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:

• 

  2012 SXT BLACKTOP PKG - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By blacktop1 - March 9 - 1:18 am

  Let me tell you first off that the look of this car really got me. I love the aggressive look of the car. The blacktop package adds 20" black rims, a blacked out front grill, an upgraded sound system (alpine speakers on mines), paddle shifters and a sport tuned suspension. This makes the car really stand out from the rest of the chargers on the road w/o having to do anything but spend the extra $1495. The interior is just beautiful. Large comfortable leather seats and all the bells and whistles you can think of and more. I mean really...cooled/heated cup holders??? The uconnect screen with navi and backup cam are almost too distracting

• 

  2011 Dodge Durango with bad steering - 2011 Dodge Durango
  By jimbo179 - March 5 - 8:53 pm

  Bought a 2011 Durango Express AWD. From the day we got it, the steering was loose and pulled to the left. Brought it to the dealer we bought it from, they said it was fine. Brought it to another Dodge dealer that said the car may have been used for parts to fix another vehicle and the parts werent replaced correctly. They said the alignment was off by 5 degrees. Now the car still has loose steering and now pulls to the right. When going over small bumps, the steering wheel will actually jerk to the right. Three times at the second dealer, they say thats how the car drives. They rotated the tires, double-checked the alignment, balanced the tires was fine. Still have the same problem.

• 

  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By safedrivertoo - March 2 - 10:35 am

  I was worried. I usually only own a Toyota or a Honda, but this car has been better than any Ive owned. I bought the 07 in 09 with 37K, and now have 103K, and Ive had almost nothing to fix. Just took it in for a tuneup because I hear some kind of rattling on a cold start-up, but they dont see any problems. This car is wonderful, and I live in Buffalo, which means a lot when you own a car.

• 

  Hidden Gem - 2008 Dodge Caliber
  By blackwell2012 - February 28 - 11:10 pm

  I bought my Cali SXT with a 2.0 liter engine new in 2008. I read about pepole dogging the model, but let me tell you it handles great. Im a professional driver, and can attest to the cars nimble performance characteristics. I can routinely weave through 70 or 80 cars on a 23 mile early morning busy traffic run. The car is good off the line and mantains manuverability and tractionality at the 70 to 72 mile an hour range. Thats about as fast as anyone goes in traffic or highway crusing anyhow. The cabin is comfortable, the Sirius satellite radio sounds nice on the speakers, and you always feel in command.The doors make a nice thump sound when you close them. Well made for the money paid.

• 

  Different in a good way - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By bigsky_klx - February 27 - 11:57 am

  I wanted something stylish and good on gas to replace my Tahoe. Couldnt be happier with my decision. The car stands out from anything around it, love the bold looks. It does not look like everything else on the road. V6 is the best of both worlds, good mileage and good power. Putting gas in the Hemi would get old quick. The interior is fantastic, nice and comfy, with a lot of standard options. Does not feel like you are in a base model car. Visibility is great and there is tons of room, does not feel cramped. First Dodge I have ever owned and so far I am impressed.

• 

  A great truck for the right person. - 2010 Dodge Nitro
  By 313speed - February 15 - 10:19 am

  This isnt a truck for everyone. I bought it because it fit several key needs. First off, the size was exactly what I wanted. I had some of the SUVs Edmunds compared this one to and found them to be too small. I didnt want larger than this. It had the best sticker price of anything at this size, and it could tow the most, which I needed in order to bring my Mustang to the track. The other reason I wanted it was the fact it was so bare bones... I knew that I could modify it the way I wanted. Its a Jeep in better clothing. I take the Nitro out to the Arizona trails here and see tons of Jeeps, but Ive never once seen a lifted Nitro like mine out there.

• 

  If you can only have one vehicle, this is it - 2007 Dodge Caravan
  By paparx - February 14 - 10:37 am

  Caravans and Town & Country, is the same vehicle with minor trim changes. Chrysler has always shined with these vans. Durable mechanics, cheap maintenance and long mileage are very common. Size, comfort and road holding are wonderful as are fit and finish. If you want wood and leather in a minivan fine, but these are family tools that hauls in comfort safety and reliability. With minor tire shock and performance chip upgrades these little vans fairly sail around town. Our short version is in my mind the best. Fitting in small spaces, more sporty handling but giving up little in capacity. If its been fairly well maintained it is hard to go wrong with these vans.

• 

  One more thing to go wrong? - 2011 Dodge Challenger
  By mrchrismeyers - February 10 - 8:11 pm

  I do have to start this out by saying, I LOVE my car!! Pure white V8, super classic looking!! From when I drove from Michigan to Ohio to pick the car up this has been by far the WORST relationship I have ever had with a company. And I mean you Chrysler!! From the dealer I picked the car up at to this very day with customer service on the phone. Listed issues: Electrical: steering, dash, headlights, blower system, windows, locks Body: Doors, hinges, molding, paint, trim, R/T badge, front bumper ass. Mechanical: trans, steering, exhaust

• 

  mpg sucks, not what they tell you - 2012 Dodge Journey
  By hare8221 - February 2 - 12:10 pm

  ya,i have one with 1600 miles on it and the mpg i get is 12.2 on the freeway and 11.6 in the city. its back at the dealeship for the second time. i got better mpg with my 2004 yukon v8 with 120000 miles on it, when i traded it in for the journey i was getting 11 in the city and 17 on the freeway, i thought i was coming out ahead but not. 2012 journey 3.6 fwd

• 

  Dakota sxt v6 regular cab - 2002 Dodge Dakota
  By mainer351 - February 1 - 11:05 am

  Best and most reliable truck ever owned. When I first got it, needed a computer and some maintenance after that it runs like a champ and it does what I ask it to do and never lets me down. The 3.9 v6 magnum starts right up in sub zero temps in the middle of brutal Maine winters and runs strong. The truck gets up and goes with the 3.92 rear , while its missing top end power. The 4wd in the truck is awesome with good clearance and it out classes any fords, chevys, and toyotas offroad. Take this truck to rugged Maine north country offroad through mud holes , rivers and mountains every summer to go camping and its never giving me a problem. Very good looking truck and fun to drive.