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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  1991 Silver Dakota - 1991 Dodge Dakota
  By mhall02 - August 15 - 2:00 am

  I have had the vehicle 5 months now, 5- speed very nice, overall seems reliable. No rust, a plus for a 12 year old vehicle in the St. Louis area.

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  Id buy another - 2000 Dodge Neon
  By cts4ba - August 15 - 2:00 am

  This is our second Neon and, for the price, its worth the investment. You get a lot of car for the money when compared to what Honda, Toyota and Nissan has to offer. The incentives and rebates make Neon the top choice in my book. Ive found that dealing with a 5- Star dealer is a definate plus.

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  Good 4 the money - 1999 Dodge Stratus
  By MikeI - August 13 - 2:00 am

  its my first car and of course I will always love it, but it had its flaws: replaced brake tubes that go into calipers, replaced transmission sensor and recently replaced brake disks and calipers. Other than that, I like everything, especially when I paid 15300 for it brand new! Its also very solid car! For this price I recommend it anytime.

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  WHAT A GREAT SUV!!!!! - 2000 Dodge Durango
  By powenby - August 13 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE MY DODGE!!! I have had my Dodge for about a year. It has the 5.9L/360 engine which causes mileage to not be too good, especially when you are in town and not on the highway. The ride is comfortable and the handling is AWESOME! I have had NO problems with my Dodge. I would buy a new one in a heartbeat!!

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  looks cool....needs improvement - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Intrepid mama - August 12 - 2:00 am

  Have had many problems with my Intrepid, including replacing all factory seals around doors at <10000 miles, the ENTIRE rack & pinion steering system and another component I cant remember replaced at ~30000 (thank goodness for warranties!!) Then a pesky burning oil smell that turned out to be a blown rear seal near the cam shaft....several trips to the dealers to figure this out. Im ready to get out of the car, but now I find out Im hopelessly upside down despite 0% financing!!! Love the performance, looks and style, but am scared to death for the lack of realiability. I think I got a bad car....dont you?

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  Viper RT10 Review - 2002 Dodge Viper
  By Review - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Fantastic car for its purpose. Its a street legal race car and built just for that purpose. The drive is exciting, powerful, and fun. Not a real good car for long trips. Simplicity is a positive with this car. Pure power and muscle. Probably the best money for the shear attention the car brings. The removable top could be a lot easier to handle, but most of the time its off the car.

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  Dont want to jinx myself - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By Intrepid-Fan - August 11 - 2:00 am

  I know that as soon as I submit this something will happen to my car, but I wanted to share my experience. WeÂ’ve had our Intrepid almost 3 years and its been great. Had 2 problems and they were both under warranty: the door seals came loose (a problem for many owners) and the wind dam. Compared it to the Accord, Camry, and Maxima. The other three could not stacked up on value: price + engine + storage + mileage. For those concerned about resale value you really need to consider keeping your car longer. It handles and accelerates well, changes gears at the right time, has great trunk space. Its a big car that doesnt ride like a land yacht.

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  the double d - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By upkeep5 - August 11 - 2:00 am

  its fun to drive looks good has power just want the motor to last forever

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  A few too many niggles for me - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By Boss - August 9 - 2:00 am

  I have to say that my 98 white intrepid es is a beaut. Its too bad though that Ive had to take it to the dealership for repairs one too many times. Brakes are the most troublesome and Ive noticed that the poor plastic quality inside the car is coming off. Another fault though not from the car is the dealership serivce. It stinks! Ive tried three or four closest to my neighbourhood and they are all terrible. Times like this I wish I bought a lexus. Would I buy this car again? Maybe not, I think that for the money Id rather buy a used audi a8.

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  Yep, its fun to drive - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By rambo - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I have bought 2 Durangos for the simple reason of being a fun SUV. A very well built truck with a truck like ride with a responsive handling quality.