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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  Best ecobox for under 20k! - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By fire_hawk3 - March 20 - 5:14 am

  I have the Rallye trim with the 1.4L MultiAir and a standard transmission. The styling is amazing and everyday I see it, it puts a smile on my face. The interior further enhances that smile. The exhaust sound is beautiful and turns some heads. While the engine does suffer some lag, once the turbo spools, it gets going! Everything seems solid and sturdy. The Uconnect system is one of the bests! And the best thing about this car: the MPG. Glorious 41 MPGs on highway!

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  I love my Journey!!! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By schaff - March 19 - 1:03 am

  We have had our 09 Journey since its had 500 miles on it. It had a major think happen to it under warranty, I cant even think of what its called. It was 1500.00 dollars though to fix it thank The Lord under our coverage. Other than that one time thing we have put brakes on it at 40,000 miles and new tires at 42,000 miles the one tire was breaking down inside but they didnt have to many more thousand miles to go anyway that was last Friday at 900.00 dollars. We put a black wind deflector, and a bra on it too. I love the dependability the car has, and Id trust it to drive anywhere, and not be worried. I feel bad that so many on here have had nothing, but trouble with their Journey.

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  Brilliant for a first or second car. - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By dodgeneon1 - March 9 - 9:24 pm

  I just came upon a free 2001 Plymouth Neon. The only problem I had from it, was because the original owners let it sit, because it had a mold issue. from sitting the battery went bad, and the right rear brake seized. Other than that it is a great car. It starts right up, and stands up to performance standards, and is very good on gas. Its a very reliable car, besides its bad reputation. It has 120,000 miles, and it runs strong. Very good car, and would recommend it to anyone.

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  It gets the job done - 2010 Dodge Journey
  By augrpeters - March 6 - 7:45 pm

  Coming from a Dodge Grand Caravan, I wish I would have bought another van. The Journey is a great car (79000 trouble free miles,) I just miss the space of a van. Ive had no trouble as described by other owners. I do get a very respectable 24 mpg mixed driving everyday. My Journey is AWD, which shows itself in PA winters. The only gripe I have about the Journey is the 3.5 seems a bit underpowered on the highway.

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  Best vehicle Ive ever owned - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By cglietz - March 4 - 1:53 pm

  I own an SLT 5.7L HEMI V8 4X4. Absolutely LOVE IT!! I bought mine in 2008 with 76,000 miles on it. It looked and ran like brand new. In my 5 years of ownership all Ive had to replace is routine stuff. Battery, tires, brakes, serpentine belt, trans pan gasket at 110,000 due to small leak ($75). I have 151,000 miles on it and it runs the same as the day I purchased it. Only complaints: CD player stopped working and rust on rear tailgate by handle. I pull a large boat every summer with it also. I had a severe 50mph accident couple years ago in snow which smashed the entire passenger side. Not a scratch on me and drove the vehicle to repair shop. Extremely safe and reliable vehicle!!!

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  So far so good - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By jzartman - February 28 - 1:16 pm

  I have had my Magnum for about 4 months now and it is one of the best cars i have ever owned. The 2.7L motor has plenty of go, and havent had any problems with the car so far. The design is nice and it is a fairly comfortable car, even for a guy like myself that is 6 foot 1 and 295 pounds. The seats took some getting used to (my other car is a 1983 Cadillac Deville, so the seats are like couches) but otherwise, i have no complaints. My wife uses this as her daily driver, and after adding a set of Firestone Winterforce studded tires to the car, we had no problems getting through the snow or ice in the winter. Overall, very satisfied and looking forward to owning this car for a lot of years.

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  The best overlooked crossover on the Market... - 2013 Dodge Journey
  By jmacd79 - February 25 - 2:40 pm

  Me and my wife purchased a 2013 Journey 4 cyl. about 3 weeks ago, and absolutely love it! We got it out of neccesity as we took in our 2 nephews and 1 niece, on top of our daughter, so we needed a vehicle with 3rd row seating. We dont want to spend a boat load of money, and we really didnt want to take a risk on something used. So after much research I found the Journey is the most affordable new SUV with 3rd row seating on the market. Dodge is definitely on the way up, and this vehicle doesnt disappoint with features of interior, even in a base model. It has touch screen interface, keyless entry and keyless engine start. Plenty of storage all things considered with the 3rd row.

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  I love my car so much its probably unhealthy - 2011 Dodge Caliber
  By bakergirl9 - February 25 - 3:15 am

  I bought this car with 63 miles on it in December 2011. I love the orange color, how it looks like a transformer, and how the dash is set up. For what it is it is a great little car. I live in Colorado and have taken my little Caliber up Jeep trails without issue, so long as I have the clearance I have had no trouble. The manual transmission is really nice and makes it fun to drive. I love driving my car and it does decent in the snow. I have the most basic model you can get and it is comfortable on long trips. This is a fun little car but it is that, a little car. It is not a high performance sports car but it is fun to drive and has been totally reliable.

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  2002 Intrepid ES FWD 4-Dr Sedan V6 - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By d0dg3_l0v3r - February 23 - 8:19 am

  Bought this car brand new - had 90 miles on it. Have maintained it well. Has 225 hp and is close in power to my 2008 Charger. I LOVE this car. Still have it, had a custom paint job done. After owning this car for 11 years only issues Ive had: Power window motors (under warranty) replaced. Sometimes the lights dim inside the dash area (might be from amp for speaker?) and check engine light comes on once in a while - might be electrical issue? I change the oil and the light goes off - so this car has oil changes more often than recommended. I know those things sound bad, however it has 70,000 miles and is very strong and beautiful still. - Intrepid Lover!

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  My review was on the AWD Hemi 5.7 not the SE V6 - 2013 Dodge Charger
  By lloboblanco - February 20 - 11:04 am

  As long as Im making the correction to the model, Ill add some additional thoughts. I cant imagine any complaints on the Hemi other than the mileage. If you want great MPG, why buy the Hemi? My mixed driving MPG is 19.7. Highway MPG is 25.1. I believe this will improve as the car breaks in but I see little chance of the 30+ that some are claiming. Using regular gas gives me a 15% cost advantage over the small turbos I drove in the past so given the breathtaking performance, gas mileage is fine. I imagine a 10 - 15% improvement when the 8 speed is available later this year. On the road the ride is glass smooth & Lexus quiet. With the monster sound system the trips all seem shorter.