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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  2005 Dodge Dakota 4x4 SLT Quad Cab - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By JCH - January 1 - 7:23 pm

  40000 miles. Original Goodyears gone, new Michelin LTAs should last longer. 8 oil changes and regular maintenance never let me down off road/on hwy/anywhere. Expecting 160,000 miles out of it before trading up. Would buy it again and would recommend it. Has good road manners. Gas mileage averages 18-19 miles-per-us- gallon. I do mostly highway driving.

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  Love it! - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By troy - January 1 - 3:04 pm

  I had Chrysler products in the past and thought I would never buy one again. I was wrong! The Charger has power, lots of room and 4 doors. I know a Charger with 4 doors? I have 2 kids in car seats and there is plenty of room for them in the back seat. The traction control is the best I ever used. Being in Wisconsin I thought the rear wheel drive was a bad thing. The charger traction control is better than the FWD with traction control Honda Oddysey my wife drives. She prefers driving the Charger when she can. I love this car and I get alot on compliments with it.

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  No longer a Ford man - 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By J. Burke - January 1 - 2:40 am

  I was so impressed with the overall performance and comfort of the vehicle. It is superior to any other similar van I have owned or driven in. It has been such a pleasure to drive, has excellent visibility and great acceleration on the freeway. Best of all is the stow and go feature, it has been a real asset. The vehicle is nicely fitted with amenities that you get wonderful luxury and dont have to rob a bank. I looked at other vans including Toyota and Honda, and this van is in their class no doubt about it. The audio system controls in the steering column was a very nice feature to add as well.

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  Fun to Drive - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By BRB - December 30 - 1:48 am

  This is my first SUV. Love the power of the Hemi and the room for my 3 kids. Got a great deal with my employee discount, plus another $8000 off of that.

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  In love with my Stratus - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Meg - December 29 - 4:16 pm

  I searched all over the Sacramento area to find my 4 door 2.7L V6 Stratus in the midnight blue. I drove it home and instantly fell in love. Wonderfully reliable, a nice aggresive acceleration, and so roomy inside. My husband was reluctant to buy it since he has a mustang but after about 2 weeks was totally smitten!

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  Awesome Truck and Great Value - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By CHIEFZUSAF - December 29 - 2:56 pm

  My brother and I looked for new pick up trucks for a few weeks when we came across our 2005 Quad Cab Laramie V-8 Dakotas. The dealer had a few left over 05s and they were fully loaded (except 4WD). We both purchased one each and the trucks are identical even down to the VIN minus the last digit. This truck has been one of the best vehicles I have owned. It is great looking in and out, has a very solid feel when driving with positive steering response , very good accelaration and stopping characteristics. The fuel economy is better than expected and over all we are both very happy with our trucks and would buy one again or highly recommend one to a friend or family.

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  Back to my youth by CB - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By CB - December 29 - 10:13 am

  I origianally wanted to purchase a 2003 R/T, but wanted to wait till 2006 to buy it and by then it was gone. The wife mentioned to me that the local dealer had another one, but it was a 2004 and we checked it out and drove it home. It has all the options you can get, including a 6 CD changer. Ive not been sorry and not problems to date. The drive takes me back to my youth when I could hot rod around and I call this car my hot rod. For an old timer, I really love it.

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  Heavenly - 1992 Dodge Stealth
  By StealthTT - December 27 - 7:46 pm

  I bought my Pearl white 92 Stealth R/T TT from a Dodge fanatic. The price was to good to let it pass me up. With upkept maintience and a few "tasteful" mods, this car has smoked Corvettes and the like. This car is "godly". If your driving style is "easy going" and youre not going to race it or anything of the sort, Ive heard of of them going for 170,000 miles before anything to big needed repairs. But if youre like me and many others, about 8-90000 miles youll be needing some money for repairs, lots of money. But the Stealth R/T TT is worth every penny. Ive invested more time and money into this car than Ill admit. I have had no regrets. Best super car ever!

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  Love my Stratus. - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By W Earp - December 27 - 6:49 am

  I bought my Status off the line. Great car! Have had very little trouble in over 62k miles. Only had a tire rod break on front right tire. It was under warranty. And now my blower 1-3 is out. Not too bad for over 3 years of owership. Just bad at Christmas.

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  Family mans sprts car - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By lovemesomesrt8 - December 27 - 12:52 am

  When you need a car that can haul and haul your stuff this is it. A true sleeper. I stepped up from a SRT4 and never looked back. If only it had the 300C interior and a bigger rumble out the exhaust. You have to go with black as your color choice. It looks so mean in black. Uses a lot of gas but what 6.1L station wagon doesnt? Ride is smooth and seats are great for long trips. Easy to drive with a great turn radius. U-turns are a breeze. Stops on a dime and handles better than most cars on the road. If you can afford a SRT8 go for it.