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:

• 

  Took a gamble and... - 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By trafficfdr - October 12 - 2:56 am

  Bought a 12 DGC SXT certified used rental vehicle. I know that these are two sins in my book until I saw price gouging from the other manufacturers. I bought the van for $ 17 K less than the competitor new with less amenities. My van was a year old and had 20 K on the odometer. For insurance reasons I took advantage of Dodges Lifetime warranty, which does not expire for the entire ownership of the vehicle. Currently we have put 5K on the van and one road trip approx 900 miles, we Averaged 28.9 miles with the Econ button on. Sweet, I never got that in either the 10 Pilot or 11 Cr-v. Btw I was a Honda fanatic.

• 

  SO FAR SO GOOD - 2001 Dodge Durango
  By KRBE57 - October 12 - 2:00 am

  I BOUGHT MY DURANGO USED.LIKE THE BODY STYLE AS IT STANDS OUT FROM OTHER SUVS. 4.7 ENGINE HAS GOOD PULLING POWER AND IT GETS UP AND GOES WHEN I NEED IT TO. STIFF RIDE BUT I LIKE THAT AS IT IS A TRUCK AFTER ALL AND THAT IS WHY I BOUGHT IT. LOVE THE SOUND OF THE V-8.

• 

  Plesantly surprised - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Roozster - October 11 - 2:00 am

  I never thought Id own a dodge but after driving it at the dealership and the GREAT rebates they were offering it put the Explorer to shame between options and price!

• 

  Just bought it a month ago... - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By TKB - October 9 - 9:30 am

  We just bought used 2007 dodge caliber SXT and love it so far. The only thing is that we cant seem to find the drivers seat height adjustment. The car came without a owners manual. Currently my husbands head sticks out the sunroof somewhat.:) Can anyone help us to locate where it might be??

• 

  Beautiful Little Car - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By NelsonCD - October 9 - 2:00 am

  I just purchased a 2003 Neon SXT and am impressed with its overall looks and comfort, all at a great price. It rides smoothly, handles nicely, and has a nice sound system. Drawbacks might include small sideview mirrors, which limit visibility a bit, and it should be a little smoother when idling.

• 

  2008 Caravan - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By Craig McCloud - October 8 - 5:18 am

  I have a feeling some of these reviews are completely made up by people POd at the world. I have a 2008 Carvan. The issue Ive had is that the AC stopped working. When it was repaired it stopped working in less than a year. The other issue are the cheap plastic tracks that house the components that open and close the side sliders. This is a very poor design by Chrysler. The van ride very comfortably and I feel very safe in it. I does very well on snow covered roads. I dont buy the "it just stopped working" story.

• 

  Good car so far - 1995 Dodge Avenger
  By Justininflorida - October 8 - 2:00 am

  I have a 4cyl 5 speed avenger and have not heard the 4cyl having all the problems the V6 has. The car looks great inside and out and is very fun to drive. It could use more power, although the 4cyl with the 5 speed stick is a tick faster than the V6, which are all automatics. Overall I love the car although I wish a little more attention was paid to durability.

• 

  Love the Intrepid, hate the road noise - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By Hot Mom - October 8 - 2:00 am

  I just bought a 1999 intrepid I havent had any problems so far but It seems like it doesnt go over bumps as quietly as it should, when I ride in my best friends toyota solara then go back to my car its like Im on the mine ride at cedar point! if youre from ohio you know what Im talking about Well maybe thats a little harsh but I think dodge should improve the suspension then the car would be perfect. I love the way it looks, I have a silver one with the metalic paint job on it so it sparkles in the sunlight. Its one of the best looking affordable family cars out there, the interior needs some updating though. but overall I like the car.

• 

  OK so far - 1999 Dodge Durango
  By dterry - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Bought SLT 4wd new (99). Have basically had no trouble with it. Have 57000 miles and still on original tires, shocks and ball joints. Many others have had problems with these areas. Gas mileage 14-17 is about what I expected. But I have not off roaded it. Have towed boat. Have had a little problem with minor surging at hiway speeds. Basically I have enjoyed this truck. But lease is coming up and am wondering what I am going to do.....

• 

  my third minivan - 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By jackg - October 3 - 8:23 pm

  Ive been around the block with minivans over 15 years and wagons before that. This is the best one I have owned, and I really liked the previous G Caravan and the T & C before this. Decent driving, good comfort, good power (3.8 engine), and no problems at 29000 miles. Best mpg Ive had (25 hiway, 19-20 town), and I love the Stow and Go. I dont know what the "professional reviewers are looking for in a mini, but this has everything I look for. And it has more usable space than any other. Thats what led me to the Chrysler T&C in 94.