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:

• 

  Has been a good vehicle for me =) - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By Arianna - August 29 - 11:42 pm

  Bought my 2006 Stratus last summer and Im glad I did. I have had no problems with it yet *knock on wood* and its been a very enjoyable car. I recently went on a road trip and I didnt even need to fill up the entire way there and back! Its amazing the gas mileage you can get with this car. I definitely dont waste time at the pump aha! The 4 cyl engine is good, but I can see why the V-6 would be better for the size of this vehicle. It didnt handle amazingly well last winter (in NY) but considering I live up on a huge hill, what can you really expect from a car? I cant really complain about it, Ive had a good experience with this car, and it makes me want to buy Dodge again.

• 

  Dont buy - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By jsshou - August 29 - 9:59 am

  When I first brought the nitro I loved it but after having it for only 8 months I had been in the shop 4 or 5 times for the same reason (cutting off while driving) and every time they would say it was fixed and it wasnt I call the main office and they said it would have to happen again for them to do anything. I had a 2 year old and could not take the changed and trade the nitro in for a Chevy truck and went upside down $6000 because we paid 24,000 for the nitro and they only gave us 14,000 on it. Only 8 months after we brought it. I would not tell anyone to buy this car.

• 

  Baby Hauler - 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Muthu Periakaruppan - August 29 - 2:00 am

  This is by far the perfect vehicle for our family. (Three kids under 6) With relatives we often haul 7-8 people around. It is smooth and quiet. However we seem to constantly have small things going wrong, 4 brake jobs at 50k, tensioner&serpentine belt, rear calipers and now no heat (we live in arctic Minnesota). Has anyone else had problems with the thermostat or radiator?

• 

  Im in love with my Durango - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By grooviecita - August 28 - 11:46 pm

  I fell in love with this SUV, the way it moves (IM NOW A HEMI FAN) It has POWER! Its doesnt drag.I am a realtor so I drive this vehicle a lot of miles. The V8 engine was not a good choice for gas purposes but the fact that when I want to move out of the way of slow people, the power of this vehicle is amazing!

• 

  Love this truck! - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Haulsum@ss - August 28 - 5:12 pm

  Great overall truck. although with 2 kids i wished i had bought a crew cab. this truck has never got me stuck. The 4.7 really hauls, handles great, and will get up and go when called upon. These trucks are some of the nicest on the road. Its definatly alot better of a ride than my 01 Dodge Ram.

• 

  Country Blue Cool - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Sarah - August 28 - 7:06 am

  I wound up with the marine blue R/T due to the fact that the storm blue was pretty impossible to find, but now I am in love with the blue interior so I dont mind it so much. Took a few weeks to learn how to drive a car with not a lot of pick-up, but now I am totally used to that as well. Had Jeeps all my life and picked this over the Compass and do not regret decision!

• 

  Blue - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By BOB - August 27 - 11:12 pm

  well its very reliable, but theres no weight in the back, its only summer and it spins on gravel. and the trans slips hope theres a recall soon

• 

  Shafted again - 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By upset - August 27 - 1:33 am

  In July of 2004 I wrote a review with concerns whether Dodge had cured its tranny problems and I was experiencing tranny shudder and slipping into a false neutral. This was at 29,000 miles. At 35,000 I had the fluid changed and then at 44,000 they had to do a major rebuild on the tranny and replace the torque converter, now 14,000 miles later the same problem is here again. Do I attribute this to a lousy transmission that was to be upgraded and now reliable for 2003 or a mechanic that doesnt know what hes doing. They will have to rebuild it again now at 58,000 miles and one wonders if itll be another rebuild just before the warranty expires or do I dump it! Unfortunately, Adios Dodge

• 

  What a Ride! - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By DRH - August 26 - 6:48 pm

  I bought my Charger as my retirement present to myself. I LOVE IT!. I added a K&N cold air box and laminar flow air inlet. It was supposed to add 20 HP, I dont think it did, but it sounds GREAT! The car is Tor-red, with the chrome clad wheels. Im constantly being stopped to talk about it. I have 20K miles on it, and have only done oil changes and tire rotation. Great acceleration, fun cornering. I dont drive it much in the snow, but when I did, the computer did a good job with the wheel spin. I live in a rural-sub urban area, I get 20-22 mpg depending how close I get to the city. Much better mileage at 55 than 70 mph (over 30mpg at 55, 26mpg at 70). Try it out.

• 

  Keep on Truckin - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By Tim - August 26 - 5:53 pm

  This truck has been a steady performer. It is functional enough for light construction duty and family recreation. Our family of 3 + 1 large dog has found there is plenty of int. room and adequate cargo capacity for our road trips and camping outings. The ride is truck like, but without much road noise. There have been no major problems, but the broken emergency brake release lever and the poor seal around the gas intake pipe are annoying. The V6 provides pep and the transmission shifts smoothly. The gear shift on the steering column is a little tempermental and requires perfect placement before finding the right gear. Traction on wet pavement and snow is weak when the bed is empty.