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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  POWER - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Eraser - April 26 - 2:00 am

  The overall power and handling has won me over. I would suggest this vehicle to anyone looking for a mid size SUV with great power.

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  I love my Stealth! - 1993 Dodge Stealth
  By Stealth Mode - April 24 - 11:27 am

  Although I havent had it that long, I have quickly fallen in love with this car. Before, the only things Id ever shifted were Suzuki Samurais and Nissan pickups. This was an easy adjustment, its so agreeable! It has every option available that year, so Im a little spoiled! Im only 17, and I know its the fastest, prettiest thing in the school parking lot. It gets the attention of a lot of rubberneckers!

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  Nice Change - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Brian - April 22 - 11:10 am

  Bought on a whim!, Styling and price caught our eye. Have had for 1 year and 12,000 miles and still extremely happy with all aspects.

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  Caliber R/T - Whats not to love? - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By ANTHONY L. - April 20 - 2:40 am

  Had my black R/T for 3 months, and 5100 miles later I am still in love with it. A very sharp little car! 18" tires and chrome wheels really improve the look. I average about 28.5 MPG. Only problem I have had is the rear spoiler came loose and a new one has been ordered.

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  Great car - 2007 Dodge Magnum
  By Rex Wilson - April 19 - 12:45 pm

  We recently took a 2300 mile trip in the car with four people and full of luggage, no problems. Ran great, average 20.9 mpg, even with a few high speed bursts.

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  Wifes car - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By mls - April 17 - 8:58 pm

  This was an excellent purchase. The car has outpeformed our previous vehicle a 2000 Ford Taurus. It is peppey and fun to drive and the gas mileage is excellent. Not as comfortable on a long trip as the bigger car, but not unbearable either. We have had no mechanical problems with this car with 91K on the odometer right now.

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  WOW - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By David - April 16 - 10:56 pm

  The last really neat car I owned was in 1962, a 1959 Austin Healy 3000. I had been looking at a new SUV after 6 years of a Jimmy. Couldnt get excited about anything. Then I saw a Magnum and I was sold. This car really turned my head, and when I started reading about it I decided I wanted one. I ordered one back in July or so, and had to wait until November to get it. Well worth the wait. What a car, what a ride. We took a 200 mile trip the day after we got it, and I knew I had made a good decision. Mileage was about 21 mpg for that trip, and I am told that will impove once the engine breaks in.

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  Silver Dodge Magnum 2005 AWD Hemi - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Ray Field - April 16 - 2:48 pm

  The vehicle is revolutionary. I wanted an alternative to an SUV. This car has it all. Speed, comfort, room, safety, sporty appearance, the list goes on. The price advantage for the vehicle against a comparable Mercedes or other Euro-wagon type makes the Magnum the clear choice.

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  Thumbs up - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By esperi - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Very practical for a family car, but has performance that screams. We average bout 25 MPG. Ive owned 25 cars over the past 6 years (not all new), including several muscle cars and high performance imports, and this is head over heels the most enjoyable, invigorating ride Ive ever been in. The radio is awesome, the noise is very tolerable and the space is very roomy- the back seat will not knock your knees at all! The trunk will also hold 2 dead bodies (hopfully no fruition there).

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  Awesome in lime green - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Bubba - April 15 - 12:10 am

  Just got the sub lime R/T Daytona for my wife at Christmas and the only drawback is I have a hard time getting it from her. This car is trully awesome. The interior is way cool. The best part is our sons car seat. I love looking at the poor souls in minivans and boring cars and to see their facial expressions. I constantly get complements, and other guys with Beemers and Benzes wishing they had one. At almost less than half the price of their less styled cars. I highly recomend getting the lime green monster and if you missed out on getting 1 of the 1500 of these try your luck on the plum purple next. Way fast family car.