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 Car for gas savings - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Richard B. - July 9 - 5:22 pm

  I love the exterior look and the car handles well. Im a little disappointed with the amount of recalls (3) so far and the radiator sprung a leak at the seam for no apperant reason. Luckly it was still under warranttee. The only other thing that concerns me is the erratic transmition shifting when the engine is cold. The ride is comfortable and I get comments on the sleek exterior. Pick up is good, and it gets good gas mileage. Not the car to work on in your back yard though, the battery is located under the left wheel well cover and nothing looks easy to work on under the hood,...water pump, alternater, A/C. etc. are all buried. I will probobly pay it off and sell it, three years from now.

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  Very good van - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By idnpeg - July 9 - 10:00 am

  2002 Grand Caravan Sport. Purchased in Nov 2001, now with 8000+ miles. No problems! Great ride, quiet, smooth, plenty of room. I will admit I feel more secure with the 7/100 warranty they threw in for free. I would have liked to purchase the Honda Odyssey, but I feel very good about the $$$$ I saved. The customer service I got at purchase time was fabulous, and that sealed the deal for me; I worked with the fleet manager. My next door neighbor bought one; and another family friend too. I have heard a rattle or two; under the dash driver side, and back near the rear bench seat; they come and go. But hey, I did not buy a $40,000 luxury car.

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  Wow, Its a Great Car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By rainville - July 9 - 3:56 am

  We bought our Caliber in April 2006 and we love it! It gets great gas mileage. I listed what we averaged for one month and it was driven a lot in city miles, and we got great mileage! We also love the way it looks and drives! The inside is also sharp! The color we bought is the sunburst orange and it is sharp! We also liked the red! It is just a great all the way around< we did own a dodge ram 1500 quad cab and I thought we may not like the caliber because of the size but it has a lot of room and gets great gas mileage. That was the reason we were looking to trade because of gas prices and went on the Dodge web site and seen the Caliber and liked what we saw!

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  Very good vehicle - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By CassM - July 8 - 9:19 pm

  Very few problems at 39,000 miles. All minor. Great ride. Cant complain, after 3.5 years. I expected much worse, from reading expert reviews before I bought the vehicle.

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  Poor vision Trunk leaks - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Greg - July 8 - 10:12 am

  Have had my Avenger for 18 months and really like the car but for two issues. The vision is terrible, rear and side vision is hazardous, especially on busy highways and around town. The RT head rests blocks any hope of seeing what is just behind you or beside you. Also every time you lift the trunk lid when it is raining all the water pours into the trunk, no it is not just an alignment issue some one get this design wrong. I have contacted Dodge and they have no excuse.

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  Should have bought a jeep - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By shadow - July 4 - 11:15 am

  When I first purchased the car I thought it was wonderful. But now I cant wait to trade it off. There have been numerous recalls, and now the electronic Throttle control is having issues. The front seats are very uncomfortable, I cannot imagine a larger person sitting in them, the blind spots...No you do not get use to them. There are some good points, smooth to drive and roomy and does have pick up and go. Interior is plastic, hard to clean and difficult to get things that have dropped between the seats. A new vehicle will be in my future very soon.

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  Do.Not.Buy.This.Car - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Jessica - July 3 - 10:38 pm

  Listen to all of these reviewers when they say that the 2.7 engine will die on you. Because it will! Mine just happened to chose 5 months after I bought it. And replacing the engine was not an option because they are so hard to find and the fix will cost more then what the car is worth. Do yourself a favor. Stay away from this car!!

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  Our neon named "Dimples" - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By koneill - July 3 - 8:30 pm

  Bought it new back in 2005 and now in 2009 it has 115,000 miles and have had no problems so far (knock on wood). Take yearly trips cross country with the kids and get good gas mileage. The only complaint is all the dents from wildlife running into it, polls jumping in front of it and carts that are attracted to it. I am waiting for everything to start falling apart on it Dimples, but so far, I have love this car and am attached to it.

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  Close to Perfect - 2009 Dodge Challenger
  By BootCamp - July 3 - 1:55 pm

  Saw the Concept car in late 2006. Hadnt bought a new car since 1986 - nothing worth getting excited about - until I saw the Challenger. Ordered my SRT in March, got it in November. It was worth the wait. 6 speed is tight, limited slip 3.92 gearing is great. 425 HP from 370 cu in is better than the original 426 cu to hp ratio. Handles like a car half its weight. The styling is amazing. The Pacifica Studio folks did a great job! Hit the retro look nail on the head in every way! Cant go anywhere without someone wanting to chat about the car - and look under the hood. Huge trunk and back seats - compared to Mustang and Camaro. The car has been flawless under all conditions. AMAZING RIDE!

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  Great Salespersons Vehicle - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Randy - July 3 - 6:26 am

  I live in my car. I love all the cubbyholes. I store my brochures & samples in the in-floor storage compartments. It keeps items safe & dry. There is plenty of room to take customers out to lunch. I have almost 14,000 miles on my Journey, and it has given me nothing but pleasure. My company pays for my gas so I am not always easy on the peddle. Surprising I have been averaging almost 22 MPG since the day I bought it. The only maintenance has been 2 oil changes and a tire rotation. I like the new automatic oil change indicator. It actually monitors my driving habits and the environment I drive in. My first oil change was at 5,111 miles and my 2nd at 11,008 miles. GREAT CAR!!