options for very little money. While the 4 cy. engine wont beat anyone off the line, I do get about 24 mpg. The ride is very smooth and the car is fun to drive. There is a blind spot to get used to and the chrome around the gear shift can cause a glare, but otherwise I like the chrome look. I enjoy having Sirius radio and I love having the radio controls on the steering wheel (a feature I thought Id never use!) The interior is extemely roomy and there is a lot of trunk space.

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  tiny tank - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By kate_runs - October 5 - 2:38 pm

  In what parallel universe does this car get supposed good fuel economy? I have put a lot of money keeping this car in the best shape, I dont drive it in a gas-wasting sort of way, and I usually only get around 20/22mpg on a tank-- and that is with freeway driving as well. Its like driving a small tank, especially in contrast to non-American compact equivalents. It does zip along quite quickly on flat roads, depending on the weather. Positive: I feel pretty safe driving it (in terms of how solid it is), and the trunk is quite roomy. Lastly: God forbid you turn the a/c on- the mpg goes to around 16mpg

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  HEMI - I got one! - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By mackyds - October 5 - 2:35 pm

  I have waited many a year for this kind of vehicle, and now I have one! I still remember the hemi-cudas, six-pac super bees, etc. but never owned one. When I seen the new Callengers, I just had to have one. And I tell you, if you want a car that gives excitement, this is it! 425 hourses with 420 ft/lb torque is just plain sick! And the looks and the comments are never ending when I am driving "the Beast" around! Everytime I get in her, I cant get rid of that "you know what" eating grin off my face! Especially after a couple Mustang GTs found out what it was like to mess with that 6.1 liter under the hood! Thank you Dodge for bringing back the excitement!

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  Alternative to Cookie-Cutter Sedans - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By James - October 5 - 10:38 am

  Ive always liked the look of the Dodge Charger, but theyre too big and too rear-wheel driven for the wife, so we went with the "Baby Charger." First off, it looks like no other sedan out there. Whether thats a good thing or bad thing is up to you, but we love it. Bright red with tinted windows looks pretty mean. Interior controls are layed out nicely, but build quality (uneven gaps, rock-hard platics, etc) is a little lacking. We average mid-to-high 20s for gas mileage. Engine gets the job done but you wont win any races.

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  13 years old & still great - 1996 Dodge Avenger
  By AnnaMN - October 4 - 4:43 pm

  I originally purchased this car when I was 16 for its exterior look but after 7 years of driving it, it has proved to be an amazing car. At 146K it is still running great. The 2.0 4-cyl may not be the most powerful engine on the road, but it helps with fuel costs. Very comfortable interior, easy to drive great handling in all weather. Drove it back & forth to college weekly, has never broken down. Its time for me to get a new car even though its still running great, but I needed to pay tribute to how wonderful the Avenger has been. Will be sad to see it go.

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  If you drive the HEMI first... - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Azulojas - October 4 - 2:00 am

  If you drive the HEMI first... You will be absolutely MISERABLE with one of the smaller engines. If you want to save money, DONT drive the HEMI! Interior is spacious and comfortable. Heated seats, DVD rear passenger entertainment system, 1 touch memory for pedal control, seat position, mirror positions, radio, and temp. control were adored by my wife. Fun to drive, good looking, TONS of features. We drove escalade, navigator, expedition, and DURANGO. Got ALL of the killer features in the Durango for about 10 to 15 THOUSAND less!! and by the way, did I tell you it has a 5.7 v8 HEMI!

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  Great Van - 2005 Dodge Caravan
  By Dodger - October 3 - 10:38 pm

  I have 80,000 miles on my minivan and the only repair so far has been an EGR valve and one tune up and brakes. We completely filled the van when we took a trip to South Carolina with five passengers and all the luggage and the van still got 27 miles to the gallon with the 3.3 motor and the air - conditioner on for the entire ride! We also had plenty of room and everyone was comfortable for the entire ride. Buy this van, you wont be disappointed.

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  Would not buy another ..... - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Jean - October 3 - 12:48 pm

  Two weeks after purchasing this SUV, it went back to the dealer for various discrepancies. Problems started with brakes, roof rack, and electrical. Recently had rear brake jobs and returned the following day with ABS warning system and noisy when brake pedal is activated.

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  Nice Early On, Then Fell Apart - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Robert - October 3 - 9:50 am

  The first 60,000 miles were trouble-free. Then we needed a new transmission ($1900). At 96,000 miles, we needed a new Transmission Control Module ($500). Now, at 98,000 miles, we apparently need a new Body Control Module (the dash is completely dead). We had the dealer trace the wiring, and try a new wiring harness. The only thing left is the BCM. However, theres no going back with this -- its programmed with our VIN, and theres no guarantee that it will fix anything. Weve decided to sell it and buy a new one. Given their long-standing problems with transmission and electrical, Id avoid the Caravan.

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  Still Working Out The Bugs - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By BRENT - October 2 - 4:53 pm

  I traded in my full size Ram to save on gas and provide the household with 2 cars for getting around. 1st bug! The check engine light has bad wiring and we are waiting on Dodge to send the replacement. 2nd bug! The model we bought has a Firestone tire that is not released to the public yet. and it is on back order and guessed it! We had a flat that could not be patched. So after 3 weeks we are waiting on a tire and a new wire so the check engine light will work correct. I hope nothing is wrong with the engine because the dealership just told us to drive it there is no problem!