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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  Fantastic!! - 2005 Dodge Magnum
  By Jennifer - April 19 - 10:43 am

  Just love..... love this car. The styling is superb!! People keep asking what kind of vehicle it is. Its a great vehicle, lots of leg room, and space for everything. Only problem is, its so beautiful, I keep finding hand marks on it from people trying to look into the car, and people will insist on parking so close. If your are looking for a wagon, look no further, this car is cool!! Great value for money.

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  Runs like a champ! - 1991 Dodge Dakota
  By tice75 - April 18 - 5:24 pm

  I am the second owner of this vehicle, but it has been in the family since new. The truck was lightly driven for the first 13 years, and then Ive put on more regular miles (approx. 15k a year) since 2004. This truck is a rock and maintenance wise fairly inexpensive to own. The major work Ive had done on it since Ive owned it is a new drive shaft, new transfer case, and a new power control module.

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  dont buy it - 2007 Dodge Nitro
  By k. mchenry - April 18 - 11:56 am

  I have had nothing but problems - rattling - power windows not working taillights go out now I have a noise when I tap my brakes the noise continues even if i am not applying brake my jeep had this same problem - interior is plastic - I have noticed transmission when shifting is problematic -

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  In Love with a SUV!! - 2008 Dodge Nitro
  By samijay - April 17 - 4:20 pm

  So Ive had this for about 2 weeks and am in love with it. I love the design and about everything in it as well. Anyways I dont have to worry about the small car hazards anymore. The roll-over factor of this suv is high and the gas mileage isnt great but those are the only two things I can find I dont like about it!

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  A good value & a solid vehicle - 2006 Dodge Durango
  By usnavoff - April 17 - 9:02 am

  I have owned SUVs from GM, Ford and Hyundai, both new and used. This is my second used Durango- the other is a 2007 which I just sold to my daughter & son-in-law. For performance, ride quality & comfort, safety features and purchase value, I feel the Durango is unsurpassed. I recommend purchasing a Certified Used Vehicle- peace of mind for a few more dollars, especially if you intend to keep the vehicle for at least several years.

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  Grand Caravan SXT - 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By noname3251 - April 17 - 2:00 am

  Great dealer experience and love the standard features on the SXT. It has exerything you want more or less stock so finding the perfect car for you is a snap. With the end of year deals we got ours for thousands less than a comparably equipped but very ugly Odysey EX.

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  Fun - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By j wills - April 16 - 9:06 pm

  A pleasure to drive. The only complaint is they dont have a stick shift for the R/T. Have been very satisfied thus far with the Charger. Just remember to use the cruise control.

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  Not bad at all!!! - 2015 Dodge Charger
  By R - April 16 - 4:18 pm

  The 2015 Dodge Charger is a dirty dog. If you want power, shes got it! Comfort, shes got it! Gas efficiency, oh yeah, shes got it!!! Just , a tad,above my budget. Im almost certain, my next vehicle will be one.

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  still running - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By Still going - April 16 - 6:40 am

  I bought this used in 2004. It had 66,000 miles when I got it. At 126,677 miles I replaced the radiator, water pump and the starter only. Outside of new tires, brakes and an alignment I have had no Major issues with this vehicle. Gas mileage isnt the greatest, but it is still running the same. I am in the navy and move around a lot and this vehicle has been overseas and on several long distance trips. Most dodges seem to go down around 80,000 miles, this one has gotten better and better with age. Everyone complains about dodges having a million issues. No car is perfect, sometimes they come the plant with problems and at times quality control is the issues. Preventative maintainance is the key

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  shudder city - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Matt - April 15 - 11:16 pm

  Transmission weak point on the vehicle. variable line pressure and modulated converter clutch not a good combination. car shudders during cruise has new updated converter and flash. still shudders. Check engine light on again. Fuel economy is pretty good and 4 wheel disc brakes work well. 2.7 Engine would be better with a manual transmission