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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  Everything a V8 SUV should be... - 2007 Dodge Durango
  By Denny - July 26 - 2:15 pm

  Let me start off with the obvious: Fuel Economy. I gave it a 9. Not because it is superb in fuel consumption compared to the average car on the road, but because it handedly beats everything in its class. The MDS which turns off 4 of the 8 cyclingder while cruising along really does save alot of $$. The 5.7L V8 is powerful 345 hp and efficient 24 MPG highway 14 City and 18 mixed driving. Thats darn good for this sort of vehicle in my opinion. It seats 7 comfortably and the long wheelbase is very comfortable at highway and around town speeds. Service costs are avg.

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  My favorite car ever! - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By eagle20000899 - July 25 - 9:54 am

  Hello. I bought this car to be my "family" car and I have been very happy with it. I have already been on some long trips and a lot of city driving and it just does everything for me. I have only had a few problems, but I plan on keeping it for a long time.

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  Love it hot - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By 2007 RT nitro - July 25 - 8:43 am

  Its six weeks old love every thing about this SUV. Take time to research the vehicle first after that i choose the RT model. It has power to spare the handling is great for suv the 20 inch wheels are gorgeous. The gas mileage is according to foot pressure,easy and average 21.5 little harder about 19.I have owned three chevys prior to the nitro it is equal all areas, this vehicle is not for every one.Suv,s are not sports cars or luxury cars. But this SUV has passed my requirements

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  This is not your family wagon - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By pfeiffer - July 24 - 11:41 am

  I purchased the Magnum with 1500 miles on the odo. It is loaded. Tarted the boring dash up a bit and put a K7N air intake on it. I have thoroughly enjoyed the car. It drives great accelerates like mad and sounds like and old school muscle car. Only two issues sent it to the shop: rear hatch struts failed and the sat/nav joystick went dead. Minor issues that were replaced under warranty. My dealer, New Century Dodge in Paola, KS, is the best. Only two complaints: The stock tires (Continentals) were terrible. lated 10,00 miles. Class Action suit pending. Sice Crysler tanked, my resale value took a dive. Im glad I dont want to sell it. Too bad they pulled the plug on this car. Its Classic.

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  reliable because of stick shift - 1994 Dodge Caravan
  By shimmy4 - July 24 - 8:56 am

  I still have one of the very rare stick-shift Caravans, discontinued in the mid-90s. So I never had the tranny problems most other owners had. Also, the paint peeling problem was fixed just prior to the 94 models, so, although theres some paint deterioration (hood and roof), no peeling after 180,000 miles. The 2.5 4cyl engine has been very reliable, the only problem being an ongoing (but not major) oil leak. A/C went out a few years ago, not worth fixing. Now trying to cope with fixing wheel bearings. They dont make the rear hubs anymore, so its uncertain how much longer this van will be on the road. Too bad they dont go back and do this configuration again. Stick-shift vans rock!

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  Great car for the firs 150k - 1991 Dodge Stealth
  By Rick - July 24 - 2:11 am

  Great car and super fun to drive. Perfect dimensions for a sports car - short and wide. Received looks everywhere! Sold it after eight years and it was losing compression and getting harder to smog in California without extensive engine work. Also had to replace first gear under warranty. Mitsubishi sold as a Dodge so it was fairly reliable. Wish Dodge would make another Stealth with new technology!

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  1998 dodge stratus - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By Bonnie - July 23 - 11:09 am

  I just bought this vehicle n love it bought it w/ some minor problems its leakin oil n has ben no easy task in discoverin where its leakin, wer tinkin its the sensor off the side of the motor since its all wet there n all the way down the motor! Also keeps eating batteries? its standard which is half the reason I bought it it is so fun 2 drive handles well n plenty of room in the back 4 my 2 children their car seats n toys! Hopefully after I get the minor repairs done it will last Im a lil worried since it has high mileage but it runs sound despite leakin a qrt of oil once a wk. Hopefully nothin Major needs replacin!

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  Never again will I buy a Dodge - 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By jleh - July 23 - 10:00 am

  At 5 years and 60,174 miles the van broke down. After two weeks and $2200 to repair the cam shaft, valves, head gasket, etc. I drove the van three more weeks before it broke down again with the exact same problem. It appears now that there is something wrong behind the engine block and it will require a new motor. I thought vehicles are suppose to last more than sixty thousand miles and five years. I will never buy another product from Dodge/Chrysler product.

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  90k and out for me, thanks. - 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By hokietxn - July 23 - 10:00 am

  Bought new 1997 Grand Caravan SE with 5-year, 100k service. Great ride, good mileage, modest power, seats easy to remove/install, huge cargo capacity. Changed oil every 3k and followed service schedule at dealers for the first five years. Headaches (all after warranty): A/C compressor and dryer died, front rotors replaced, still act "warped". (Dealer) Battery recently shorted and damaged the starter. Phantom wipers, console rattle, "heavy" sliding door. Planning to sell before I loose my first transmission.

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  Continuous Headache - 2002 Dodge Neon
  By Mags - July 23 - 6:59 am

  I have had multiple problems with this car ever since I bought it. A few months after I got it, we had heavy rains and I discovered it leaks around the tires, the belts squeal when they get wet (going through a puddle on the road), and it smelled (probably from previous owner). The CD player is temperamental, the automatic starter rarely works, and I have had multiple transmission problems. Had to completely replace it this past spring, and now the gears dont line up quite right. Not to mention the alloy wheel rims will dent on the slightest hole, and rims were impossible to find because of the size. Cute car. Fun to drive. Not worth the headache!