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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  Looking forward to my next Neon - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By LadyLuck - December 17 - 2:00 am

  At 7,000 miles, I took my Neon in because I was leaving a puddle of coolant wherever I went. There was also a knocking in the steering column which was explained to me as some sort of rusted out pin that holds the steering column in place. Since then, wonderful smooth sailing. I hear everyone on the engine noise thing, I test drove a Civic, a Cavalier, and a Golf before buying this Neon new. The Neon was the loudest of them in my opinion, but the dealership gave me the best offer for my trade-in, by several thousand-and they were much friendlier about answering my questions.

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  Nice lookin truck - 2003 Dodge Dakota
  By threeer - December 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought after Toyota dealership got stupid dealing for a Tacoma. Love the rugged look of the quad. While the interior isnt 100% as nice as others, its still a comfortable place to do business. Like the wide-open rear doors! CD player didnt work upon arrival, but was taken care of under warranty.

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  Hidden Gem - 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Jeff S. - December 15 - 12:10 pm

  I was looking at Ford TransConnect and decided to give Dodge a look-see. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised by this vehicle. I instantly loved the Stow-n- Go seats. This allows me to quickly turn minivan into a cargo van. Front seats are surprisingly comfortable. The only knack I found was the location of front power window buttons. I keep hitting the back one, even now (just move them all back by 1 inch or so). Gas economy is average. You really get your moneys worth on highway. In the city, I average slightly below 16mpg. After driving the van for 5k miles, the only problem was the squeaking sound rear windshield arm was making but that was fixed quickly.

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  R/T sweetness - 2002 Dodge Durango
  By dani rotcorp - December 14 - 2:00 am

  I love the power. We have traveled between Utah and Indiana 3 times with a 3 year old and it has plenty of room for all the toys with the rear seat laid flat. I have installed a K&N cone filter to improve air flow and the difference is AWESOME. We recently put Toyo Proxy S/T tires on for all season performance. What a difference, it handles so much better now.

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  Good solid car - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By ReyReyRep - December 11 - 2:00 am

  Vehicle has been dependable and looks nice. I have driven it in a sales territory. I drive a great deal. Good car.

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  1994 Dodge Spirit - 1994 Dodge Spirit
  By Gahool - December 9 - 2:00 am

  Smll wheelbase yet roomy interior with plenty of trunk room.

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  Good wagon - 1999 Dodge Caravan
  By Black Pete - December 9 - 2:00 am

  This is a 1999 2.4 litre 4 cyl minivan. Had 67000 on clock when we bought it. In 2 years it has never let us down. Apart from regular routine maintenance we have replaced the brakes (inc new front rotors) and the shocks and struts. Good to drive on the highway with excellent gas mileage. You feel the lack of power only with 4 or more people in the car. Now has 87000 on clock and still going strong. A very good general ppurpose runabout.

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  Nice van - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Ed - December 8 - 9:26 am

  This is my 4th Dodge minivan, we love it. The new front styling is why I bought it. Just got back from Washington St. over 1,600 mi. one way with no problems. We hit a 60 mi head wind and mileage drop to 20 mpg. The rest of the trip we made 30 mpg. couldnt be happier. 3400 mi on less than $280.00 in gas. Only thing I didnt like is it always shifting down going up the mountains ranges,and little hills. lack of power unless it shifted down and than the motor sound like it was going to blow up. My wife, daughter, and 2 grands kids made the trip and we had plenty of room thanks to the stow and go.

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  Its an OK car - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By Rob - December 6 - 10:48 am

  I had the car two years and it was a OK car for what i gave for it. It sits low so its a bit odd to get in and out of. I have a thermostat housing crack (made of plastic) and it was under and back side of the engine so it was very hard to change out. Then the timing chain went out and they replaced two of them but they had to pull the cam shaft pulleys to get to it ($1,300). so if you have to work on it it sucks. It was quick and great gas mileage. Bottom line is dont pay a lot for the car. someone hit me and i got more for the car than i payed so it worked out for me.

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  02 Stratus SE V6 - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By moparenthusiast - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Bought my Stratus SE V6 in Jan. of this year with 18,--- miles on it. Performance is definately more then most people expect it to be, so its fun getting on the gas. After about a month of owning the car, my interior brake light kept comming on and my brakes made a moaning noise. Took it to the dealership and they said "nothing was wrong". Recently took it back to the dealership and they determined that my rotors needed to be replaced. Also, now my transmission leaks. I still have about 6,000 miles left on my warranty so Im sure the Dodge dealership will tell me my transmission doesnt leak for another 6,001 miles. Wont buy another used dodge.