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:

• 

  Loving it - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Jennifer - May 17 - 12:40 am

  I got my car an year ago and I love it so much. I only had one problem with it. Thats when my tranmission went out in it. But I didnt have to pay an cent to get it fixed. Its so much fun to drive and anyone who rides with me loves it as much as me.

• 

  Great car for the money! - 2006 Dodge Stratus
  By nightram - May 16 - 3:57 pm

  I have owned this car for about a month now, and it is great! I have really no complaints about it. I have had many cars in my day, but this one take the cake so far. It is a smooth ride, handles nice, and lloks good. Even the SXT looks sporty, and it is very nicely equipped for the money you pay. The only gripe I have is the weird shift it has every once in a while, but no car is ever perfect.

• 

  Love it - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By sxtawdguy - May 15 - 10:14 pm

  Very comfortable and smooth ride. A good compromise between German technology and American way of building comfortable cars. Can’t wait to try it in snow and ice.

• 

  A terrific car that endured a hard life - 1995 Dodge Neon
  By Dave - May 15 - 12:32 pm

  This was one of the most fun, well-balanced cars out there if you got a stick-shift. The automatic turned it into an econobox, but with the stick, it was a really well-balanced car for fun driving. Great mileage, an interior about the size of a Camry, and total reliability even though we had it running mainly on NYC and Jersey City streets really impressed us.

• 

  RT traded for SRT-8 - 2006 Dodge Magnum
  By MassMagnum - May 15 - 5:41 am

  I bought my RT almost 2 years ago. I saw it, drove it, and had to have it. I have loved everything about it. Everyday driveing it has been perfect. As for hauling, I put 8 6ft banquet tables and 20 folding chairs in the back. (Yes, in one load) Only down side is snow performance but you cant have everything. She has great style, comfort, usefullness, power, breaking,cornering and reliablity.

• 

  FINALLY!!! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By CC - May 14 - 12:33 pm

  I test drove the RT and the SXT and decided to go with the Special Edition SXT that offered what I was looking for....being a "Grandma". I didnt think collecting speeding tickets with the Hemi would set a good example. I picked it up and drove all day...what FUN..all the comments about people looking and pointing and asking questions are TRUE!!!! I had read and read all the reviews for the past 3 mos.and really wondered if it wasnt just being overrated by everyone..After going 2 miles on the test drive, I was a believer..As the saying goes....Try it, you just might like it! Quiet, QUICK, Sturdy, beautiful...I could go on and on but you need to see for yourself.

• 

  Perfect $20K Road Racer - 2003 Dodge Neon
  By CHARGED UP!! - May 14 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this Rocket Car for nearly a month, and I still CANT BELIEVE how good a job Dodges designers did on this one! They have created the PERFECT SPORTS VEHICLE. It accelerates like a Rocket Car, corners like it was welded to the Switchback Road, rides like a Class Sports Car, brakes like an Indy Car! The Perfect Sports Car, plus it is a decent four door sedan with a large trunk and good fuel economy. It has great style inside and out, and the quality of materials and of build are unmatched by any car near this price. Its Look, Sound and Performance attract the attention of every citizen in the area.

• 

  great family mover - 1996 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By greyporsche944 - May 14 - 2:00 am

  this is our 2nd mini van. 1st one was a 94 grand. anouther great van. this one is tops unless you plan on going with the 2002 or newer. has everything you need and then some. great ride and very comfy. we have the quad seating. much better than the bench, especially with adults in the middle row. ours has been very reliable. the only thing other than routine maintanance was a pully bolt broke. other than that great van

• 

  Head Turner - 2007 Dodge Caliber
  By Weezy - May 13 - 1:56 pm

  I really enjoy the look of the car. I bought the R/T instead of getting the Compass. Sirius radio for 12 months is also a great deal. When in auto it tends to lose HP but when you flip the autostick on you feel an extra boost. Lots of storage places and the AUX input jack comes in handy with my I-Pod. I seem to be the only person around with an R/T and it attracts a lot of attention for only being a $23,000 car. Really fun to drive.

• 

  Sweet - 2002 Dodge Viper
  By Yessssss - May 13 - 8:01 am

  Bought it for the looks but I came to appreciate the build quality & reliability. Everyone, young & old, takes a 2nd look at this car. I smile every time I look at it, too. I love this car and look forward to driving it every time.