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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  What will go wrong next?? CAE - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By MixedBag - September 10 - 2:00 am

  My Intrepid has 145K miles and the engine has been very reliable. It rides like it has 40K miles. But I am counting the days until I can sell or finish the payments. List of Problems a.Driver seat bolt broke. (Thankfully, I was not driving.) b.All power windows have stopped working. (No more drive-thru meals.) c.Speed sensor has malfunctioned 3 times. (Once during rush hour in Atlanta) e.Power seat assembly is broken.(Costs $1K to replace... why throw good money after bad???) Learn from my mistake:If you buy an Intrepid (any model) get a very good price, with a dependable warranty.

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  SO FAR SO GOOD ! - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By keck - September 8 - 2:00 am

  This is my first NEON , not my first chrysler product. I bought it for the price ( I work for D/C ) employee discount and all that . so far so good . it has 9500 mi only a loose door check I fixed it myself witha 10mm socket. it is getting about 34 mpg now , it has gotten better it was 31 when i first checked .

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  I love It - 1998 Dodge Durango
  By Rebecca S - September 8 - 2:00 am

  My 1998 Durango has 95,000 miles on it and still purrs like a kitten. I live in a very rural and mountainous region. Gets me anywhere I want to go. I love all of the interior room. Great for traveling but not on a daily errand basis. Not good gas mileage. At 70,000 miles repaired a window motor, air conditioning hose and valve. Other than tires and regular maintenance. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who needs a powerful suv......

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  Great box on wheels. Great college car. - 1996 Dodge Neon
  By bartwart - September 7 - 2:00 am

  Weve owned our NEON since it was new in 1996. Im going to buck the trend here and actually tell you that this is the best, most reliable vehicle Ive ever owned. However, we got it with a manual transmission and NO options, period. No AC, no power anything, no radio, no nothing. This is your prototypical box on wheels. We even get 40 mpg! At this rate it will last us another 10 years.

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  Nats Stratus - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By NATALYEANNE - September 6 - 2:00 am

  I really enjoy my Stratus b/c it has a lot of get up and go. There is a slight delay when you are taking off but once you do...look out. The 6 disk cd changer in the dash with the oontrols behind the steering wheel is very convenient. I like it much better than having the controls in the front. It could stand to have a litte more leg room in the back though!

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  My Baby Stratus - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By bigbear69 - September 6 - 2:00 am

  I really like this car....Its very reliable over the last 1 1/2 years. Great power, great look, great performance!! There are only 2 drawbacks to this car.....really only one MAJOR gripe! The front rims become FILTHY.....after any kind of trip. The brake dust is just disgusting....I love to keep my car in PRISTINe shape, but the front rims are the only downfall.

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  Most Reliable Car I Ever Owned - 1991 Dodge Dynasty
  By DynaMan - September 4 - 2:00 am

  Why did they stop producing this car? I guess it was a mistake to make a car that just wont die, lol! I bought my 91 Dynasty in 98 with less than 39k. It is truly a low maintenance very dependable (3.3L) car. It is like a good friend that never lets you down! My paint was bad too but I got a new paint job and it looked like brand new! Keep your eye on it because thieves like it. Mine was stolen, (I got it back a week later)

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  Intrepids are underrated - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By Intrepid22102 - September 4 - 2:00 am

  I can see why Consumer Reports made the car a Best Buy, but I dont understand why they dont get more respect from consumers. Roomy, comfortable, handsome, and accelerates and handles surprisingy well for a large car. Climate control is nice and it has a Great stereo, too! Not a Bimmer, but they cost 40 percent less. Very good "bang for the buck!"

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  The rocket - 2003 Dodge Viper
  By ottobounds2 - September 3 - 2:00 am

  Most fun to drive ever. Pure acceleration and power. Typical sports car ride and very flat in the corners. A blast. Probably overpriced but at this level of performance, who wants to complain.

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  best cheap sedan available - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By nski - September 3 - 2:00 am

  Solid, well made, reliable and pretty fun to drive