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:

• 

  4.0 WITH 6 SPEED - 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By ETP - March 6 - 8:43 pm

  My minivan looks great inside and out, and has a rock solid build. The van seems to be rock solid on the road also. Dodge has been doing this for 26 years folks and they got it right again. As a former mechanic I check a vehicle out before I buy and this was far superior to the 3.3 and 3.8 vehicles on the lot. 12 months from now I can update this for you folks with long haul driving. I was reluctant to buy during this crisis but strongly feel we should support our manuafacturing base and most likely the worst that will happen is a reorganization of the industry.

• 

  First Time Mini Owner - 2006 Dodge Caravan
  By Ted D, - March 5 - 11:17 pm

  Great ride. Smooth and very comfortable. Very steady steering and responsive handling. Plenty of power. Form, fit and function excellent. First time Dodge owner and minivan owner. Only question at this point is why I waited.

• 

  Comfy Hot Rod - 2015 Dodge Charger
  By Gary Engmann - March 5 - 6:06 am

  A pleasure to drive with awesome power. Have had for almost two years, with not a problem one. On recent trip from Cleveland, TN to Atlanta, GA averaged over 26 mpg on a single tank of gas for the whole trip. Impressive!

• 

  Best car so far - 2009 Dodge Journey
  By Rockingham - March 3 - 1:53 am

  I love my new car. Had it for three months now and so far i have been well pleased.

• 

  Great Truck - 2005 Dodge Dakota
  By cwestbrook - March 2 - 7:47 am

  I wish I would have opted for the V8 but this truck serves my purpose of light hauling and travel very well. There is a little drag in take off, but the truck rides as smoothly as it can and I have thoroughly enjoyed owning it.

• 

  The awsomew Copper Head viper - 2006 Dodge Viper
  By sandy - March 1 - 8:15 pm

  This car is a real neck snapper. It is so stunning that drivers and pedestrians have to look while they are driving or walking. The acceleration pins you in the seat. The exhaust is properly tuned.

• 

  Love my Avenger - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By veepersgirl - February 26 - 11:36 am

  I never thought I would go back to a car after driving an SUV, but this car changed my mind. It is fun to drive, sporty and comfortable. The only downfall that I have found is that the fuel mileage is not so good in town.

• 

  Excellent Value - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By Chaz - February 24 - 2:13 pm

  This car has everything I need comfort, style and performance. Not all of us are in the market for a BMW. Having read the Edmunds review, I have to say that this car is under-rated and that Edmunds has a certain snobishness when it comes to rating cars. We are not all "Speed Racers" or "Track Demons". This is good solid transportation with style, comfort and a host of convenience features. A lot of what is out there is in fact "over engineered" for the needs of the average driver. Dodge and its parent company have tapped into a market segment where their car does not look like a cookie cutter in style and stands apart from the rest. I have gotten many, many compliments on the car.

• 

  Great SUV - 2003 Dodge Durango
  By Bart19 - February 24 - 2:00 am

  I got just what I wanted. It is a bit more like a truck than say the Montero But it is powerful, roomy, Comfortable, Nice looking, etc.. I had a 96 4.0 Jeep cherokee sport 2dr and this is a big truck compared to my old jeep. Liked the new Jeep Limited but scared of the transmission problems and now that I compare this truck with the limited I love my final choice. Much bigger and better looking.

• 

  The Worlds Greatest Minivan - 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan
  By DodgeFan - February 24 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle looks and drives as great as a sports car. The stereo is awesome, and the power- operated sliding doors and liftgate are useful and fun to use. If theres one thing that could be improved, its the flexibility of options. First of all, the base SE model has a very limited set of options. I would have gone for that, if rear air and power locks/windows/cruise control could be combined. Its good that this is possible for 2003. The Sport has many options, but the value is poor, and my wife wanted the power doors and liftgate, so we decided on the eX. Still, this van outclasses the Honda Odyssey in EVERY area but safety, only by a small margin.