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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  i love my little sports car - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By courtney - February 25 - 4:55 am

  i love my little sports car. I fell in love with it the first time that I drove it and knew I had to have it. It has the perfect amount of get up and go and can get you in lots of trouble if youre not careful. Knock on wood that I have not had any trouble since I bought it. Now that I have gotten married I need a bigger car but I just can not stand the thought of someone else getting my baby. If I could I would keep it as my little run around car. Also I was told that I would not get better than 25 mpg on the highway. Well my little silver sports car fooled them. I get 31 mpg. I am very satisfied.

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  Vipers Rule - 1997 Dodge Viper
  By Kurt - February 24 - 12:52 pm

  This is my 2nd Viper. I purchased a 1994 RT/10 in 97 and enjoyed the car both on and off the track. Track experience was with the IL Region Viper Club of America. Which included drag racing, autocross and road racing events. My most recent Viper is the 97 Coupe. Much more refined, better handling, more power, and better aerodynamics. I have installed about $15k worth of aftermarket to increase performance. This includes BIG brakes, alum. flywheel, short shifter, hi-ratio roller rockers, smooth tubes, headers/catback exhaust, 3:55 gear, rollbar and fire extinguisher. Car is still street legal, good manners, and all amenties such as air, pwr wndows, stereo, etc. Run 11s in qtr!

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  Stratus R/T 5 Speed - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By JackV - February 24 - 10:00 am

  I wasnt necessarily looking for a car this big when I started, but when it was all said and done the bang-for-the-buck of the Stratus R/T was really hard to pass up. It shifts smoothly and everything feels "tight", its very responsive and fun to drive. Initially I hadnt planned on getting one of the factory radios (had planned on putting in my own), but I listened to the Inifinty speakers and decided that the bass and clarity they deliver was more than sufficient for the relatively- little extra they cost.

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  I Love It - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Sweetgirl - February 21 - 9:16 am

  I got my Intrepid about 3 years ago. It was my very first car so, I took extra good care of it. My dad replaced the engine when we bought it because the previous owners did not take care of it. It runs smooth for me(and I do a lot of highway driving). Plus, the car is very roomy and it has a lot of leg room for tall people, I have a tall family and I am tall myself (im about 62) and I do not like trucks so I fit very comfortable in it. I recommed this car to any one who knows how to take care of a car, cause lets face it you treat the motor wrong its going to blow!!

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  Excellent car! - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Marybeth - February 20 - 3:10 pm

  I like this car so much that the couple of times Ive gone to a dealership to trade it in, I ended up deciding to keep it. I test drove numerous brand new cars, but couldnt find any I liked as much as this one.

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  SRT-4 wolf in sheeps clothing - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By deuxieme chance - February 20 - 2:00 am

  Actually traded in my Corvette to save money and needed a family car now too. This think is a blast to drive, practical too. Amazing to think that it seats 4, gets 22 mpg city and is nearly as fast as my Vette was. Plus, everyone thinks its just a Neon.

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  Best Value in large SUV - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By Dan T - February 18 - 12:44 pm

  We test drove every vehicle in this size group and larger. We kept coming back to the Durango because we loved the feel of the ride, power of the Hemi, and comfort of the interior. In our opinion, this vehicle was far superior to Ford and Chevy. Affordability was not an issue, even though the pricing on the Durango was incredible! We now have 60,000 miles on the vehicle with virtually no problems other than "brake" issues. They have been replaced twice already.

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  Magnum Hooked - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By JTZ - February 18 - 8:59 am

  I test drove more cars then carter has liver pills and this by far was the most solid feeling car I drove. I feel very safe in it, and I do not have any problem with blind spots. There are now rattles or squeaks and it is the quietest car inside when traveling down the road over anything else I tried.

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  Excellent truck - 1993 Dodge Dakota
  By gitrdonedakota - February 16 - 9:40 pm

  I bought a 93 Dakota in 03 as my first vehicle. I used to love Chevy trucks but now I love Dodge. Being in college my money is a little tight, and with this truck no money goes into repairs. The 3.9 V6 is tough and very reliable. I have towed many of my buddies when they have broken down. Despite my truck being a 2WD it still performs well off road. I spend a lot of time hunting and fishing. I put this truck in bad situations and she still pulls out. I could not be happier with this truck!

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  I LOVE my car! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Leo - February 16 - 2:00 pm

  I have owned my Journey for just over 18 months. I love this car! I have about 18.5K miles on the car. I will have to have the brakes redone very soon, as they have not worn very well, but considering the weight of this car I am not surprised. I have OEM Kumho Solus KH-16 (225-65-19) and I have had no problems thru two winters in the Pocono Mts of PA!! They still have plenty of life in them and have been very reliable in snowy conditions. The only problem I have had was a leak in the AWD transfer case. Took it to the local dealer and had it replaced under the lifetime powertrain warranty. This car is VERY quiet, and is a pleasure to drive. Its a keeper for me!!