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:

• 

  Dodge Hot Rod - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Kurt - August 8 - 9:40 pm

  This car is sharp looking. Has the sport suspension, wheels, tires, fog lights. Lots of power for the money. Fun to drive. Very responsive.

• 

  2004 dakota club cab V-6 - 2004 Dodge Dakota
  By fred - August 8 - 9:35 am

  Replaced my 1995 Dakota with the 2004 because it had 244k miles and I didnt like the 2005 body style. I now have 116k miles. Replaced water pump, tires x 1. Still have original battery! Love it but regret not keeping the 95 (the guy I sold it to ran it into the ground) and buying a durango for the covered cargo area for luggage and groceries.

• 

  Poor choice of an SUV - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By N Wilkey - August 8 - 9:01 am

  I bought this on a whim from a dealer that I had dealt with before. It was the biggest mistake I have ever made. I had a Kia before and would give anything to have it back. I can not trade because the value is so bad. The plastic on the seat belts keeps braking. You would think Dodge would give a box of the covers with each sale.

• 

  Piece of Crap - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Dodge in Distress - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I WILL NEVER BUY A DODGE AGAIN!!!!! We have replaced the transmission, the air conditioner, the power steering (fell out while sitting at a stop light), water pump and numerous other faulty mechanisms on this van. We have driven foreign cars for years, and have never had to replace much more than the oil and tires. Something electrical messed up the intermittent wipers. The child safety seat has broken twice. STAY AWAY!!!

• 

  Great Diamond-Star - 1998 Dodge Avenger
  By johnho - August 8 - 1:49 am

  Original owner of a rare ES with 2.0L 5-speed. Had to wait six months just for the factory to build it!!! 140,000 salt-free miles and the paint looks great. Best of all I get 32MPG in mixed driving. Still love the interior cockpit layout and the clean yet aggressive exterior styling. I only wish todays Moper had something that could replace it if I wanted a new car. Other than the usual wear items,my only problem was a reoccurring hesitation issue at low RPMs starting around 90,000 milestried everything to fix it! The dealer tried to tell me I babied it too much and caused carbon build-up on the valves? Nope! Recently replaced the crank sensor and that seems to have taken care of it.

• 

  so far so good - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Robert - August 7 - 3:01 pm

  I purchased a used 2008 Dodge Avenger a few weeks ago. I went with this car because it looked way better than a Camry, Accord and all those other cars that look all alike. It drives good and my 2.7 V6 is pretty quick. I recommend going with the V6 model over the 4 banger. I drove both versions of the Avenger and the difference is like night and day. Interior is somewhat bland and the door panels are very hard to clean. There is one huge blind spot in this vehicle that I will have to get used to pretty quick. The 17" tires are perfect for the potholes I have to put up with where I live. This is my first Dodge and their styling right now is above and beyond everyone elses.

• 

  Avenger Lover - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By RMU - August 7 - 10:45 am

  I too dont understand the poor ratings from Edmunds. This car is awesome! I call it my mini-Charger! Exterior styling is great, interior styling nice with my SXT (older version as the newer 09 SXT is the earlier 09 SE-a bit confusing)! Excellent sound system, Huge interior and trunk space, a real head turner! Im 6-4" and have more space than I need without compromising space for rear passengers. Cant say enough good things about this car. oh, and 33+ mpg on the highway! Long Live Dodge!

• 

  nitro!!!! - 2009 Dodge Nitro
  By dodgeman1129 - August 7 - 8:43 am

  The nitro is a great car it is fun to drive mpg is not the best but over all the nitro is a great car

• 

  Great car - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By Surfer boy - August 6 - 8:48 pm

  We love the Caliber SXT. It is like a small version of the Ford Edge. The CVT transmission is great. Good fuel economy and sporty. We looked at the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa. This car drives way better and feels like a car, not a toy. I would highly recommend the car. For the money, no one comes close to such a car. Best of all, it is American made in Illinois.

• 

  Best SUV ever owned! - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By Trex20165 - August 6 - 3:34 pm

  This has been a fantastic vehicle. I have owned it since new and now have 105,000 miles on it. The 5.9L engine has been bulletproof and the A/C is still ice cold. The R/T has limited slip differentials and the best traction of any 4-wheel drive I have owned. The exhaust system sounds great and the truck still drives like new. Original Goodyear Wrangler tires lasted 80,000 miles! My only complaint is the fuel economy which is about 12 around town.