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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  Good truck but cheap interior - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By Heather Jane - August 2 - 6:56 pm

  My husband LOVES Durangos, this is our 2nd one. We have 2 kids so traveling is nice, especially the DVD system, heated seats, cd changer, etc. We use it to tow a trailer sometimes too. One thing that irritates me as well as other customers is the poor cheap plastic design in the front for the driver and passenger. My sides have cracked and even broke/holes.This should NOT be happening and I firmly believe if enough of us get together and complain, maybe they will fix it. Its a long shot but, a very high cost for an SUV if its just going to crack.

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  Great Truck! - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By Silver - August 2 - 4:24 pm

  I have the Quad Cab 4x4 4.7 v8. It is the best truck I have ever had, I have had no problems, and I can tow anything anywhere, and fit my whole family in it comfortably! It is a wonderful truck, and I would recommend everyone to own one.

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  Happy with the truck - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By Laramie1 - August 2 - 3:27 pm

  After seeing some negative words, I had to jump on and defend this little truck. Im not too demanding on the vehicle, but effortlessly pull my boat with it. Have found this truck to be responsive, easy to maneuver and reliable! Only problem ever encountered is vapor lock with a precocious locking gas cap, it makes the check engine light come on every once in a while after a fill up. Have had since new and am a very pleased owner.

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  The car of my youth is back! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By spoonerock - August 2 - 4:56 am

  This is the car I have been waiting for almost 25 years. My 1st car was the original 1966 model (with the 381 engine). Later, I also owned a 1972. Neither car had the famous Hemi engine (most in fact did not). The Charger was always the car with attitude! A car that each owner could personalize to fit their taste. The 2006 model will do the same. Off the showroom floor it is a "head turner", and a great car to drive. The Charger has evolved as did those of us who drove our "muscle cars" in the 70s. Now we can have our family car and relive our youth at the same time. Its great to able to have your cake & eat it too!

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  A Journey SE great value for the money! - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Vince &Sara - August 2 - 4:26 am

  We purchased a Journey SE Plus 2.4 L (I believe model specific to Canada) we paid $22,973 for it. We feel a great amount of vehicle for the money. Its safe, roomy, quiet, decent build quality as well as fit and finish. The 2.4 is a little noisy upon acceleration and its not the fastest vehicle upon take off, BUT its definitely something we can live with. We drove it around 80 miles the first night we got it home (2 days ago=). We didnt want to get out of it. We find the seats to be supportive, with a great upright seating position,lots of leg and headroom both for front and rear passengers, ease of entry/exit, we like actually LIKE the basic uncomplicated instrumentation.

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  SWEET!!! - 2008 Dodge Durango
  By Melimel - August 2 - 3:35 am

  I accompanied my mom to the local dodge dealer to help her pick out her van and saw a Durango staring back at me! Needless to say Im now the proud owner of SUV on Roids! Its easy to drive, handles like a dream, and looks awesome. I love the 3rd row seats - my 13 year old who is 57" fits comfortably and the ability to lay all back seats flat. My Durango in my opinion gets great gas mileage (17 mpg in town)... which is way better than my old Hyundai Santa Fe! I also have the flex fuel option, however the engine tends to sag a bit but the savings are appreciated! I love this car and have recommended it to everyone that asks!!!

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  Love my car - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By BDR - August 1 - 11:05 pm

  Just bought the SXT and love it. Plenty of power, great handling, and fun features make it a joy to drive. Beautiful finish and design. Quality great. This is my first smaller car, and very impressed.

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  Love my 05 Hemi Limited - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By airbearma - August 1 - 10:36 pm

  Bought an 05 Limited with Hemi, GPS, Moonroof, Sirius, U-Connect, traction control, bun warmers, skid plate, mopar tubular stepups, and towing. I absolutely love it so far. Getting 16+ mpg so far. This is the quietest, smoothest, most comfortable SUV Ive ever owned. The serious grunt of the Hemi is like the cherry on the top of everything.

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  2009 Challenger R/T - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By tuco21 - August 1 - 7:17 pm

  I bought an 09 R/T Challenger in February. The ignition module failed after 4500 miles. The car sat at the dealership for almost 2 weeks while they kept telling me that they could not find the parts. Finally they fixed it. When I got it back, it was scratched and the interior was filthy (of course this was the dealerships fault that I took to). Also on 4 occasions prior to the ignition failing, the vehicle was hard to start - it acted like the battery was low. The cruise control resume did not work smoothly (you could hit the resume button at about 60 mph and it would jerk its way back to 70). Anyway I traded it for a new GT Mustang last week. Too many heartaches.

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  Cushy Riding Sleek Best Deal - 2009 Dodge Caliber
  By jonwest - August 1 - 6:40 pm

  I selected the Caliber SXT a/t w/2.0 CVT. I drove 4 models over two months. The total rebates motivated me to buy, plus my shiny Red Caliber was a minimum of 20% less compared to competitors models which would have fit my wants and needs. It has plenty of power for my mountainous terrain. Its quick enough to pass others safely on two lane roads. At 25 to 45 it provides a comfortable stress free ride. Its smooth, even "cushy." Same applies when driving at 70 mph on busy interstate highways. It fits a lot of gear: boxes, cases, stuff, amps, guitars, keyboards, drums, even an upright bass! My wife also likes driving it.