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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  Great car - 2004 Dodge Neon
  By wonderwoman9255 - May 28 - 10:00 am

  It has a lot of pep for a 4 cylinder. It has a roomy back seat. Front seats are comfortable and visibilty is great for a short person like me. I like the tilt wheel and automatic door locks. The air conditioning is very efficient and the service I receive from the dealership is excellent.

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  My 1996 Dodge Intrepid - 1996 Dodge Intrepid
  By FireBird - May 27 - 10:43 am

  I traded in my old Saturn for this car and only paid $100.00 for it. I have only had to replace the water pump one time at 181K, This car is a real nice build, about $35.00 will fill it up, and I drive it all year round. The A/C is nice and cold. I love this car!

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  An astouding vehicle for the money - 2005 Dodge Neon
  By Scotch - May 25 - 10:45 am

  Ive wanted this car since it was a concept, and I will say that the production car seems even better, if only because of the turbo. There are so many things to appreciate about this car: fantastic power curve, LSD, decent (but stiff-legged) suspension, the exhaust note, the excellent aftermarket support, even the mileage (27-29 mpg on average for me) has been very good for a car of this type. I have very few serious complaints about this car, except that I wish it were lighter and handled as well as my 96 Neon, but that car has Koni adjustable struts - unfair comparison. I could have ordered an 06 ACR, but I didnt feel it was worth a nearly $3K permium over my car paid $19,7XX for mine.

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  What an engine - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By Rx:MagnumQd - May 24 - 10:19 pm

  Wow! This is one incredibly fast car. It replaced my Magnum RT, already a fast car. This one simply flies. The whole car has been upgraded from the suspension to the transmission to the brakes. It feels like a complete package. Handles suprisingly well for a 4300lb car. Seats are terrific, way better that the stock RT seats. Driving the car is an exercise in right foot restraint. The barritone soundtrack that comes with a quick jab of the throttle is worth the price of admission alone. The thrust that comes with this right foot exercise is very impressive indeed. Remember, this car has more horsepower than any Corvette (except Z06) produced in the last 25 years. Overall, a blast to drive!

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  Long distance driving only - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By ArtNickel - May 22 - 5:09 pm

  This is the second Intrepid weve had and will buy another in the future unless Dodge comes up with a more comfortable, better driving car with better performance. We use the car for long distance trips (over 2 hours) because I have ankylosing spondylitis, a painful spinal and large joint arthritis. It has been driven in the Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee mountains and in Florida with equal ease and enjoyment.

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  Fun car - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By joan thompkins - May 22 - 8:30 am

  I love this car. It is easy to drive has excellent road handling. I spend about $30 every 2 weeks to fill it up and I drive about 700 miles a month. The bigger tires make it easy to drive in the rain and the brakes dont sqeak like the Neon I had before did. It has a great stereo system in it and the cooler in the glove box is the only thing I think is a gimmick. The cans or bottles have to be ice cold to put in there and in the winter it will not work because you have to have the A/C on to use it. I am really pleased with this car and would recommend anyone to buy one.

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  Classy Ride - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By Carolyn - May 21 - 4:06 am

  My Dodge Stratus is a very classy looking car. I like the body style and the way it handles. Im very happy with it.

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  Fun to Drive - even in the desert! - 1992 Dodge Stealth
  By Meghan - May 20 - 7:50 am

  I bought my RT used in Kuwait - where a good cooling system is imperative. Has proven to be excellent. The car is the only Stealth turbo in the country and still going strong after all these years. People dont know what it is! The dealership never brought the Stealth to Kuwait, so parts are a nightmare here.

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  Our New Dodge - 2005 Dodge Durango
  By pbssheltie - May 19 - 6:23 pm

  We owned a 2001 durango and just traded up. We love the new 2005 model. It has a smoother ride and much more luxury feel. We have the limited edition and I would recommend it highly.

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  Perfect so far - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By cometogene - May 17 - 9:23 am

  Bought it sight unseen for sticker price when they first came out. Never even drove one, but I figured how could I go wrong for the price. Man was I right. Smokes almost everything on the road for $20K! Best purchase I ever made.