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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  Excellent Fullsize Sedan - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By 3Moparz - October 27 - 2:02 pm

  I purchased this vehicle used one year ago and have put 19,000 miles on it since then. Absolutely no problems whatsover. Great handling on dry, wet, and snowy roads. Very good fuel economy (24MPG average communting in town). 3.5L motor is a true workhorse, with lots of power if you need it, but quiet cruising at 85MPH on the interstate. More room inside than the new Charger. I expect this car to give me at least 100,000 more miles without a problem.

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  Needs a little work - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By Sammie - October 26 - 7:44 pm

  I love this car. Very sporty but still a family car. The only problem is my car had only a little over 14,000 miles on it and the block cracked. Its something that is happening to a lot of them.

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  Statisfied Magnum Owner - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By mopar - October 26 - 6:08 pm

  Purchased Mag R/T used, second owner, with approx 19,000 miles. It runs great, currently has 24,000. So far no problems except for engine light. No steering, handling problems. No weird sounds. Very satisfied. Mileage could be better, but what do you expect, its a Hemi. Great pickup on interstates.

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  Love my Journey but - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Susan - October 25 - 3:56 am

  Bought my Journey over a month ago. Love the way it looks, love the way it drives. got it in green. Everything works good , except for that strange noise that occurs when turning left. Went to the dealership and was told they havent had any complaints about it. Not sure what it is but I sure hope my doesnt fall off. So far the gas mileage is good, but havent taken a long trip yet. Not really loving the plastic interior though.

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  An economy muscle car - 2007 Dodge Magnum
  By Patrick - October 21 - 10:29 pm

  This car is wild. It actually drives like a race car. It gives reasonable economy with tremendous power

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  Great truck - 2006 Dodge Dakota
  By ikestine - October 21 - 9:24 pm

  Traded in a Kia Rio for this wonderful truck. It has a very quiet ride and is very roomy. The interior is nice with some composite graphite on the dash and white tach with bold black letters. The lights glow blue on dash at night. The overall look of this truck is very nice. Dodge has one my family over.

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  2005 Dodge Neon SXT Sedan - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By IDG - October 21 - 5:43 pm

  I bought this late in 2006 after deciding that I needed a cheap, good fuel-economy small car to go to work with and take for occasional longer drives in the Northeast corridor. Ive been very satisfied with it so far. Its got strong brakes, is super-fun to drive, really stable on curves, and zips in and out of traffic like a dream. The kicker audio is just awesome and lets me keep the engine noise in check! Fuel economy is okay to good, but the tanks pretty small, about 12gallons. Id buy this car again if Dodge made some improvements and put this out on the market again, say, in 2008.

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  Excellent Utilitarian Vehicle - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By Ryan - October 20 - 1:42 pm

  We have taken the car on two long road trips already. I was worried about the small V6 in such a large car but the pep was sufficient for excellent highway driving. The car is smooth and the steering is sharp for such a large car. Although the small windows in the rear reduce visibility, the side mirrors are the first adequate mirrors Ive ever seen on a car making the car much more navigatable through city streets. Fuel economy is actually exceeding the mid-size sedan we traded in. The transmission is uncharacteristically smooth from my previous experiences with Dodge. Only one minor warrenty issue so far (switch knob).

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  Durango Love - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By BigMar - October 19 - 9:48 pm

  The 2005 Durango SLT is my third Durango in a row. It is awesome. I am 65" and love the head room in this vehicle. The Hemi lets me power my way through highways. I never feel like I need more power. I like its tough rugged looks while at the same time giving my family a comfortable and roomy interior for long trips. We took it to the Mall of America packed with 5 adults and one child in child seat and still had plenty of room for the shopping on the way home. One of the great things about this vehicle is the 90 degrees of range to the passanger doors. That is really useful. Not to mention the 4x4 capability. All kinds of storms and you are cozy inside! Thank you Durango!

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  Best SUV - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By DEPAULCREW - October 19 - 8:36 pm

  Most incredible ride I have ever had from an SUV. Rides like a Cadillac. Handles great. Hemi has plenty of power, and fuel mileage is what you should expect. In general we get 16.5 mpg. But just highway driving at 70 mph with cruise we get 21 mpg. Thats pretty darn good. Also, it tows our 8800 lb boat fine as far as power is concerned, but we had to add air bags inside the coil springs to get more weight to the front axle for better handling. Dodge should offer an airbag suspension leveling system like some other manufacturers. With 23,000 miles now we have had no problems and no complaints.