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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  Nice style - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By brushwood - June 26 - 2:00 am

  Car is a Model Year 2000 company car, great styling and interior layout. Not fancy inside but has all the necessities. HUGE trunk with inside access - find me a bigger one on a mid- size car. And the interior is very spacious both front and back - more than my fathers Buick LeSabre.Fuel economy isnt great (20-24) but this one has the bigger engine. The Auto Stick is fun to play with but doesnt get used very often. A/C works great. It takes a while to get used to the sloping front end and very high rear when parking - usually leave too much distance. Thanks Dodge for a solid car.

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  Too Early to Tell - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Dennis - June 24 - 10:43 am

  The design and performance are all they were professed to be. The mileage is what youd expect with a thirsty Hemi. Interior quality is a disappointment with plastic appointments. Interior visual field is a definite weakness with door columns and small rear window limiting. None the less, I love it. Its a great driving machine.

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  Its been a great Truck - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By sidestick - June 23 - 2:00 am

  Love my Quad Cab. Not too many problems to speak of. Would reccomend it to anyone who wants a good truck that is fun to drive. Lots of low end power.

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  93 4x - 1993 Dodge Dakota
  By briand91 - June 22 - 2:00 am

  Bought car used, had 2 initial, under warenty problems that were corrected satisfactorly. At 125K miles had engine replaced due to bad oil consumtion, rear oil rings and cam pitted. New long block ok, but bad MPGs. Truck has been really great none the less. Have fun on the 4x trails, and she keeps ticking.

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  Excellent Used Car - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By Niquinuk - June 21 - 2:00 am

  Traction control and autostick features on this vehicle make it an excellent choice for a used purchase. Krause Dodge,Lehigh Valley, PA was the dealer we bought the car from, had exceptional customer service & knowledge. They accepted my trade-in (1994 Intrepid) for NADA amount I expected. Another dealer(Keystone Dodge, Allentown, PA) tried to give us only one third of that amount as if it were to go for auction when it was in clean condition, under 100K original miles! Thank you Krause & Dodge- Chrysler Corp.

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  The best cheap car - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By redmonza327 - June 17 - 2:00 am

  This is by far the best cheap car that money can buy. It out performs all other cars in its price range with respects to acceleration, braking, handling, and MPG. Only major complaint it paint quality, and some goofy interior parts.

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  My second set of wheels. - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Virgel - June 15 - 6:36 pm

  I have owned this vehicle for 6 years. It now has high miles and is showing rust. It is a big full size SUV that is very comfortable and all wheel drive has great traction in Wisconsin winters.

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  A good, sporty, economical car. - 1997 Dodge Neon
  By JP04 - June 14 - 2:00 am

  Im the original owner of the Neon and I will admit that during the first two years, this car suffered through a lot of problems. Some examples are blown head gasket after 9 months, clouding paint after one year, and factory sunroof breaking EVERY summer ( three times during the third year ). However, after these "teething" problems, the car has turned out to be a reliable, thrifty, comfortable and fun little car.

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  Excellent Mid-size Truck - 2000 Dodge Dakota
  By hmrhed1 - June 13 - 2:00 am

  I liked the looks as soon as they came out. I finally got one and Im glad I did. Its been a great running truck for the 2 years Ive owned it. Comfortable, quiet and even at 64", I have plenty of room. I drove both the 4.7L and the 5.9L and decided on the smaller V-8. It has plenty of power for my uses, which doesnt include towing...yet.

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  Been a great car, time to say goodbye - 1993 Dodge Dynasty
  By man3745 - June 12 - 2:00 am

  This has truly been a great car, but it is time to say goodbye. The engine is almost at 160,000 miles now, and we got her at 88,000. Shes only needed minor repairs, but now since she is old, more things are starting to go wrong. The electrical completely went out (nothing works but the headlights) and every time we fix it, it goes out again within a few days (strange, huh?). There is a heavy rattle in the engine, but what can we say? Its been so good to us up until now. We cant complain.