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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  hemi 5.7l soft silky drive - 2008 Dodge Durango
  By abdullah albathalli - August 24 - 3:29 pm

  I got my durango slt 5.7l hemi 4x4 black color from the only delar in Kuwait almilla behbehani co. Nice price for perfect suv. This suv very good for me and my family 7 persons. And I Ravel with my family for about 1000 kms it was very comfortable very strong and for my self while drive it was very trusted suv .

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  Horrible car - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By Beng - August 24 - 1:55 pm

  Im renting a Dodge Caliber to replace my Suzuki SX4 that is being repaired. In comparison, the Caliber has a horrible turning radius, is sluggish to start, and nearly impossible to speed up. It is extremely heavy. The Caliber also has alot of road noise. The ride is not smooth at all. I feel most every bump on the road. When I change lanes I feel the whole car jolt over instead of being smooth, like my SX4. To top it off, the blindspots are a huge problem. The windows are very small, and placed so that turning my head to check the other lanes reveals only the Calibers interior. The nice things though are an air conditioned glove box and fancy storage between the two front seats.

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  Nice summer car - 2013 Dodge Dart
  By Dalphne - August 23 - 7:57 pm

  This car was not made to be driven in snow.

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  Great Car!!! - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By Surfer - August 23 - 7:49 am

  Took the new car on Vacation. We love it. The car drives great. The elevated seating is awesome. The Sirius satellite radio is great. Good MPG. The Chill Zone is cool. We love the car. There is nothing else like it out there. The Fit is El-Cheapo compared to the Caliber. The Vibe is nice, but no options at this price. I would recommend a test drive. It is one great car.

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  Nice car - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By coonie - August 22 - 2:16 pm

  Would be nice if gas mileage would increase. I am not getting 28mpg. Car handles very well. One mistake I made was to add the rain guards, they create too much of a blind spot. Overall I am very happy with it.

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  Reliable family hauler - 2002 Dodge Ram Wagon
  By FedExMatty - August 22 - 2:00 am

  This van has been wonderful for our growing family. We took it on a trip the summer of 2003 from GA to MN back tom GA then to FL all in a 2.5 week time. We had ample room for our family of six and the vehicle performed flawlessly. We also pulled a camper from GA to AL and it had no troulbe. I couldnt even tell the camper was there. We love it!!!!!!

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  2004 Hemi Durango - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Hemiman - August 22 - 2:00 am

  Having traded a 2001 Durango for this I see only improvements. The vehicle handles as if it is much smaller than it is and rides considerable better that it earlier verisons. With the Hemi it tows effortlessly, better than any vehicle I have driven. When not towing, from quick starts to high speed passing this vehicle pulls hard and accelerates more better than any other SUV I have been in. As far as cargo space is concerned, it is enormous. You cant miss with this vehicle as long as you have a gas credit card (preferable with rewards for heavy use).

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  Love the Stow n Go, Hate the seat design - 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By egapch - August 21 - 8:56 pm

  What I hate about this minivan is the design of the driver and passenger seats and the inability to adjust the shoulder strap down another inch or so to prevent the strap from rubbing a sore spot on my neck, I am 5 4" tall. I think these two things should be a priority. The main reason I bought a DGC was for the Stow n Go seating, and I was impressed that the second row of seats would adjust back to provide more leg room. I will not buy another American car unless I can find one in which the seats are comfortable and the seatbelts adjust to fit me.

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  Textbook Chrylser - 1992 Dodge Stealth
  By cord1500 - August 21 - 12:19 pm

  The Stealth represents what is wrong with Chrysler and why they are where they are today. A unique, sporty, and attractive exterior design plagued by a dollar store interior and reliability of weather. Numerous electrical faults, windows, alternator, and transmission in the first two years! Spent more time at Dodge than in my garage. Performance was great then, but Ive seen R/T Stealths blown away by 4 door G-35 recently

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  Original owner & still driving it - 2001 Dodge Neon
  By oceangal313 - August 21 - 11:18 am

  This has been a great and fun car. I have replaced 2 front tie rods and the radio. I also replaced the radiator even though the dealer said I needed a tranny too, they lied. I bought some nice Elbrus wheels for it and Komho tires, added a spoiler and a faux hood scoop. My husband added a nice stripe to it and some V8 Hemi decals from an old Dodge truck. The car is awesome! With the Cars for Clunkers program I am thinking of trading in an old pickup and getting something new. If I do I am going to miss this car. It got me through my 40s :-)