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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  "meet all necessary requirements" van - 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By dprong - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Leased an 98 Plymouth Grand Voyager "Expresso" (3.3 L engine) and upon its lease expiration, I told the same salesperson who leased it at the beginning that it was the best car I ever had after driving 4 Hondas (all cars). He replied,"This 2000 Grand Caravan" (3.8L) is going to be even better. And he is damn right! Despite that this van has ran into bad luck (smashed a pregnant doe; leaving $8,000 damage and hail damage leaving $9,000 damage within 1 year!) Took it to many long trips per year to parents in laws and to Fla. A real nice cruising vehicle! Comfortable seatings

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  Now, THIS is a truck! - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Eaton - September 20 - 2:00 am

  I have owned a 93 F150 and a 97 Toyota Tundra and this Dodge whoops em both! The Ford was a great truck, but it was too large and ate too much gas. The Dakota is the perfect in-between size and gets decent mileage for a 4.7 V8 with 235 horses. The Toyota was an overpriced joke. Underpowered and it felt like it was going to fall apart whenever I went over a railroad track. The Dakota is extremely solid on the road and handles exceptionally well for a truck. I love the smooth howl of the 4.7 V8, the great stereo and comfy interior. Ill let you know when I find something I dont like about it, but dont hold your breathe.

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  I Never Knew It Would Be Like This - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Keith - September 19 - 4:11 pm

  I had been looking for a Charger for my wife. I saw this SRT 8 at the dealer so I thought I would test it. It was my 1st test drive of the SRT 8. I had to hold my smiles back when I got back to the dealer office. I rated the fuel economy at 9 and that number is based on muscle car economy. Im averaging about 20 mpg on the highway and that number would be hard to beat for such a powerful engine.

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  Great car for the money - 2015 Dodge Dart
  By Michael La Course - September 19 - 5:54 am

  One thing you need to keep in mind, I have bought the manual transmission so it is sportier. However the 2.0L could have a little more kick. The voice control is poor, as i had to take it back the day after I bought it (guess anyone can get a faulty unit though) to replace the uconnect. The car drives great and fuel efficiency is great on the highway but could need improvement on city streets (29.8 mpg combined for me, 37 hwy, 24-25 city). Pros: - Great car for the money - Great Safety features - Great factory speakers - nice adjustability of seats - Awesome cargo space - Good on hwy gas Cons: - somewhat slow takeoff - Uconnect issues - instrumentation can be slightly confusing I just bought this car, so the review may still get changed.

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  Bought Used I doubt Ill buy another - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By YesAwaken - September 18 - 10:00 am

  Good looking van. Dodge will probably never make anything close to this style.

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  The best Grand Caravan yet - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By luckyolddon - September 18 - 10:00 am

  Our trade-in was a 2000 Grand Caravan with 41000 miles. It was a very good van but this 2005 has it beat by a mile! The 2005 is quiter, better performance and the "stow and go" seating is terrific. The other mini vans do not match it for design and value. This is our fifth Dodge mini van and this one is the best by far.

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  I call my Cali Sally - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By CrazyBoutCali - September 18 - 5:21 am

  What a great car. I love this car. It is fairly quick, has a roomy and comfortable interior that is easy to keep clean and looking brand new, it has 17 inch wheels, anti-lock brakes are standard and has lots of airbags for safety. I read some "professional" reviews and they arent so hot. I dont understand them at all. They clain the Cali is underpowered. BALONEY, I say. I have a 2.0 litre SXT and I am impressed with the power she puts out. I also own a 1979 Corvette 350 c.i. and I know speed and power first hand. Im not saying the Cali is a Vette, but she will hold her own in her class. Anyways, its all about decent power and good gas mileage for me. And it gets 28 mpg.

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  I dont want him (J-P) to leave me!!! - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By Gina - September 17 - 8:13 pm

  This is the best pick-up truck i had so far...he went through a lot!! Someone stole it, wreck it, smashed the windows, radio stolen...he is still alive and run as good as the first day. He is now 400 000km and i have to spend a little this month to fix transfer case, wipers...the mechanic told me it was worth it to keep it in good shape.

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  TROUBLE!!!! - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By Tam - September 17 - 3:28 pm

  The intrepid was my first car and at first I loved it until a month later it started giving me problems. Every month I had to buy a new tire and my transmission went completely out like a few weeks ago and my battery died like five times or so for no reason. My water pump went out and overall the car stinks!

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  Average - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By rcary21 - September 16 - 12:29 pm

  This car is leased. It is the R/T FWD. It is not a quick sporty vehicle, it is a borderline luxury car. Think Lincoln MKZ, but cheaper. It is great on the highway, very comfortable and quiet, but that is not what I was in the market for. It is white and the exterior styling is great. I went from a Contour SVT to this and this car is soft compared to the SVT. The climate control went out and was replaced under warranty. Overall not a bad car, just not what I wanted.