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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  So Far So Good!! - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By Brian M. - May 6 - 2:00 am

  I just bought this car with 11,000 miles. I have been a GM and Honda owner. Traded my CRV in for it. I do alot of highway driving & I am getting 25mpg so far.It handles great and ride nice,very stylish!! I have the SE model. I havent figured out if the rear seats fold down yet?I hope dodge deosnt disaapoint me. I need a good reliable car.

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  Wheeeeeee - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Doggie - May 6 - 2:00 am

  With over 30,000 miles of ownership I can tell you my Durango has been one of the best vehicle experiences I have ever enjoyed! My Durango is just as exciting to get in as it was the day I took it home. 4.7 Engine runs like a top! Brakes with anti-lock feature have saved me numerous times! Drivers seat lumbar bladder is the only item that has failed since new car delivery day. The steering of this vehicle is pure pleasure.

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  Great Value - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By marinedig1us - May 5 - 2:00 am

  Very dependable, reliable. Well powered.

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  Never buying a Dodge again! - 1998 Dodge Caravan
  By scrapretreat - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Puchased the vehicle with 65K mi with excellent maintanence records. At 85K mi while 500 mi from home the crank shaft snapped! Stranded in Rolla Mo. for a week we spent our $5,000 vacation fund on a new engine. Thinking our troubles were over we were surprised when at 92K mi the transmission fell out 70 miles from home. Needles to say we will NEVER purchase a Chrysler product again. Weve also repaired the windshield, driver power window twice, alternator twice, emission sensor valve and the front end will not stay in line. The windshield wipers are the noisiest Ive ever experienced.

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  2001 Dakota SLT 2 Door 2WD Extended Cab - 2001 Dodge Dakota
  By Dakota Brave - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned my Dakota 4.7L V8 for 2 1/2 years. The V8 gives me the ability to merge quickly with fast acceleration Its awesome. Still, I can get over 20 miles per gallon at 70 mph. In town though it is a little heavy on gas. The ride is very comfortable. The only complaint Ive had is a slow action on one power window. It works, but is slow in one spot. I intend to get it worked on before the warranty is up. I would say reliability and quality overall has been excellent.

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  2005 Dodge Neon - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By blueram13 - May 2 - 5:53 pm

  Economy car that provides good gas mileage and reliable transportation. Drives 80 miles a day to work. Last Neon (1998) drove 175,000 miles and only needed a head gasket. Very happy with all around performance.

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  think before you buy regular cab - 1997 Dodge Dakota
  By ems - May 2 - 2:00 am

  its been a good truck for the 6 months Ive owned it. Beware of ball-joint issues in the 97-02 models... the 00-02 seem to be the worst, but mine needed all four ball joints before 100k... they arent cheap either, total bill was $1500. The truck has plenty of power with the 318 (5.2) and the transmission has been smooth shifting... but the engine does have idle issues, make sure you start the truck COLD as thats when they tend to show up. Would I buy it again? Probably, but Id get the club or quad cab!

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  Better than my Silverado - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By aggiedude - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Former Nissan Frontier driver for 10yrs then decided I wanted a bigger truck. Went shopping and ended up with an 03 Silverado. Was a little bigger than I wanted,so went shopping for trucks again and ended up with the 04 Dakota SLT with the 4.7 V8 and LOVE it..Performance is awesome, comfort is fantastic, and overall driving is great. It does like gas stations but no more than most V6s in general and got 17.5mpg on my 1st 400mile trip so not complaining. Test drive them all, find a good dealer and youll fall in love with the Dakota. Not as many "gadgets" as the Silverado but just as comfy and just like the looks better. Hope this helps ya.

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  Great Looking Family Sedan - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By stevep - April 29 - 4:56 am

  Just bought the car a week ago. So far it is fantastic. Best looking mid size sedan out there. Test drove a Camry first and the Avenger is much more comfortable. Camry did not have enough head room to even make it an option for me and Im only 61". After 700 miles of mostly highway/interstate driving Im getting 29.8 mpg which is about what I expected and in my opinion this car is a great balance between power and fuel economy. Even though its a small engine it produces a very adequate 174 hp.

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  Dashtop reflection - 2004 Dodge Intrepid
  By Spidereyeing - April 28 - 2:00 am

  To much reflection in windshield causing poor visibility.