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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  Move over Toyota, Dodge Dakota is back.. - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By david autry - November 19 - 6:36 pm

  Traded in a 96 Dakota with 189,000 miles. Dodge has been good to me, no trouble with ownership. 2005 Dakota is comfortably roomy and has power to move. Mileage on highway is 22.5. Love the design on the inside. It is bigger than the Tacoma. Love the satellite radio. 5 star crash test rating.

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  Hard Worker - 1993 Dodge Dakota
  By donny - November 17 - 9:49 pm

  i traded my 1990 3500 service truck for this 1993 Dodge Dakota and it is one of the best trucks Ive driven. It handles great, but needs some work like a new fuil pump. Ive pulled over 25,000lbs with it and it worked it but it wont stop running. I love it

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  My Favorite Car - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Kerry - November 16 - 7:20 pm

  Owned many new and used cars in 35 years of driving. This car has been my favorite. Bought with 9,000 miles on it and now has 203,000. Roomy and reliable with good road manners. Needed a large car for entertaining customers and this fits the bill. Long legged passengers enjoy the roomy back seat. At 62", I never had to move my seat forward to accomodate rear seat passengers. No major work done, but she is showing her age. No rust in 6 yrs of Maine driving. Always serviced at recommended intervals. I have more than gotten my moneys worth from this car. I love this car.

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  Nitro 06 - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By Craig Phillips - November 16 - 7:20 pm

  Good handling for an SUV. Very comfortable drive. Better than average gas mileage for its class. High value for the price.

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  Awesome car Dad! - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By javaguyinaz - November 16 - 3:05 pm

  I have only had it 4 weeks, and I love the car. I have been approached twice asking about the car. I bought the car used, saved myself $4K. I will not miss my Surburban. My 8 yr old will only go with Dad, forget about the minivan.

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  Family Wagon - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Mike - November 15 - 10:22 pm

  This is a car that I believe succesfully fulfills the niche inbetween a minivan, family wagon, and a performance sedan. Since I first saw and read about the Magnum I really liked it. After driving it, I loved it. The car is manueverable in the city and is a great freeway flyer that cruises at 85 MPH all day while getting 24-25 MPG with a 340 HP Hemi. Outstanding!

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  Very Satisfied - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By My First Dodge - November 15 - 10:20 pm

  Overall, I am very happy with this car. I considered the Mazda 3, Scion xB, and Toyota Matrix, but I liked the exterior styling and features of this car best. Good gas mileage 28/32 (but with air cond turned on it is more like 22/28). Good leg room front and rear. Fold flat rear and passenger seats are nice. Beverage cooler, MP3 port, and flip down hatchback speakers are fun features. Large wheels give good grip. This car turns on a dime. Great for U-turns. Drivers seat can be raised. Lots of interior storage in 2 glove boxes, plus arm rest. The seats are very comfortable, good back support. Easy to clean fabrics and cargo area.

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  Good, reliable, and versatile minivan. - 2000 Dodge Caravan
  By CarolinaBoy - November 15 - 10:47 am

  This is my first minivan and it has exceeded my expectations. It has required less repairs and attention than almost any car I have owned. Unfortunately, my A/C went out at the end of the summer and will cost $1500 to repair. That has been the only problem I have had so far. Overall, I am very satisfied with my Caravan and would definitely consider purchasing another one in the future.

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  Magnum - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Alexander14 - November 15 - 10:00 am

  Incredible handling and all around great car

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  Great Investment - 2004 Dodge Durango
  By hoggness285 - November 15 - 10:00 am

  So far the durango has been an excellent buy. It was bigger than anything we looked at, and we received $5000 in rebates. The 4.7 is plenty of engine and the ride is smooth and quiet.